In search of a leader whose antecedents speak volume in terms of value,socio economic and political navigations in Nigeria,here is Dr Chidia Maduekwe MD/CEO Nigerian Film Corporation. He is no greenhorn in the circles of leadership and politics, he has functioned as a medical doctor,as a honourable member in the national assembly as well as other political offices he has handled.
Fondly known as “Good Governance”Dr Chidia has exemplified himself as a true and worthy leader in various leadership capacities and has proven that he is entirely equipped to handle any tasky leadership position.
In different regards, he has distinguished himself as an amiable leader ensuring massive jobs creation especially in the field of medicine where his career sprung from.
Guided by the tenets of fairness,equity and justice,he delved into politics in the year 1990, these tenets have helped him maintain an upward Mobile trajectory elevating from one political office to another at the federal level with a noticeable footprint fixated on community services.
Good Governance in his bid to stamp his understanding mastery of his jobs and Justice ideology, under his watch as the NFC Boss, the National Film Institute (NFI) has initiated a Masters degree awarding progromme, while the Ph.D module is fast underway. In terms of jobs this has created a headway for more employment and skilled manpower in Nigerian Film Industry as at today most movies in Nigeria now have over 60% of their cast and crew from NFI.
Furthermore, six film entepreneural hubs are currently being established in the six geopolitical zones and are expected to be completed and launched next year.
These hubs will serve as training centres for youths who want to acquire skills in different mechanisms in the sector. This means for jobs for youths and Nigeria’s teaming graduates. His vision is to turn the Nigeria youths into a huge market where you can get ready good hands in the film industry.
Unrelenting Dr. Chida knowing fully well the importance of harnessing the avalanche of technological opportunities in the 21st century, developed the Mobile Audio Visual platform – MAV 1. The idea is to roll out the mobile film school in remote areas where ordinarily it won’t be easy for them to come to Jos for training. In a recent interview to mark his 68th Birthday, the Jobs and Justice Advocate also unveiled that plans were underway to establish in Nigeria, the first Film university in Africa.
The former federal lawmaker through his political and personal contacts, has been instrumental in attracting several federal institutions to Ohafia his immediate constituency in Abia state, some of such institutions include: The present Federal Government College, at Eben, Ohafia, which has trained several prominent sons and daughters of Ohafia in Abia State and others from contiguous States of the Federation; The NFC cinematography center at Asaga-Ohafia, the first of its kind in the entire South East of Nigeria; The K’Anyi Kesandu Multipurpose Cooperative Society – (Nkaa G’eme), through which Dr. Chidia Maduekwe has trained and signed up over five thousand farmers as potential beneficiaries for CBN Anchor Borrowers Program – ABP of the federal government.
In line with his quest and determination to energize the operations of the NFC and remove it from the shackles of huge indebtedness, Dr. Maduekwe spearheaded and secured office accommodation nationwide that were nonexistent in some states and zones starting with a new NFC Zonal office space at phase 1 Federal Secretariat in Abuja. Other achievements include but are not limited to the relocation of the National Film Institute to its permanent site in Jos, on a 183-hectare piece of land at Nukpis-Flamingo, Plateau State.
Taking a cursory look at Dr. Chidia’s understanding of human resource development as a basic tool for institutional advancement towards actualising a successful organization, Maduekwe led NFC with the support of the German Government and its institutions in 2018 collaborated and spearheaded the need to aggressively undertake the rescue, digitization and preservation of the nation’s audio-visual heritages.
The partnership was fruitful with the scholarship offer for Nigerian students to undertake further studies in Film Culture & Archival Studies in Germany at the Goethe University — Frankfurt, Arsenal institute for Film & Video Art — Berlin,Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum and Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) (German Institutions).
Chidia Maduekwe availed those students the opportunity to be selected to benefit from the 2021 foreign scholarship scheme of DAAD.
He has, within the past years, initiated and actualized a collaborative partnership with CNC, the French counterpart of NFC, which resulted in signing the first audiovisuals co-production MoU between Nigeria and any foreign country. Furthermore, AFD, a French funding development agency, is set to provide physical film infrastructure and training equipment at the National Film Institute, Jos.
“Before now there was no movie co- production agreement between Nigeria and any country but he was able to secure that with France which is the second best in terms of quality and mechanism of operation”.
Today, both Google and Netflix are all rushing into Nigeria to have the content that we generate from Nigeria.
Following the question “what did you do with the little that was placed in your hand?”. Dr Chidia can categorically show what he has achieved without trying to paint pictures and he is ready to do more for the love of his people most especially his home state, Abia.
