CHAPTER VIII: FILM INDUSTRY
Preamble
8.1 The film industry is an important medium of communication, which cuts across national and cultural boundaries with a wide and fast network of distribution internationally. It is therefore a tool for national economic, social, cultural and political development. It is a powerful medium for the promotion of national ethics as well as national mobilization, which requires careful planning to ensure that it is not dominated by foreign cultural influences, and their product of violence, drug addiction, indiscipline which are alien to our traditional value system.
8.2 Objectives
(a)To establish a virile profit-oriented film industry;
(b)To serve as a vital instrument for national integration, unity and international image building;
(c)To protect our rich cultural heritage;
(d)To serve as a tool for national cohesion;
(e)To expand Nigeria’s sphere of influence through export of our cultural values;
(f)To serve as a vehicle for public enlightenment, education and entertainment;
(g)To encourage the production and exportation of Nigerian films in view of the potential of film as earner of foreign exchange.
8.3 Guidelines:
(a) Employ film potentials in inculcating in the generality of people the virtues inherent in our diverse cultures and people;
(b) Employ film potentials to propagate the desired aspect of our national character, values and cultures internally and externally;
(c) Employ film potential to establish the blackman and his culture everywhere in the world;
(d) Exploitation of film potentials for the advancement of national unity, social co-existence, education, science and technology and the non violent solutions to social problems and conflicts in our society;
(e) Post production synchronization and dubbing in the three main Nigerian languages and the extensive use of subtitles to ensure a wider audience.
8.4 Implementation Strategy:
(a) The Nigerian Film Corporation shall be the central body to implement national film policies and shall regulate and monitor production, distribution and exhibition of local and foreign films;
(b) Government shall give adequate financial support for the initial take-of of the film industry and encourage banks to make funds accessible to it;
(c) Part of the tax derived from gate-takings shall be recycled for the development of the film industry;
(d) In order to guarantee cultural independence and ensure self-sufficiency, the government shall provide the basic infrastructural facilities for the industry through the Nigerian Film Corporation;
(e) The NFC shall be encouraged to establish a national film archive in recognition of the importance of documentation in the preservation of knowledge and their relevance for promoting education, scientific, economic, political and social goals of development;
(f) The use of mobile cinema vans for public enlightenment and social mobilization for the rural population shall be resuscitated.
8.5 Regulation and Control:
(a) The Federal Board of Film Censors shall be reconstituted immediately
(b) The Nigerian Film Corporation shall monitor the ways through which foreign films are smuggled into the country.
8.6 Film Festival:- the Nigerian Film Corporation in collaboration with the National Council for Arts and Culture shall jointly organize national and international film festival as part of its strategy for local and overseas film marketing and the mobilization of international opinion in favour of Nigeria’s cultural values and interests.
CHAPTER IX: EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES
Preamble:
9.1 A nation’s external communication structure consists of the network of channels of information and message flows that are under its control or direct influence and through which the nation routinely communicates and comes in contact with the rest of the world. Some of such structures of global communication and contact are located within the national borders, e.g. the Voice of
Nigeria and the various domestic- based newspapers and magazines whose products are distributed worldwide. Others are located in foreign lands. Examples include, Nigeria’s Information Centres in major political and business centers of the world, overseas ureaux of the News Agency of Nigeria and Information/Cultural attaches in our various mbassies and missions.
9.2 The way the domestic and foreign-based external communication outfits of a country are orgnised and linked determine the extent to which those structures may be effectively exploited, either exclusively or largely for the protection and advancement of the nation’s cause within the international arena. Although all communication systems are designed to produce information and messages, the value of their outputs for national influence and decision making –especially in the field of foreign politics-varies. The variations are largely determined by organisational structures.
Objectives:
9.3 In the light of the foregoing, our external publicity strategy should aim at the following objectives:
(a) To organize our external communications and publicity channels in ways that will maximize our influence in the world;
(b) To provide an effective publicity back up for our foreign policy objectives;
(c) To employ all organs of communication possible within the external environment to further, at the international arena, those cardinal principles upon which our nation and constitution are founded and which protect and enhance Nigeria’s national system;
(d) To create a sense of belonging among Nigerians abroad and generate in them a the much needed patriotic sentiment for the advancement of Nigeria’s interest and better external image;
(e) To promote and protect Nigeria’s immeasurable cultural wealth to establish a distinct international identity;
(f) To ensure the promotion of cultural, education and sporting interactions in the host countries for the development of wider programmes of cultural cooperation.
