Kwara innovation commissioner reveals why sugar film factory was created

Damilola Yusuf Adelodun, the Kwara state commissioner for business, innovation, and technology, has revealed the reasons behind the creation of the Sugar Film Factory Studio.

Earlier in the year, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the state governor, inaugurated the studio, which is believed to be one of its kind in Nigeria.

Gbenga Titiloye, the ace actor, was appointed as the managing director of the film production studio, which has custom sets for the court, office, and living room scenes that can be modified for filmmakers’ use.

Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the recently held Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards, Adelodun explained that the factory was established to generate talent, explore the business side of entertainment and culture, and serve as a training institute for upcoming entertainers.

The commissioner said the studio was refurbished from the old Sugar Tate Factory, which was previously in a state of disrepair.

“The Sugar Factory Film Studio is actually under the ministry of business, innovation and technology. It is the brainchild of business, innovation and technology. People forget that entertainment and culture have a business side of it and we come in the business element,” she said.

“That is why we funded the creation of Sugar Factory. It was actually a factory before, it was the Sugar Tate Factory. It was very morbid and rundown, so we took over and we refurbished everything to the structure you can see now. They have five studios, all equipped.

“You can do news, podcasts, movie production and the rest. They also have a training institute where they train talents, youths as well as actors, producers, writers, and a number of the various subsections in the entertainment industry.

“So we are linked to Sugar Factory because we are looking at the business of entertainment, to generate the talents and also to generate IGR.”

Adelodun emphasised that the studio is part of the state’s effort to tap into the revenue generated by Nollywood movies, which are becoming increasingly popular.

“We can see that Nollywood movies are actually booming and coming up. They represent a number of revenue that comes to Nigeria, we see that and we want to key into it,” she added.

The commissioner also discussed the state’s partnership with BON Awards organisers. According to Adelodun, the partnership has been beneficial for both parties, with the state providing full sponsorship for the event.

“I think we have done well in the sense that we have sponsored the majority of Best of Nollywood (BON) and we hosted them to come into Kwara. Any amount of support that they needed, we provided it. In terms of finances, immediately we had a discussion we had a full sponsorship,” she said.

“So for Best Of Nollywood, we looked at the benefits they could bring to the state as well as showcasing Kwara. I think the event has been very successful and we are looking forward to having more of such in Kwara.”

AbdulRazaq, while inspecting the film factory in October 2023, said: “Our huge investment in the creative industry is to expand the economic base of the state and deepen the creative industry.

“That’s the way to go. Everyone sees our state as a civil service state. We want to change that. We want to make this state a destination for high-quality movie production.”