Writer and film director Kofi Asamoah, who is popularly known as Kofas, says Nigeria’s film industry has moved ahead of Ghana’s largely due to deliberate investments and stronger funding structures available to filmmakers.
Speaking exclusively to GhanaWeekend on Wednesday, May 20, during the launch of the Film Development Fund by the National Film Authority (NFA) at the Silverbird Cinemas in Accra, Kofi Asamoah said he agrees with the view that Nigeria currently has an edge over Ghana in filmmaking.
“I do agree that the Nigerians are ahead of us in terms of filmmaking because the Nigerians have made a conscious and very intentional effort in terms of government support to elevate their film industry,” he said.
According to him, one of the major differences between the two countries is the range of financial support systems available to filmmakers in Nigeria.
“And so in Nigeria, there are different types of funding available for filmmakers,” he stated.
Kofi Asamoah argued that Nigeria’s advantage cannot simply be attributed to its larger population, as is often suggested.
“Again, it’s not really fair to say that because of their numbers it is easy for them to make returns on the films that they make,” he explained.
He noted that while population size may contribute to market reach, the bigger factor remains access to financing opportunities.
“And so when you compare Nigeria and Ghana, the difference, aside the numbers, is that there exist several funding opportunities,” he added.
The filmmaker further explained that support structures in Nigeria extend beyond the central government and include state institutions and financial bodies.
“Individual states in Nigeria have funding. Different governments have separate funding. Banks and public institutions have funding that filmmakers can access,” he said.
Explore all the juicy entertainment news you desire with GhanaWeekend on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the GhanaWeekend channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaJ31iEDTkK8wIHNj31A
