The Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has said that, if voted into power in the 2020 general elections, the government will change the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) into a modern Multimedia University.
Here, students will be taught various courses in creative arts.
He said this during the launch of the 2020 manifesto at the University of Professional Studies, in Accra.
He also said the National Theatre will be refurbished.
A few weeks ago, he had already made this plan known in an interview.
“To start with, he said it was imperative for the National Film and Television Institute is converted into a multimedia university where students are groomed on the various branches that exist in the creative arts industry”, he had said.
He added in that interview with TV XYZ that: “infrastructure is a driver and it propels economic prosperity but I’m saying that at the same time everything we do should be geared towards creating jobs for the youth. That is why in the next administration that I heard everything will be geared towards creating more jobs in say the creative arts. You can imagine how many people can be employed in the creative arts industry as film directors, as sound engineers, as sound men. Nigeria has got it right and how Nigeria has done it, we can follow the same path and move our creative arts to the next level.
“I’ve suggested that NAFTI, National Film and Television Institute should be turned into a modern Multimedia University that will train sound people, musicians and all of them. And create a conducive environment like building theatres and studios so that when a movie director shoots his movie, he will not have to share the proceeds with a private theatre 50/50 but rather the government theatre will just take 25% per cent so that the movie maker can also invest the money made in producing other movies. Creating studios where they can use the studio at a subsidized fee.
“The government should create a platform for young producers to come and showcase what they’ve been able to do. How much will it cost to give them the National Theatre, have an Accra film festival, collaborate with the private sector to do an Accra film festival, the government can give prizes to the best movie? There are people doing Accra fashion week so you help them. Let all the fashion designers come and showcase the new models. People will come from Nigeria, they will bring money in, they will stay in hotels. We need to unleash our creative juices and I feel very passionate about this.”
Meanwhile, some people from the opposition New Patriotic Party have intimated that NAFTI is already a multimedia university.
