Governor Alex Otti says his administration will back the creative industry and make Abia a hub for film, entertainment, tourism and culture.
He told a visiting Nollywood team led by Francis Ifeakandu — who is making “The Chronicles of Enyimba City,” an Aba-made film about the commercial city’s history — that his government supports the project. The visit doubled as a homecoming for Aba-born actors who toured major completed and ongoing projects in the city.
Otti praised the team’s resilience and creativity and said the film fits his vision to boost investment, tourism and growth through the creative sector. “I am always careful about the promises I make. I assured you of support, and that support remains available. Government will continue to provide an enabling environment and work with stakeholders to ensure that initiatives capable of promoting Abia and creating opportunities for our people succeed.”
The governor recalled producing films in the 1990s and announced plans for an Entertainment City in Aba, with land acquisition and compensation already under way.
Producer Ifeakandu thanked Otti and said auditions covered all local government areas of Abia and nearby states. Industry consultants call the project one of the largest film productions in Africa. It features over 2,000 cast members and is planned as six seasons of five episodes each to tell Abia’s story, promote its culture and attract investment and jobs.
Visitors told of being impressed by Otti’s infrastructure work. Obi Okolie said, “The roads I walked on as a little boy are now mega towns. I’ll advise other governors to take a trip to Abia and see how it’s done, let them come and see the transformation. ” Sharon Ifedi added, “I’m happy to see what the governor has put in place in a short while. There is much improvement, I must confess.” “I saw Port Harcourt Road, but I could not recognise it. It was like a lake before, because we lived around that Port Harcourt Road axis. I wasn’t really the type that moved around back then,” she said.
Uwuoma Uche called the film a panoramic homecoming: “You should know that the origin of anything called Nollywood today is Aba. So, it’s a homecoming for all of them to be here, and we are going to tell the story of how they all started here. So, whatever that makes Aba thick is what the movie is all about.”
The visit ended with the team presenting a gift to the governor.
