The Cross River Government says it has trained no fewer than 300 youths in different areas of filmmaking as part of efforts to promote youth empowerment and self-reliance.
Dr Kalita Aruku, the Chairman, Cross River Youth Empowerment Scheme, made the disclosure while explaining the ‘Cross River Next Stars Initiative’ in Calabar on Wednesday.
He said that the initiative was designed to redefine the concept of empowerment beyond the distribution of equipment.
Aruku said that the programme was conceived to equip young people with practical skills and create opportunities to build sustainable careers in the creative industry.
He said that the training covered various aspects of film production such as acting, directing, scriptwriting, cinematography, lighting, content creation, makeup, and costume design.
According to him, the initiative is also intended to complement the state government’s tourism drive, saying,” entertainment remains an important component of tourism development”
“Cross River prides itself as the number one tourist destination in Africa, so we can not talk about tourism without entertainment.
“In our bid to also promote the tourism drive of Gov. Bassey Otu-led Government, we decided to bring out this programme to train young people who are interested in the creative industry,” he said.
Aruku said that the beneficiaries would proceed to the next phase of the programme, which would involve practical movie production.
“The participants will be given opportunities to practise their skills and earn income from their craft,” he said.
The chairman said that established professionals in the Nigerian film industry were brought in to provide mentorship and practical knowledge to the trainees.
The chairman said that the scheme also planned to engage established actors and other industry professionals to produce movies with talented trainees in the cast.
He explained that such collaboration would enable the beneficiaries to leverage the experience, visibility, and platforms of established professionals.
On sustainability, Aruku said that the initiative would partner the state’s Caliwood industry, established by the government to drive film production in Cross River.
“The government has set up a Caliwood industry, so there is a department for Caliwood with a mandate to start movie production.
He said that the trainees would subsequently be absorbed into Caliwood projects, while the industry was expected to become self-sustaining after the initial phases of production.
Aruku said that the empowerment scheme would also extend its intervention to sports, particularly football, through a planned talent-hunt programme.
According to him, established footballers, coaches, and professional scouts would be invited to Cross River to identify young talents.
“We are going to organise football competitions and then take those talents from Cross River to Europe.
“Those who are scouted and deemed good enough to be sponsored out of the country to places where clubs need their services will be supported by the government,” he said.
Also speaking, a Nollywood actor, Charles Inojie, commended the organisers for the quality and intentionality of the training programme.
Inojie said that the growing number of participants demonstrated the impact of the initiative, and that some beneficiaries had returned to their communities and attracted others through word-of-mouth publicity.
He expressed confidence that the programme could make a lasting impact if the organisers sustained the quality of training and mentorship.
“I am particularly impressed with the intentionality of the organisers and the quality of knowledge that has been dished out,” Inojie said.
The actor also commended the state government for its support for the initiative, and linked the quality of the programme to the leadership style of Otu.
“I often say that when you walk into any organisation or institution, the quality of communication and interaction that you encounter is always a function of who is at the head,” he said.
Inojie expressed satisfaction with his participation in the programme, and commended Cross River for investing in young people and the creative sector. (NAN)
