The Untapped Potential of Nigeria-India Collaboration in Media and Entertainment
The burgeoning media and entertainment landscape of Nigeria, often referred to as "Nollywood," presents a unique opportunity for collaboration with India, a global powerhouse in film production and distribution. Obi Asika, Director-General of Nigeria’s National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), has emphasized the critical need for such a partnership, urging Nigeria to actively engage in global dialogues and collaborations to expand its reach and access international markets, particularly India’s vast entertainment industry. Asika’s call for collaboration highlights the untapped potential of a partnership that could mutually benefit both nations, leveraging their respective strengths to achieve greater global prominence in the media and entertainment sector.
Asika’s advocacy for Nigeria-India collaboration gained momentum during his presentation at the World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit, hosted by the Indian High Commission in Abuja. He lauded India’s proactive approach to converging various segments of the entertainment industry – broadcast, media, and associated services – under a unified governmental initiative. This strategic approach, he noted, distinguishes India from many other countries where the private sector typically leads due to the complexities of managing such a vast and multifaceted industry. He attributed India’s global leadership in these sectors, in part, to this coordinated governmental support. This observation underscores the importance of government involvement in fostering the growth and internationalization of the entertainment industry.
A key aspect of Asika’s vision for this collaboration centers on the active participation of Nigeria’s private sector. He specifically mentioned prominent players like MultiChoice, Filmhouse, Chocolate City, and Mavin Records, urging them to join the collaborative efforts with India. He envisioned a unified Nigerian presence at the Wave Summit, showcasing the nation’s diverse cultural tapestry, encompassing music, fashion, television, and film, and providing a platform for fostering impactful partnerships. This collaborative approach, he argued, would not only elevate Nigeria’s visibility on the international stage but also facilitate crucial networking and knowledge sharing between the two countries.
Asika stressed the need for India to provide comprehensive information about opportunities within its entertainment industry to Nigerian stakeholders. Many Nigerian companies, he pointed out, remain unaware of the potential benefits and avenues for participation in the Indian market. By bridging this information gap, he believes, more Nigerian companies can leverage the opportunities presented by the Indian entertainment industry, leading to greater cross-cultural exchange and economic growth. The "Nigeria Everywhere" branding strategy, proposed by Asika, aims to project the nation’s rich cultural diversity across various sectors, creating a unified and recognizable identity in the global market.
A significant gap in the current landscape, as highlighted by Asika, is the absence of Nollywood films in the Indian market. This surprising revelation underscores the urgency of the proposed collaboration. Bringing Nigerian films to Indian platforms would not only expose Indian audiences to the vibrant storytelling of Nollywood but also open new revenue streams for Nigerian filmmakers. Asika’s emphasis on this point highlights the importance of cross-cultural exchange and the potential for Nollywood to capture a significant share of the Indian market.
Echoing Asika’s sentiments, Shri Kumar, Joint Secretary of the Government of India and Director-General of the National Film Development Corporation, reinforced the potential of this collaboration. He envisions a synergistic partnership where the entertainment industries of both countries can learn from each other and build on their respective strengths. Kumar proposed a practical strategy for introducing Nigerian films to Indian audiences: dubbing them into major Indian languages. This approach, he noted, has proven successful in popularizing Korean and Japanese content in India, suggesting that a similar strategy could be effective for Nollywood films. By making Nigerian cinema accessible to a wider Indian audience, this initiative could spark a growing interest in Nollywood narratives and pave the way for sustained cultural exchange. The suggestion of showcasing dubbed Nigerian films at the Wave Summit and releasing them in Indian theatres further demonstrates a commitment to facilitating the entry of Nollywood into the Indian market. This proactive approach, if implemented effectively, could be a game-changer for the Nigerian film industry, opening doors to a vast and receptive audience.
