Some Indian investors have indicated an interest in investing in Nigeria’s Millennium Tower and Cultural Centre in Abuja, a government official said.
A team from Nigeria, Indian Business Council, has visited the authorities at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) which is the project’s custodian.
During the visit on Tuesday, August 2, Lai Muhammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, who led the Indian Investors to the FCTA, said the council is made of Indian and Nigerian businessmen who are already “looking at where they can invest in the area of power, infrastructure, medicine and of course, they also came with their investors from the creative sectors – from the film industry”.
The Minister said that the investors have shown a lot of interest in the Nigerian creative industry and are looking closely at the establishment of film schools and studios very similar to what is obtained in Bollywood in the Cultural Center.
“I think from what we’ve discussed, there is a lot of encouragement coming from them because one of the things that are unique here… they have shown interest in the studios and the film schools,” he said.
“We will continue the conversation and see whether we can actually attract investors that will come and help us to finish this iconic edifice of the Millennium Tower and Cultural centre.”
While speaking, Mohammed Bello, the FCT Minister, represented by Shehu Hadi Ahmad, the Executive Secretary, FCDA, urged the investors to take a critical look at the project, which makes up the cultural spine of Abuja, intending to open the windows for more investment in the nation’s capital.
Bello stressed that the Millennium Tower project was very dear to the FCT Administration and is optimistic that when completed, it will not only open up the FCT and boost tourism and commercial activities but would also yield a lot of financial benefits for investors.
Speaking after a tour of the Millennium Tower, a member of the delegation and Creative Producer in Bollywood India, Aasia Abbas expressed excitement at the benefits of investing in the FCT’s cultural edifice.
She said, “We feel there is so much potential, and it is worth investing in. I see a big future for the Nigerian film industry with so much content. Nigerian musicians are already world famous now, and so many of these artists are going to America and recording these songs. Why can’t they record it here? The talent is there, so all you need is a good studio.”
“The idea is to harness the talent here and to keep it here and then to make it like a global platform so that you can have Nigeria to stand on a global platform and you can have people and students from all over Africa coming here, studying, learning, developing and producing contents. People go to America, the New York Film Academy. Why shouldn’t they come to Abuja Film School”? she asked.
Also present during the tour were the Nigerian High Commissioner to India Ambassador Ahmed Sule, the Director General Nigerian Film Corporation, Dr Chidia Maduekwe, the Director General of National Gallery of Art, Mr Ebeten Ivara, the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu and other senior officials of the FCTA and Federal Ministry of information and Culture.
