The Jamaican government
says it intends to pursue a robust collaboration with Nigeria in the film and
animation industries.
The Jamaican High
Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Lincoln Downer, disclosed this during a courtesy
visit to the Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa,
in Abuja.
In a statement through
the minister’s media aide, Nneka Anibeze, Downer emphasised the strong
relations between Jamaica and Nigeria.
He highlighted the
existing creative industry exchanges and expressed enthusiasm for expanding
these collaborations.
He noted that Nigeria had
supported Jamaica through the technical eco-programme, which had facilitated
exchanges in areas like Batik and jewelry-making.
“There is a lot of scope
for collaboration, particularly in the area of film and animation.
“Nigeria has supported
Jamaica over many years in the creative industry through the technical
eco-programme, where artisans have been dispatched to Jamaica for exchanges in
areas of Batik and jewelry-making.
“We are hoping that
sometime in the future, these collaborations can be expanded. We also note that
Nigeria and Jamaica are in very close relations when it comes to entertainment.
“A lot of Nigerian
entertainers like Burna Boy and WizKid, have come to Jamaica, and even Victor
Thompson who was in Jamaica last month. We are looking forward to these sorts
of exchanges between both countries and to see how we can establish a framework
for deeper collaboration between the two countries.
“On Monday, we celebrated
54 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and
Jamaica.
“We are interested in
future collaborations with Nigeria because we recognise Nigeria as not only the
cultural hub of Africa but of the globe. We also have a rich culture so we are
interested in forging a stronger alliance with Nigeria,” he said.
Musawa welcomed the
proposal, expressing interest in the audio-visual film production agreement and
Jamaica’s film development initiative.
She also highlighted
Nigeria’s IDICE programme, which provides financial support to creatives.
“There is a natural
partnership between Nigeria and Jamaica especially in arts and culture.
“I am happy about the
cultural exchange being proposed by the Jamaican government and the positive
values that can come out of that.
“We are interested
in the audio-visual film production agreement proposed by Jamaica. I am
excited about your film development initiative which is just like Nigeria’s
IDICE, which empowers creatives to flourish through financial support.
“We are looking forward
to discussing other opportunities that can support creatives in the industry,”
she said
Also, the Director of
International Cultural Relations, Mrs Zainab Ali-Biu, sought Jamaica’s support
for proposing an International Day for Afrobeat music to UNESCO.