The imperativeness of ensuring that the nation’s audio-visual heritage collections are protected and preserved has once more been emphasized at the commencement of a two-week intensive Audio Magnetic Preservation and Digitization Training Workshop taking place at the National Film Video and Sound Archive (NFVSA) in Jos, Plateau State.
Nigerian Film Corporation’s (NFC) Chief Executive, Dr. Ali Nuhu who made the emphasis in a brief but extensive remarks, harped on the need for handlers of the preservation and protection processes of the NFVSA to constantly undergo training, retraining, capacity building and be availed the opportunity to participate in associated skills development programmes. Apart from utilizing its staff development schemes, NFC he said, was determined to leverage on other domestic and foreign collaborative partnerships to ensure that the NFVSA is adequately positioned to drive the nation’s journey towards the full digitization of its audio-visual collections.
Dr. Ali Nuhu said that Nigeria cannot afford to lose any of the historical records (in the audio-visual format), currently being secured at the NFVSA in Jos, especially with its recent designation as a national repository, which he said, has further expanded its operations with huge responsibility burden. The NFVSA “requires high and medium cost preservation and digitization equipment as well as skilled expertise and manpower”, he averred.
He therefore charged the trainees, mainly personnel of the NFVSA; staff of other relevant departments of the NFC, and lecturers/faculty resource persons of the National Film Institute (NFI) and the University of Jos, to utilize the opportunity offered to horn their skills and competences, and consequently also justify the huge resources being deployed for the training workshop.
Dr. Nuhu further stated that the training workshop was one, in the series of skills and manpower development programmes of the NFC for the NFVSA, aimed at empowering its workforce for effective and efficient service delivery, and also in ensuring that its operational module aligns with Federal Governments policy on cultural heritage preservation and sustainability, driven through strategic initiatives to preserve, safeguard and grant of access. On behalf of the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Nuhu thanked all partners of the training workshop and assured of the preparedness of the NFC through the NFVSA, to secure Nigeria’s audio-visual heritage in its custody.
The NFC’s Two-Week Audio Magnetic Preservation and Digitization Training Workshop, which commenced June 1st, to end on June 15th, 2024, and facilitated by Jonathan Larcher, a Professor of visual arts and anthropology, University Paris Nantarre, France; is being held with partnership support of Goethe University – Frankfurt, Arsenal Institute for Film & Video Art – Berlin, Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum and Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). – (All German Institutions).
