The governor of Kwara State, AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq has said that the state is ready to dominate the Nigerian film industry.
This came as he said that the state is honoured to be given the hosting rights for the 16th edition of the Best of Nollywood Awards in November.
The event will play host to the movers and shakers of the Nigerian movie industry in Ilorin, the state capital.
Governor AbdulRazaq receiving the hosting rights of the award on Wednesday, said the event will be held at the iconic Sugar Factory Film Studio which he said had been built to take the Nigerian creative industry to the next level through cutting-edge last mile post-production capabilities.
A statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, quoted the governor as saying, “We are honoured to be given the hosting rights for this year’s event (Best of Nollywood Award).
“As you can see, Kwara is ready to dominate the film industry. The intention for this Sugar Factory Film Studio is to take film production in Nigeria to another level.”
The brief ceremony was attended by top government officials and some Nollywood stars from within and outside the state.
AbdulRazaq said hosting the BON Award will further market the film studio to the movie industry, whose legends are coming for the event later this year.
The governor said the state is intentional about building a strong service and hospitality economy in phases to draw in quality human traffic.
He said facilities like the film factory, visual arts centre, international conference centre, and the Kwara Hotel are a part of the plan.
PUNCH