The Jamaican government has announced its intention to pursue a robust collaboration with Nigeria in the film and animation industries.
The Jamaican High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Lincoln Downer, made this known during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Ms Hannatu Musa Musawa, in Abuja.
The High Commissioner emphasised the strong relations between Jamaica and Nigeria, highlighted the existing creative industry exchanges and expressed enthusiasm for expanding these collaborations.
He noted that Nigeria has supported Jamaica through the technical eco-program, which has facilitated exchanges in areas like Batik and jewelry-making.
“There is a lot of scope for collaboration, particularly in film and animation. Nigeria has supported Jamaica in the creative industry over many years through the technical eco-program, where artisans have been dispatched to Jamaica for exchanges in Batik and jewellery-making.
“We celebrated 54 years of establishing diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Jamaica. We are interested in future collaborations with Nigeria because we recognise Nigeria as the cultural hub of Africa and the globe. We also have a rich culture, so we are interested in forging a stronger alliance with Nigeria”.
The Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Ms. Hannatu Musa Musawa, welcomed the proposal and expressed interest in the Audio-Visual Film Production Agreement and Jamaica’s film development initiative.
She also highlighted Nigeria’s IDICE program, which provides financial support to the creative industry.
“We are interested in the Audio-Visual Film Production Agreement proposed by Jamaica. I am excited about your Film Development initiative, which is similar to Nigeria’s IDICE and empowers creatives to flourish through financial support.
Earlier, the Director of International Cultural Relations, Mrs. Zainab Ali-Biu, sought Jamaica’s support for proposing an International Day for Afrobeat Music to UNESCO.