By Osezua Stephen-Imobhio
The national conversation about reforming the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has become both timely and necessary. What may appear to be an internal industry debate is, in reality, a broader question of economic planning and cultural strategy. As Nigeria strives to diversify its economy and strengthen its global creative presence, it is important to ensure that the institutions responsible for the film sector are aligned with current realities rather than past assumptions.
Established in 1979 under Decree/Act No. 61 (1979), the NFC was designed for a different era—one without digital production, streaming platforms, international co-production markets, or the global visibility Nollywood enjoys today. Its statutory mandate includes film production, training, archiving, research, and festival facilitation. While these functions reflected national needs in the late 1970s, they now create structural overlaps that impede a modern, private-sector-driven industry.
Across the country, these institutional gaps manifest in several ways. Some independent film festivals have, in recent years, experienced irregular scheduling or funding pressures—reflecting the broader fiscal and administrative challenges within the cultural sector. At the same time, government-led initiatives such as the Zuma International Film Festival, which the NFC continues to facilitate, have maintained regular editions. The mixed outcomes highlight a deeper tension: an agency that both participates in and facilitates the industry can unintentionally distort the ecosystem it is meant to support.
Nollywood’s growth makes this misalignment more pronounced. Industry analyses by PwC (circa 2016) place the sector’s contribution at approximately 2.3% of Nigeria’s GDP, while IMF assessments (2016–2018) consistently estimate that the film and entertainment sector supports over one million jobs directly and indirectly. These figures underscore the importance of creating institutions that can sustain and expand such economic gains. Yet, Nigeria’s policy framework for film remains anchored to structures created more than four decades ago.
The core issue is not whether the NFC has been useful—indeed, it has contributed to training, documentation, and early capacity building—but whether its structure is still appropriate. Because the Corporation is simultaneously involved in production, training, archiving, and festival facilitation, its role overlaps with private operators, creating a conflict between enabling the industry and participating in it. Modern creative economies typically separate these functions to ensure transparency, competitiveness, and efficiency.
International practice offers clear examples. Countries with thriving film sectors—such as South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and Canada—operate Film Commissions, not film-producing government agencies. These commissions focus on:
*streamlining permits and production logistics
*maintaining national location databases
*supporting co-production treaties and investment frameworks
*improving industry data and policy coordination
*facilitating incentives such as tax rebates, location rebates, or co-production funds
In these countries, governments act as enablers, not competitors. The goal is to create a conducive environment in which private filmmakers, festival organisers, distributors, and investors can operate with clarity and confidence.
Nigeria stands to benefit significantly from adopting this model. A modern Nigerian Film Commission would provide the sector with a central, professional, and neutral facilitator. Such an institution could improve production efficiency, strengthen training pathways, attract international partnerships, support independent festivals, and help address longstanding challenges like piracy, infrastructure gaps, and inconsistent data.
This transition would represent more than a change in name. It signifies a policy shift:
*from government participation to government facilitation
*from fragmented mandates to streamlined functions
*from resource strain to investment attraction
*from outdated frameworks to globally aligned standards
As Nollywood enters a more competitive phase—marked by international collaborations, rising expectations for quality, and expanding digital distribution—Nigeria’s public institutions must evolve accordingly. The question is no longer whether the country needs a modern Film Commission, but how quickly such a structure can be designed and implemented.
Reforming the NFC is not an indictment of its historical contributions. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that the industry has outgrown the limitations of a 1979 model. To secure the next decade of growth, global visibility, and economic impact, Nigeria must adopt institutional frameworks that reflect best practices and meet the demands of today’s creative economy.
A forward-looking Film Commission is not just desirable—it is essential. The time to begin this transition is now.
— Osezua Stephen-Imobhio is Founder African Indigenous Language Film Festival (AILFF)