Guidelines:
9.4 Nigerian Information Centres: - It is recommended that :
(a) (a)Nigerian Information Service Centres be established abroad to handle routine publicity functions, and engage in systematic development of vital information of foreign policy significance in their respective areas of operation;
(b) Accordingly, the centres should be staffed by well trained officers in public information management and should be linked to the News Agency of Nigeria’s telex machines for up -to-date news on Nigeria and the country’s global activities in different parts of the world;
(c) Location of all such information centers abroad shall correspond closely with an articulated foreign policy strategy;
(d) Each Center shall have a library holding of books on Nigeria, brochures, documentary films and video tapes on Nigerian life and culture, a display of Nigerian arts and craft as well as weekly NTA newscast. Cultural Radio Programmes on tapes, daily newspaper and magazines from Nigeria;
(e) Similar structures shall be established at all our missions on a smaller scale; (f) For the purpose of effective professional control over operations of the centers, all administrative policies, posting of officers, guidelines and budgetary controls in the area shall be handled exclusively by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture;
(g) The External Publicity Department of the Ministry should therefore be properly staffed, funded and equipped to handle (f) above;
(h) To enable effective publicity planning and programming, remittance of allocation to the centers shall be on a six months basis, rather than quarterly;
(i) In view of the strategic significance of the sensitivity to information in external relations, all Information Centres and staff abroad, whether located within or outside the Mission premises, shall be considered as part and parcel of our diplomatic outfit in the countries of their location. Consequently, they shall come under the direct supervision of the Head of Mission to ensure strict compliance to diplomatic ethics and code;
(j) All home based officers of the centers within the professional Information officer cadre of salary
Grade Level 08 and above (Civil Service Class A) shall be entitled to diplomatic passport and privileges like their counterparts in the Ministry of External Affairs.
9.5 Cultural Attaché Corps
(a) A Cultural Attaché Corps, drawn from the personnel of the department of Culture of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture should be constituted as part of Nigeria’s external publicity organization;
(b) All Nigerians Missions should have, in their establishment, a “Cultural Attaché” responsible to the department of Culture of the Federal Ministry of
Information and Culture, whose function should include the promotion of Nigeria’s culture in his host country.
9.6 The Electronic Media:
(a) The policy shall direct that VON shall be used to transmit, forcefully, aggressively, Nigeria’s position on all international issues, to the world and the medium shall be equipped to do so skillfully and effectively;
(b) The VON shall respond promptly and effectively to any and all forms of negative manipulations of information by foreign media on Nigeria’s domestic foreign policies and interests;
(c) The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, and the Voice of Nigeria shall be the only electronic media in the country, to acquire the capacity to undertake long range broadcasting beyond Nigeria’s borders and to the world at large;
(d) The thrust of the programming on the Voice of Nigeria shall be guided by Nigeria’s foreign policy.
9.7 Other Media Agencies: - In order to maximize communication sector input in the advancement of our foreign policy objectives:
(a) The Ministry of External Affairs and other organisations with foreign relations schedules shall be required to hold regular briefing with journalists in both public and private sectors, to keep them abreast of developments and our view points on issues of international concern;
(b) The Government, through relevant agencies, shall support/sponsor periodic workshop at which Nigerian foreign and diplomatic correspondents will interact with foreign policy makers and experts for orientation and education;
(c) The News Agency of Nigeria should be adequately funded to expand and maintain its overseas outposts and operation.
9.8 Other Institutions and Agencies
(a) Government should operate a liberal policy on participation in international conferences and membership of international professional associations by our nationals;
(b) All Nigeria nationals abroad shall register with missions in their country of residence and inform them of all their significant movements;
(c) Missions shall be required to give priority to Nigerians in the employment of secretariat and publicity related staff abroad;
(d) All national carriers on international routes shall reflect Nigerian culture in their decorations, music and cuisine;
(e) The Government shall enjoin and support all Nigerian institutions of higher learning to develop policies aimed at meaningful exchange of students and scholars with other friendly countries and liberal admission policy in favour of those countries.
9.9 Implementation Strategies
(a) Federal Ministry of Information and Culture shall reflect the recommendations made in respect of location, funding and staffing of Nigerian Information Centres abroad;
(b) The budget of the Ministry shall be related to the responsibilities arising from the policy recommendations on the aspect of External Publicity;
(c) The establishment of an inter ministerial/departmental committee on external publicity under the auspices of he Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to regulate and ensure compliance with guidelines;
(d) The establishment of an Institute of National Orientation and Guidance for the orientation of all functionaries in the field of external publicity;
(e) Use Information Centres abroad to give meaning to both Nigerian traditional, contemporary and physical cultures, through informal and formal expositions;
(f) Sponsor/Co-sponsor/Support visits and performances abroad by Nigerians cultural groups, performing artistes and sportsmen and Nigerian participation in fairs and festivals;
(g) Guidelines shall be issued regularly by the Ministry of External Affairs on Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives and national interest to aid the Voice of Nigeria in updating its programme philosophy and objectives from time to time;
(h) The Voice of Nigeria shall be strengthened technically and adequately funded for it to be effective;
(i) Voice of Nigeria shall deliberately plan its programme with a view to reaching target arrears of the world at appropriate times of the day as dictated by Nigeria’s national interest and foreign policy strategies;
(j) The staff of VON should go through adequate training and orientation to equip them for their job. |
