This project is a collaboration between the Lagos State government and various notable players in the entertainment sector like Ebonylife Academy, Delyork and Ogidi Studios.
On Wednesday, the Governor of Lagos State, Jide Sanwo-Olu, performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the $100m Lagos Film City on a 100-hectare land area at the Ikosi-Ejinrin area of Epe Local Government.
Jubril Gawat, senior special assistant on New Media to Lagos State Governor, announced this on X.
Mr Gawat said the public-private partnership model Lagos Film City will create numerous job opportunities, stimulate economic growth, and attract investment.
It will also be a hub for film production, visual effects, scripting, cinematography, editing, photography and all the ancillary services that support the filmmaking process.
This project is a collaboration between the Lagos state government and various notable players in the entertainment sector like Ebonylife Academy, Delyork and Ogidi Studios.
This fulfils the Governor's THEMES Agenda, in which the second 'E' stands for Entertainment and Tourism.
Lagos Film City
Commenting on the Lagos Film City, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the state's commissioner for tourism, arts and culture, said that the project had been designed to serve as an all-in-one facility with leisure, entertainment, and learning infrastructure.
She said the project would sit on a 100-hectare of land with accommodation and numerous state-of-the-art studios to support television, radio and film, ranging from pre-production, production, post-production, distribution and more.
"The Lagos Film City will be the biggest in Africa, not in name only but also in the content and quality of its offerings to the creative industry. The fact that a project of this magnitude is being undertaken via a public-private partnership initiative is an excellent testament to the integrity and robustness of the Lagos state government's economic policies and finance.
"The coming on stream of the Lagos Film City is a further testament of the commitment of the Gov. Sanwo-Olu administration to invest in infrastructure and create an enabling environment for the global 'new economy' to thrive in Lagos state," she said.
Mrs Benson-Awoyinka also noted that collaborations with notable players in the entertainment sector, like Ebonylife Academy, Delyork and Ogidi Studios, have helped many budding talents hone their acting, directing, scripting, cinematography, editing, photography and more.
Tourism, too
Similarly, at the event, the Lagos State Government says it has allocated N4.64 billion to upscale tourist sites for this year.
Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the state's commissioner for tourism, arts and culture, said that some of the sites upscaled so far were the J.Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and Agia Tree project.
"The Lagos state government has been deliberate in its various steps in this sector; it has committed huge sums to upscale the various tourist centres across the state.
"For this year 2023, a total amount of N4.635 billion was specifically allocated for this purpose. Among the list of beneficiaries are the recently commissioned J.Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and the Agia Tree project," she said.
She noted that the various decisive steps taken by the current administration in the tourism and creative space had started to contribute significantly to the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through various sources.
Earlier, the Elejirin of Ejirinland, Oba Babatunde Balogun, expressed excitement over the development brought into his domain as he sang to God and prayed immensely for Gov. Sanwo-Olu.
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He said the groundbreaking ceremony marked the dawn of a new horizon in the Ejirin community.
"After establishing the first post office in Nigeria in this community in 1947, the state government has remembered the community for good again," he said.
The traditional ruler assured the state government of the community's cooperation and support as construction of the film city began.
Also, Wale Anomo, chairman of Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area, appreciated Gov Sanwo-Olu for citing the film city in Ejinrin.
Mr Anomo said, "We are so excited today, and we appreciate Mr Governor for this; this will bring infrastructural prosperity to us and enormous job opportunities for our women and youths. We want you all to know we expect more of this investment."
