Film Corporation urges trainees to conserve Nigeria’s heritage

Dr Ali Nuhu, the  Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), has urged trainees of audio magnetic preservation and digitisation, to protect and preserve Nigeria’s heritage.

Nuhu said this in a statement by Mr Brian Etuk, Director, Public Relations Officer of NFC on Wednesday in Abuja.

He  said that the training holding in Jos, is aimed at empowering personnel of  the National Film Video and Sound Archive (NFVSA).

According to him, it is imperative to ensure that the nation’s audio-visual heritage collections are protected and preserved.

The NFC boss said that the handlers of the preservation and protection processes of the NFVSA, were to undergo training, retraining, capacity building and be availed the opportunity to participate in associated skills development programmes.

“NFC is determined to leverage on other domestic and foreign collaborative partnerships to ensure that NFVSA is adequately positioned to drive the nation’s journey towards the full digitisation of its audio-visual collections.

“Nigeria cannot afford to lose any of the historical records in the audio-visual format, currently being secured at the NFVSA in Jos,” he said.

He added that especially now with its recent designation as a national repository, which has further expanded its operations with huge responsibility burden.

“The NFVSA “requires high and medium cost preservation and digitisation equipment as well as skilled expertise and manpower,“he said.

Nuhu charged the trainees, mainly personnel of the NFVSA, staff of other relevant departments of the NFC and  resource persons of the National Film Institute (NFI) among others,  to utilise the opportunity offered to horn their skills and competences.

He  urged them to consequently justify the huge resources being deployed for the training workshop.

“The training workshop was one in the series of skills and manpower development programmes of the NFC for the NFVSA.

“The training aimed at ensuring that its operational module aligns with Federal Governments policy on cultural heritage preservation and sustainability.

” I thanked all partners of the training workshop and assured of the preparedness of the NFC through the NFVSA, to secure Nigeria’s audio-visual heritage in its custody,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NFC’s two-week audio magnetic preservation and digitisation Training Workshop, commenced on June 1 to end on June 15.

NAN reports that training was facilitated by Jonathan Larcher, a Professor of visual arts and anthropology, University Paris Nantarre, France.

It is also with the support of Goethe University Frankfurt and Arsenal Institute for Film & Video Art Berlin.(NAN)