On the Set of Ivie, Segun Arinze Preaches Closer Attention to the Girl-Child

Yinka Olatunbosun

Veteran actor Segun Arinze, alongside award-winning actress Bimbo Akintola and other top actors, is on the set of Ivie, a movie that mirrors contemporary issues from the point of view of a Nigerian family. The movie, expected to be out in September, is produced by Omoefe Kingsley with Opa Williams as executive producer and directed by Pat Oghre Imobhio.

Ivie, the central character of the story, is a young Benin girl. She was raped by the very man who was supposed to protect her. She took her destiny in her hands and sought for justice against her mother’s wish, who preferred she kept quiet on the matter due to fear of stigmatisation.

According to the producer, Omoefe Kingsley, the name ‘Ivie’ was adopted as the title of the movie to give it a cultural identity.

He said, “We needed to create an identity for the film. We could have named it something else, but we agreed to give it a cultural identity. This story is based on a true-life story. It happened in Benin, it happened to somebody with that name, so we adopted the name so that it could stand out in the crowd. “

In describing the plot, he revealed that sexual violence was one of the themes.

“There is a bit of rape in the film. This shows that we should be conscious of whom we leave our children with. You found out that the same person who you trusted is the same person who is committing the crime.”

While fielding questions from journalists, Segun Arinze called for closer attention to the girl-child and kids generally. He noted that training a child should not be left to schools alone and that both schools and parents must work as partners in bringing up a child. 

According to research by Women at Risk International Foundation, Africa has the highest prevalence rate of child sexual abuse at 34.4 per cent. Also, findings from a National Survey by the same organisation in 2014 on Violence Against Children in Nigeria confirmed that one in four females reported experiencing sexual violence in childhood, with approximately 70% reporting more than one incident of sexual violence. These statistics are worrisome, proving that rape in itself is a pandemic.

Hence, producing a movie to draw awareness to this development is a no-brainer for the producer. The idea is not to teach rape but to demystify it, sounding warnings to parents, guardians, and all who are responsible for the welfare of the girl-child.

On his part, Arinze condemned anybody blaming the Nollywood industry for playing a role in the increase in crime in Nigeria, saying, “When you try to lay the blame on the doorstep of Nollywood, you shy away from your responsibility. What Nollywood simply does is try to bring out the stories and the facts. We re-create the facts and let you know that these things are not right.”