Could Movie Industry Hawk A’Ibom’ Tourism Better?
By UbongAbasi Ise
Akwa
Ibom State is variedly considered to be a home of tourism, place of exquisite
delicacies, home of beautiful women, land of exciting cultures, rich colonial histories
and all manner of hospitability. Looking at a state that is naturally endowed
with essential resources, blessed with clement all-year round climate
accompanying with lush of greenery, exquisite beaches and idyllic scenes, there
is no competitive heights Akwa Ibom would not have attended in the area of
tourism. All that could have mattered most would have been a vibrant entertainment
sector that can amplify the beauty of the state to all corners of the world.
But sadly, the story of Akwa Ibom entertainment appears to be a tale of a
paradise being overtaken by barren wilderness and aridity that leave nothing to
be desired about.
We could ask what would be the gain
of the state if its salubrious ambiance and its splendour are flaunted to the
world. As the state is seeking rapid
industrialization, there is the need for investors to bring in capital and
assets needed for industrial growth. The question is how could an investor
outside the shores of the state and country identify Akwa Ibom as an exciting
and safe destination to do business? The answer is not farfetched: it is the entertainment
industry that could market the image of the state and then attract the
attention of the world to its huge industrial and tourist potentials. The Igbo
has been able to use Nollywood movies to sell their culture to the world; the
Americans have equally displayed their hi-techs and military might through
movies to the rest of the world; the Philippines, Mexicans, and other Latin
speaking countries have used telemondo
to sell their panoramic sites of attraction. Because of movies, so many people have an idea
of what foreign places look like despite the fact that they have never been
there. One can tell what Dubai, London, New York, Cape Town or even Lagos looks
like, how they sound, and how people dress in those places because of how
they’ve been represented in the films. There
are a lot of movies that have painted quite some pictures of places and
cultures in that one might never really grasp the experience of those places till
they have to travel there.
How could people in other parts
of the world know about tourist centers in Akwa Ibom? Of course, there are a lot of sand beaches in
the state with Ibeno Beach being the most popular; these sites could have been
generously captured in movies in order to spark in viewers the irresistible
urge to throng Akwa Ibom beaches and resorts.
There is a Bridge of No Return in Ikot Abasi which stands as a relic and
a pointer to history of slave trade era which could have helped scholars
recollect and reconstruct past epoch shaped by trade in humans if properly
captured in films. Lord Lugard Amalgamation House is another leftover of
colonial Africa that could be sold along with Akwa Ibom’s name to the world
through epic movies. Stunning parks and gardens at Brooke Street and Udo Udoma
Avenue in Uyo, the state capital, could perfectly market the luxuriant greenery
of the state when used in movie locations. The likes of Four Point by Sheraton
Hotel in Ikot Ekpene, Ibom Le Meridien Hotels & Golf Resorts as well as Ibom
Tropicana Entertainment centre could best be used as movie locations, thus
showcasing the state’s pedigree in hospitability to the world.
Just as international and club football matches at magnificent Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo often brought Akwa Ibom to the global attention, adequately sponsored movies on major tourism platforms could also sell the spicy culture and the beauties of Akwa Ibom to the world and invite the investors. The significance is that, foreigners have natural tendency to fear unknown cultures, therefore it is the media spotlight on an entertaining culture of a people that could break the barriers of enigma surrounding any given society. Sadly enough, entertainment industry in Akwa Ibom, which could have been a veritable tool for marketing of culture and tourist potentials, seems to be ailing and left almost unattended to. To this end, it is necessary to pay full attention to tourism vis-à-vis movie industry. For instance, tourism in Northern Ireland was reportedly impacted by an action-packed film called Game of Thrones, thus fetching millions of pounds to tourism sector. Another blockbuster, Lord of the Rings, was reported to have spurred mass visit to some of the 150 locations captured in the film series in New Zealand, with annual visitation growing up to 40 percent after the series hit theaters, and in 2012, tourism was cited as the country’s second-highest industry.
PERHAPS
GOVERNMENT AND MOVIE INDUSTRY NEEDS EACH OTHER
Key players in movie industry in Akwa Ibom State have already worked together to improve standard and to intensify competitiveness at the national front. Speaking with The Sensor recently, Comrade Ekere Nkanga, the pioneer chairman of Akwa Ibom State Chapter of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), stated that Nigeria’s Nollywood is gradually moving towards Akwa Ibom as a result of initiatives brought about by the stakeholders in the entertainment sector. He said prior to this time, there was availability of just one guild in the state but at the moment, besides the AGN, there are important bodies such Guild of Editors as well as the recently inaugurated Guild of Producers which focuses primarily in bringing in producers to invest in the state’s make-believe industry. Comrade Nkanga said these guilds are working in unanimity in order to set a high standard and to rid the industry of mediocrity which has impeded the growth of the industry over the years.
The veteran actor, who came into limelight in 1988, reminded how Igbo ethnics have been able to promote their cultural heritage repeatedly in movies, noting that some aspects of Akwa Ibom cultures and their related institutions like Ekpo, Ekpe, Nnabo and several others could be popularized globally through home movies.
He stated that the industry has tried to educate, entertain, employ and
explore, while also possessing huge potentiality to compete with the oil sector
in bringing income to the state, although pointing to the difficulties that may
arise without the government’s support.
Also speaking with The Sensor, a multiple award-winning
Nollywood actor, Ime Bishop, popularly known as Okon Lagos, stressed that the
emergence of movie industry was not factored by the government but by the passionate
individuals, noting that the industry has done enough to launder the image of
the country even without good support from the government. He was of belief
that if the government bring about enabling environment, the movie industry
would surely thrive.
“The
government did not bring Nollywood; the government did not even bring up the
movie industry. The movie industry happened on its own. If the pioneers had waited
for the government to bring up the movie industry, it wouldn’t have existed.
That’s why I always say that all the government should do is to set the tone,
create the enabling atmosphere, and any industry could emerge on its own. This
movie industry takes advantage of the fact that we have history and culture; we
have heritage; we have stories, and we have the population and market for these
stories to be sold. With these, there could be returns of investments,” said
the comic actor.
Ime Bishop sees entertainment industry as a huge positive exporter of the country’s image to the world saying the leadership should prioritize the industry and make sure it is viable and sustainable.
©The Sensor Newspaper
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