Published by blueprint.ng On: Mon, Jan 18th, 2016 and NewsDiary Online Jan 20, 2016.

Isma’ila Na’abba Afakallahu is the new Executive Director of the Kano State Censorship Board (KSCB). In a chat with ADAM ALQALI, he speaks on his plans for the Hausa film industry, Kannywood.

You have been the Executive Director of the Kano State Censorship Board for now 4 months, as the first film industry stakeholder to head the 15-year old Board, how has it been leading the organization?

Alhamdulillah! With Allah and dedication to whatever one is doing, they are bound to succeed, the biggest advantage for me is the fact that I am film stakeholder, I was a board member of the organization for over 3 years under the Kwankwaso administration before becoming the executive director of the board. As such, as far as I am concerned, I am very much in tune with the challenges facing the Kano State Censorship Board. In the past 4 months we have been able to achieve a lot. in the first place, I tried to reach out to all the stakeholders that have anything to do with the Board to hear from them what their challenges are and come up with a way out. Moreover, it is not only filmmaking that is regulated by the Board, its mandate also extends to radio and TV outfits including satellite networks.

According to the Board’s act, all communication outfits must register with the Board, which was established in 2001 and therefore predates any private radio or TV outfit operating in Kano state. At the moment, we have been able to unite all film industry associations and guilds under the umbrella body of MOPPAN, including Arewa Filmmakers Association, artists’ guild, lyrics writers’ guild as well as guilds of directors and script writers. This will help us sanitize the film industry since film is the mirror via which a society is viewed by the outside world; we can’t afford to allow people show what they want in the name of filmmaking business.

There is need for checks and balances to ensure our norms and values are protected. After I assumed office, we wrote the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, requesting for the establishment of liaison offices in the 44 local government areas of the state since at the moment, there is just 54 staff in the Board, including myself and messengers.

This means we lack the manpower to be able to reach out to all parts of the state. We therefore requested for liaison offices in each of the local governments as well as motorcycles to facilitate the monitoring activities of the Board in the nooks and crannies of the state. This is because the fundamental responsibility of the Board is to regulate what people watch, listen or write, which is a big task really.

The government has approved our request and the motorcycles have already been acquired, we are now trying to furnish the liaison offices in the various local governments. This development will really help sanitize and boost the film business since the Board has 4 major mandates including safeguarding the interest of our religion; protecting our good norms and values; ensuring peaceful coexistence between members of various ethnic and religious groups as well as boosting the filmmaking business.

If these liaison offices begin to function, a film producer can go to the liaison office in, for example, Kabo local government and seek to be linked up with film dealers and owners of viewing centers so as to be able to sell his new film to them. Again, the Kano state government is planning to build a gigantic film market which will host film companies and a cinema; it will be like the US Box Office where film awards will be taking place. The Kano state government also wants to establish a microfinance bank for the film industry so that people can invest in filmmaking to support filmmakers produce good films as well as boost Kano’s internally generated revenue, in accordance with present fiscal realities since oil prices keep falling.

The plan to establish a gigantic film market, like you called it, is no doubt a laudable one as it will go a long way in not only boosting film business but also boosting Kano state’s revenue. What plans have you made in terms of ensuring the project see the light of the day since many equally laudable projects have ended as failure in the past due to poor handling?

There are investors from Dubai who want to invest in the film business and this doesn’t necessarily mean investing in filmmaking, one can invest in cinema, equipment or other areas of the film business. We are also trying to get investors for the film village in Tiga because filmmaking has also to do with stage, for example, if you want to portray the city of Kano of one hundred years ago you will need a stage for that scenario. We are now talking with leading film institutions in the world to make it a reality.

We are also planning to come up with trainings for members of the various guilds in the film industry so as to enhance professionalism and competition in the film industry, we are therefore liaison with the film institute in Jos and we want to be sending even if is 20 members of each of the guilds and associations for training, after every 3 months, which is to build their capacity around the modern techniques of filmmaking.

The Kannywood film industry especially its musicians played a significant role in the emergence of the APC administration at both state and federal levels. What efforts are you making to ensure the government comes in to support your members in the industry?

I and Dauda Rarara facilitated almost all the contributions the film industry made to the APC’s campaign, from state to the federal levels, which contributed to APC’s victories in 2015. Here in Kano, we can say the government has almost paid us back since it has given us the leadership of the Kano State Censorship Board.

The government also have good plans for us since it wants to build a market for us; we are going to be given trainings, we are going to be given loans, therefore, what remains is for the federal government to also look into our case since we are the ones that supported its emergence and we in Kannywood are backward compared to our colleagues in Nollywood. However, we would want the federal government to consult with us before intervening in our business so as not to intervene in areas that may be of benefit to us, to avoid a situation where the government will be supporting us we don’t necessarily need support.

One of the major challenges filmmakers and musicians are grappling with is piracy, what are your plans in the area of curbing piracy?

All government agencies have their areas of jurisdiction and since Kano is my own area of jurisdiction, I will try my best to curb piracy in the state, which is why we are creating these liaison offices. I have called for a meeting with all those into downloading of films into phones to stop selling people’s films and songs without their consent as well as stop spreading uncensored and phonographic films.

In 2013, the then Kano state government under Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso organized a film award which was planned to be an annual program yet none has taken place in 2014 and 2015. Are you planning to continue with the awards?

The film award is part of our plans and it is in our budget, we have already constituted a committee for that. The idea of the award is to encourage those filmmakers and actors that produce films that are in accordance with our guidelines, we are therefore going to host it this year and will continue to do that, God’s willing.

Alqali is an independent journalist; he can be reached via aalqali@gmail.com