By Ijeooma Agbafo
The Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Abubakar Jidda, has described Nollywood as one of Nigeria’s strongest economic and diplomatic assets beyond the oil and gas sector.
Jidda said this at the North American special screening of Kalakiri, a socio-political blockbuster, held at St. John’s University in New York on Sunday. He said Nollywood had given Nigeria greater global visibility and demonstrated that Nigerians were industrious, innovative, and exceptionally talented. According to him, the Federal Government is strengthening the industry through initiatives to improve its regulatory framework and enable creators to leverage intellectual property assets for financing.
The envoy said the creative industry remained one of Nigeria’s greatest vehicles for youth empowerment, employment generation, and economic diversification. He added that Nigerian music, fashion, culture, and Nollywood had become globally recognised symbols of the country’s soft power and urged Nigerians in the Diaspora to invest in the creative economy, describing it as “a goldmine many people have yet to fully appreciate”.
Jidda said Kalakiri portrays Nigeria’s transition from prolonged military rule to constitutional democracy, helping to preserve the country’s democratic history while projecting positive national narratives internationally. The film, adapted from Prisoner of the Kalakiri by Chudi Uwazurike and directed by Chika Onu, explores themes of democracy, political repression, justice, freedom, and national rebirth.
Executive Producer Obi Emekekwue said the production created employment for more than 500 people, including over 100 actors and hundreds of writers, technicians, artisans, and other crew members. He added that the film was released around Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration and would be submitted to major international film festivals, while discussions were underway to secure distribution through Netflix to reach wider global audiences.
