By Joshua Olomu

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have lauded Nollywood series, “The Boy Child’s Life”, a film that depicts everyday challenges the ordinary Nigerian boy child faces.

They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the red carpet of the private screening of the advocacy series over the weekend in Abuja.

Filmmakers, actors, government functionaries and representatives of civil society groups, as well as the cast and crew of the film, were present at the premiere.

The 20-series advocacy film brings to fore issues of deprivation, abuse, peer pressure and high societal expectations on ordinary male children across Nigeria.

It also highlights social issues, including molestation, drug abuse, gender-based violence and unstable family dynamics affecting the boy child.

The star-studded series is created by Joyce Nwakanma Productions and directed by ace filmmaker Tola Balogun.

It features interesting blend of cast, including Sydney Diala, Joyce Nwakanma, and Nollywood young sensation Ebube Diala, who played the principal character in the film.

Dr Godwin Odo, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Nigeria Office, lauded the project, describing it as a timely intervention on challenges facing the boy child.

According to him, the series was a wake-up call for society to look at the deprivations and gender stereotypes society has imposed on the boy child and make amends.

“Over the years, there has been an emphasis, and rightly so, on the life of the girl child primarily because there has been a lot of discrimination.

“In our cultural norms and practices, the girl child and women generally suffer from a lot of discrimination as we have a masculine society, a patriarchal one at that.

“But I think increasingly, the boy child now suffers neglect, and this film now offers an opportunity for us to beam the searchlight on the rights of the boy child.

“If you look at Northern Nigeria, for instance, in the streets of a lot of cities in the north, you see a lot of children called Almajiri are mostly boys.

“Incidentally, you see a lot of them getting into substance abuse as coping mechanisms, and lot of them may get into petty crimes.

“Increasingly, there are many boys who are now suffering from sexual abuse, and this shouldn’t be happening if the society and government were alive to their responsibilities,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, said the movie was a reminder to society that the boy child needs serious and urgent attention.

According to Marwa, who was represented by Mr Muhammed Ibrahim, Deputy Director, Drug Demand Reduction Directorate of the agency, being a boy comes with a lot of responsibilities.

He, therefore, called for a holistic mentorship for the boy child to enable him make informed and right decisions.

“Bringing out movies like this that actually show a kind of a storyline that portrays the boy child is very important to change the narrative.

“The boy child has actually been neglected, as they are faced with a lot of risk factors which predispose them to substance use and other invasive activities within the community.

“We say they are the future, while you change the girl child and the boy child that you neglected will come and put them in the house tomorrow.

“So, what do you expect? A toxic home, so the attention we are giving to the girl child, should equally be given to the boy child,” he said.

Earlier, Ali Nuhu, Managing Director, Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), lauded the producers of the film for using their creativity to champion a new but crucial narrative about the male child in Nigeria.

Nuhu, who was represented by Mrs Halima Oyelade, Head, NFC Abuja Office and Director of Zuma International Film Festival, said the corporation was willing to support projects that promote national good.

“It is something that affects every one of us because if the boy child is not properly nurtured, he grows up to become a nuisance to himself and to the society.

“It is sad when you see lives that have so much potential go to waste simply because nobody was paying attention.

“We at the Nigerian Film Corporation will do anything within our own mandate to support this project, to support the fact that it gets attention of the right people that should actually take action,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

By Joan Odafe

An emotionally gripping new musical theatre production, ‘House of Naira’, has premiered using the metaphor of a polygamous marriage to explore the persistent divide within Nigerian society.

The play is created and produced by Kehinde Oretimehin, Chief Executive Officer of Kabiyesi Studios.

Speaking at the premiere in Lagos, Oretimehin said he was inspired to create the play after the last general elections.

According to Oretimehin, he observed that Nigerians could be very be supportive outside the shores of the nation but resenting back home.

He said that he decided to use his craft, musical theatre, to write the story, in order to reach out to people.

“I want people to understand that if we keep fighting ourselves, Nigeria will die,” he said.

The play opens with a symbolic breaking news alert about the falling Naira.

It then transitions into a birthday announcement by a man – Mr Naira, who is constantly referred to as Husband – in the play.

The man has four wives, each vying for his love, but all indifferent to his challenges and struggles.

Through emotional highs and lows, the story unveils a man’s dream of building a united dynasty, only to be dragged down by family politics, greed, envy, and the crushing weight of unmet expectations.

The play, a domestic and family drama, is a political allegory, depicting how tribalism and division undermines Nigeria’s social fabric.

The producer explained that the wives in the story represent Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups with each wife assured of the man’s love,  the same as how each region claims ownership of the nation’s promise.

External influences, such as the mother-in-law among others, mirror the role of political actors, cultural bias, and external interference in Nigeria’s affairs.

In spite of the emotional intensity and interpersonal chaos, the story reaches a climax where it was obvious that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Oretimehin urged Nigerians to be united, noting that the strength of the nation was in its diversity and shared heritage.

“We’re supposed to come together to harness our structural ability together.

“We need to love ourselves, we have everything that we need,” he said.

