The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, has declared that embracing animation technology would boost Nigeria’s
entertainment industry, reports ITRealms.
He also said this would make a strong pitch for Nigeria to
benefit from what has become a $300-billion industry and which represents 25
per cent of the global audiovisual market.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the 7th African Digital
TV Development Seminar in Beijing, China, on Monday, the Minister said a
developed animation industry in Nigeria will be a boost to the country’s
already-established entertainment industry and make the country an outsourcing
destination for global animation services.
''American animation has developed as America’s sixth
largest pillar industry; in Japan, the animation industry has outperformed
automobile, iron & steel industries to be the third largest industry; and
South Korea has undertaken nearly one third of the global animation production
business. Most of the segments in the animation industry are growing at the
rate of 10% Year over Year, and some segments are growing at 15% Year on Year.
''The output value of global animation industry has reached
over US$300 billion, and animation related derivatives have exceeded US$500
billion. The animation industry has gradually become a pillar of the national
economy and a new economic growth engine in some countries,’’ he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said Nigeria, and indeed Africa, must move
to grab a share of the pie by tapping into the animation boom, adding that
Nigeria, in particular, has all the ingredients for a successful animation
industry.
Nigeria, he said, has a ready domestic audience and market. Stressing
hat with over 86.2 million people online, and that is, 46.1 per cent of the
population, ranking it number one in Africa and number seven in the world, he
pointed out that it has 44 million TV viewing homes in the country. Nigeria is
expected to switch over to digital broadcasting when all 44 million homes have
to invest in purchasing Set-Top Boxes.
''In addition, Nigeria’s telecommunication industry has
grown to $25 billion, and active lines are said to be well over 113 million, in
comparison with 450,000 people and $500 million investment portfolio in year
2000, again ranking it no. 1 in Africa and 11th in the world.
"Nigeria’s smartphone penetration is estimated at 15.5
million. 70% of the population are below 30 years of age, about 50% are below
20 (approximately 80 million), and over 40% of the total population are
children under 14 (over 70 million), while about 20% of the population are
teens (approx. 30 million). These demographics amply demonstrate that the
uptake of animated content is already guaranteed,’’ he said.
The Minister also said the Nigerian film industry, ranked
third in the world; the possession of a treasure trove of literature, brimming
with exciting classics such as a Forest of a Thousand Daemons,...The Lion and
the Jewel, The Passport of Mallam Illia and Things Fall Apart, and the fact
that the country has an English-speaking workforce, provide added advantage.
He said the current administration is committed to
developing the animation/creative industry into a new growth sector by
promoting Nigeria’s creativity, and creating a highly-skilled workforce for the
industry.
''Already, it has created a programme called N-POWER
CREATIVE, a job creation and empowerment initiative by the Federal Government
of Nigeria for the purpose of training and encouraging the development of
creative and technological skills in young Nigerians such as animation, graphic
illustration, script writing, storytelling, sequential arts, and post
production.
''With such skills, young Nigerians will be able to find
employment in the ever-growing creative and animation industry. Its target will
be to equip about 15,000 creative industry professionals across story/script
writing, graphics/ illustration, animation, post production by 2017, and that
figure should rise to 75,000 by 2020 year end,’’ Mohammed said.
Chuks Egbune/GEE
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