Del-York & Partners to Develop a Befitting, World-class Film and Media Park in Lagos

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Vanessa Obioha writes that the recently announced partnership between the Lagos government, Del York International Group and US-based Storyland Studios to develop a film city in Lagos is a welcoming vision and a necessary facelift for the film industry

Last May, Commissioner for Tourism Arts and Culture in Lagos, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, hinted at the state’s plan to build a film city. The plan was part of the Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative (LACI), whose objectives include giving practitioners in the creative sector an opportunity to compete favourably with their contemporaries across the globe in filmmaking. Akinbile-Yusuf stressed the administration’s goal to make Lagos the creative industry capital and ensure it takes its place in the African continent as the undisputed centre for outsourcing creative talent into the global entertainment industry talent pool. It is not news that entertainment is one of the campaign pillars of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. The governor has consistently shown his support for the sector through various initiatives.

The plan finally came into fruition recently when Del-York International Group, in partnership with the Lagos government, announced that it signed a deal with a US-based company Storyland Studios to develop a film city in Lagos.

In most developed parts of the world, where the film industry is considered an important sector of the economy, film cities are built to not only help local filmmakers but to attract more international producers to domesticate their filmmaking operations in the country and have a pool of trained professionals they can draw on to produce quality content. Imagine the Fast and Furious franchise coming to Nigeria to film or perhaps, Marvel Comics toying with the idea of having a Wakanda situated in Lagos, the bustling city of Nigeria. Such projects are what the Del York International Group, the project’s sponsors, is hoping to achieve with the multimillion-dollar facility.

Expectedly, such news is greeted with fanfare as it will address one of the challenges of Nollywood, which is an enabling environment for filmmakers to work. As the world’s second-largest film industry in terms of production volume, Nollywood has, over the years, blossomed into one of the top employers of labour. It has a projected annual growth of 8.6 per cent and contributes 1.42 per cent to the Nigerian GDP. It is one of the major cultural exports of the country. But practitioners are faced with a myriad of challenges that range from piracy to funds and infrastructural needs for productions. With little support from the government, most filmmakers resort to using their private funds.

But with the outlook of the creative industry which revenue today stands close to about $4.5 billion annually, Nollywood is touted as the next big thing for the country.

Therefore, having a public-private partnership with Del York International Group to develop a facility that will provide a seamless environment for filmmakers to do their work is laudable. And Lagos, home to an estimated 20 million people as the preferred location, will surely add to the economic value of the state through tourism and entertainment. The facility will be sited in Ejirin City, Epe area of the state and will provide ancillary services such as a theme park, studios for production and post-production and is expected to attract 5,000 to 10,000 daily visitors. It combines leisure, entertainment and learning as a Creative Academy for film students will be situated in the 100-hectare facility.

“The continent’s burgeoning community of creatives have long been inspired through the magic of film and television, spiriting themselves into worlds they never thought possible but curtailed by their immediate circumstances,” said The President of Del York International Group, Mr. Linus Idahosa, who is also the founder of the Del-York Creative Academy (a renown film making institute on the African continent).

The founder and Chief Creative Officer of Storyland Studios, Mel McGowan, added that “We’re excited to be part of the further development of Nigeria’s incredibly prolific and rapidly-growing film industry. The Lagos film city concept is a cultural, creative ecosystem that will be a catalyst not only for the country of Nigeria but for Africa.”

The film city is not the first partnership between Del York International Group and Lagos. Also, last May, the duo entered a partnership that saw the state government sponsoring trainees in the creative field to Del York Academy.

Now with both working together like two hands on a clapping task to change the face of Nollywood as well as attract global investors to the state, Nollywood is perhaps on its way to achieving gold status in the global film industry.

“With this agreement in place, we can finally realize that purpose-designed infrastructure that will match the dreams and most expansive imaginations of creatives on the African continent,” added Idahosa, who is reputed for his keen interest in media and film capacity building.

Over the years, Del York International Group’s reputation as a global syndicate providing world-class innovation in technology, mass communication, education, and sustainable energy while also facilitating market entry for companies and institutions interested in doing business in Africa has magnified.

Under the exceptional leadership of Idahosa, the Group continues to attract international companies into the country. For instance, it signed a deal with Huffine Global Solutions (HGS) earlier in the year to conceptualise and execute projects in Nigeria and across Africa.

Idahosa, it seems, is on a dedicated mission to revolutionalise the African market through groundbreaking interventions and innovations. Each business strategy is meticulously applied to replicate success and build a legacy.

By deploying the services of Storyland Studios, a renowned design and production studio with offices in the US and Europe, there are no doubts that by the completion of the film city, which will start construction early next year, the global spotlight on Nollywood will be further illuminated.