Lagos State, EbonyLife Place, Host Eko Star Awards

BY Azuka Ogujiuba

Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has once again partnered with EbonyLife Place to highlight an area of achievement in Nigerian arts and culture, along with support from Nigerian International Film Summit. The result is the Eko Star Film and TV Awards recently staged to recognise the considerable accomplishments of women in the film and television industry.

Despite being a male-dominated industry, film and television has seen remarkable successes for women in the last ten years. Of the top 10 all-time, highest grossing movies at the Nigerian box office, female producers – Funke Akindele-Bello, Mo Abudu, Jade Osiberu and Kemi Adetiba – are responsible for seven of them. Similarly, other areas of the industry, such as writing, editing and financing are dominated by women. To highlight this, the Eko Star Awards brought some of these heroines to the fore and celebrated them, along with their colleagues in acting.

Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, who has been a champion of the award said: “Lagos State values the input of the film and television industry highly and we know that the contribution of women have been instrumental to its growth. By recognising the importance of diversity in Nollywood and the role of women in creating real economic value, we believe that young women will be inspired to follow their dreams and the example of these icons.”

The invitation-only event was staged at Ebonylife Place, Lagos. Veterans of the screen and behind-the-scenes mingled with the current movers and shakers and rising talent. Generous applause greeted each award, as the women supported each other and celebrated their individual and collective accomplishments.

EbonyLife Place’s CEO, Mo Abudu is pleased to have hosted the event at the resort. She said: “It’s great to have Lagos State as a partner in important events like this. As a film producer, I know the challenges many of these women face in our industry, so it is critical that we recognise and support each other on our journeys.”

The Eko Star Film and TV Awards is the second of twelve-monthly events being staged by the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in partnership with EbonyLife Place. The events are intended to highlight various aspects of Lagos arts and culture that have a significant impact on tourism and entertainment in the state.