By Khalid Ibrahim, Kano
Kannywood film making industry has strived to survive the operational challenges for over two decades, the industry has been facing business metamorphic challenges that entail a transitional process from the traditional film production to what is presently in vogue known as TV series production.
Hausa film industry plays a great role in developing the cultural heritage of the Hausa community especially in terms of socio-economic life of the people as well as entertaining/educating audiences within and outside the community. For long, many challenges were confronting the industry.
According to one of the finest Kannywood producers Mustapha Ahmad popularly known as Alhaji Sheshe, in recent times film production requires a lot of money, though it differs from story to story adding that some stories require a larger sum, while some require less to implement.
Read also:The new trend of Hausa film making in Nigeria
He added that, before their arrival in the industry as producers, the industry is lacking producers of good stories that will make a huge investment in producing such good stories. Sheshe revealed that, though the industry lacks sponsors and government’s support, producers in the industry have tried to produce great stories.
The producer of films like Taqaddama, Rumana, Ta faru ta Kare, Matata ce sheda, Hikima among several others stated that, even though the industry has been battling against piracy for a very long time now, it is apparent that, the piracy operators are winning the battle and perhaps the reason why the industry is presently changing direction towards another different dimension. It is clear that the producers have resorted to cinema since 2017 to prevent the piracy issue as well as for them to remain in business.
Sheshe who is also the Chief executive Officer of Sheshe movies and J.S Inuwa investment was born and raised in Kano and he has made a huge investment in the Hausa movie industry.
He stresses that repositioning Kannywood means strengthening efforts that is aimed at increasing the standard of the Kannywood industry that would contribute to sustainable national development adding that with present challenges in the Hausa movie industry, he believes that there is a need for stakeholders to critically look into the proceedings as well as key-in into the various opportunities the present trend of a shift from home videos to TV series offers to the industry.
The young producer revealed that the Hausa film industry looking at the trend that necessitated its establishment has indeed shown signs that sooner or later the industry will hijack the Nigerian entertainment industry. He sighted an example of how the industry has successfully gone through a series of transitional phrases to arrive where it is today.
“Indeed things have been difficult for the industry in recent times, but that is another Phase that Kannywood will surely overcome as well as emerged out of it stronger than it went. To us in the industry, this is a positive sign that Kannywood will soon hijack the entertainment industry in Nigeria. No doubt we have come up of age and the best is indeed going to be Kannywood’s portion,” said Sheshe.
He added that the Hausa film industry is an indispensable tool for the achievement of sustainable development in any nation. Hausa film industry is the right type of industry in which the government should invest more and it would yield dividend because of the skilled manpower it would produce for the nation and also attract investors within and outside the country, it would also solve the unemployment problem among the youth