The production’s cast, which included Debbie Ohiri, Oluchi Odii, Bridget Nkem, Sharon Adaeze, Yewande Osamein and Ralph Okoro, brought in decades of experience from the United Kingdom, U.S. and South Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that following the Lagos premiere, House of Naira, is expected to tour other Nigerian cities, and West African countries this year, depending on sponsorship. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

By Joshua Olomu

Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, says the Federal Government is set to unveil reviewed National Tourism Policy, National Policy on Culture and a strong Intellectual Property (IP) protection framework.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Musawa made the disclosure while presenting the ministry’s scorecard at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing on Friday in Abuja.

The event held at the National Press Centre, was hosted by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

Musawa said the ministry was carrying out a review, formulation and implementation of relevant policies that guide Nigerian culture and creative sector for enhanced contribution to national economy.

She said other policies to be unveiled for the sector include the National Policy on Incentivising the Art, Culture and Creative Economy Policy on Monetary and Credit Solutions for the Creative Economy.

According to the minister, the policies regulating the sector are inadequate, outdated and failed to address the developmental changes in the arts, culture, tourism and the creative economy sectors.

She further said that work was at final stage in the review of Nigeria’s National Policy on Culture after 37 years of the last review, as well as the 2005 National Tourism Policy of Nigeria.

“Policy formulation is crucial for the development, growth and advancement of the 4 Sectors under the ministry.

“The ministry, in collaboration with the private sector lead by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), is poised to provide a clear policy framework for not only the creative economy but the arts, culture and tourism sectors of Nigeria.

“This is to reposition the sectors and provide an enabling environment for the sectors to thrive and attain its position as a major alternative to income generation for Nigeria.

“In recognition of the urgency of these reforms, the ministry initiated the comprehensive review process, ensuring that Nigeria’s cultural framework aligns with global best practices and reflects the evolving creative economy.

“This initiative reflects the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to cultural development under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” she said.

The minister noted that as Nigeria seeks to diversify its economic mainstay from oil, the Tinubu-led Federal Government understands that the creative economy is a veritable alternative and is working to make it thrive.

Musawa also reeled out other initiatives and feats geared towards providing enabling environment to harness the potentials abound in Nigeria’s creative economy.

According to her, the ministry, as part of its ‘Destination-30’ data initiative, is conducting a mapping that will offer a data-informed foundation for target setting, investment prioritisation, and programme design across Nigeria’s creative economy.

She said such an evidence-based approach was fundamental to strategic planning and decision-making processes for the sector.

“As an example, in the music sector, we have identified five segments in the value chain including production, marketing and sales.

“Based on our draft report, we project that we will create over 500,000 new jobs in the sector by 2030.

“Our mapping indicates that this sector will continue to thrive through self-employment and micro-enterprise pathways, with regional hubs like Edo, Delta, and Plateau playing key roles alongside Lagos.

“We are currently going through a validation process and should formally publish the mapping results in early June.

“These figures are not merely statistics; they represent real opportunities for Nigerian youth, women, and communities across our nation.

“They demonstrate the transformative potential of our creative industries when properly supported and strategically developed,” she said.

On the perennial funding challenges facing investors, filmmakers, music producers and other players in the creative sector, the minister said Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the creation of the Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF).

She further disclosed that FEC has also approved the implementation of the IP Monetisation Pilot to provide funding to creatives and develop a model for IP asset securitisation.

According to her, other initiatives included the Creative Leap Acceleration Programme (CLAP), a digital platform to support creative enterprises with funding, creative technology, and co-working spaces.

The minister also mentioned the development of Creative Industry Administrators on Intellectual Property Rights Management, 2025 in collaboration with World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Abuja Office.

“We are carrying out a comprehensive film industry reform programme, including retooling of government agencies and parastatals, encouraging a functional, self-regulated ecosystem to improve welfare and working conditions, and strengthening intellectual property rights protection.

“In line with the vision of President Bola Tinubu, the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy stands at the forefront of Nigeria’s economic diversification strategy.

“We are transforming what was once viewed as merely cultural expression into powerful engines of sustainable growth and job creation.

“In just eighteen months, we’ve secured $200 million in investment commitments, established innovative funding mechanisms, creating infrastructure that will generate over two million jobs.

“This is elevating Nigeria’s global cultural standing—all while encouraging rural communities, women, and youth to participate meaningfully in the creative economy.

“Our strategic partnerships spanning government agencies, international organisations, and private sector leaders have positioned Nigeria’s tourism and creative sectors not just as alternatives to oil dependency.

“It has become a as vibrant, inclusive economic pillars capable of addressing our nation’s most pressing challenges,” she said.

The minister said in order to effectively tackle the age-long issue of infrastructural decay in the sector, FEC has approved the establishment of the Creative & Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTICo).

She said the corporation is created with a projected investment of $100 billion, and potential to create over two million jobs.

She further disclosed that the ministry has formed a partnership with Creative Park Limited to establish Abuja Creative City, a first-of-its-kind creative hub in Africa on 26 hectares of land in the IDU Industrial Area.

She added that the creative hub project would be replicated in major cities across Nigeria to offer platforms for budding talents and create jobs for teeming Nigerian youths. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi