Date: 2014-11-29

As part of its efforts to be a centre for the study of culture in Nigeria, the Kwara State University, Malete (KWASU) is set to establish the centre for Nollywood studies.

The pioneer Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah made this disclosure on Wednesday in his remarks at the 2nd Kwara State University Conference on Africa  Cinema held at Kwara Hotels hall B.

Professor Na’Allah promised that the proposed Center “will be one of the finest places to study the Nollywood Phenomenon” and therefore called on all stakeholders in the industry to support the institution in its quest to add value to the industry.

Speaking on the conference, the VC revealed that “it is part of the larger ambition of this university to build bridges in matters of culture between scholars and those who produce culture outside the university… we seek to bring theory and praxis under one roof and to inculcate in our students a holistic creative and scholar impulse.”

He acknowledged that the university might be young in years of existence it has a big vision and that is “while we seek to be local we also want to be globally competitive.” He said all that has been done by the university in the past few years were targeted at reaching that goal.

Professor Na’Allah further said that the university, through the School of Performing and Visual Arts, is hosting the conference as “one of the manifestations of what we do and how we do what we do in the culture business.”

He said, “Our goal is to reach deep into the soul of immediate community and tap into the rich resources –human and material- so that we redefine progress for all. It is our business to do this as we have continued to define our school as the University for Community Development. It is our business to explore the cultural and social dimension of the community so as to help it develop. We have done so in the last 6 years. We will continue to do so in the coming years.

Earlier in his address the convener of the conference, Professor Onookome Okome of the University of Alberta, Canada recalled that the 2010 edition of the conference questioned Nollywood as a national cinema but this year the conference is examining the supernatural as it relates to Nollywood.

While welcoming delegates to the conference he explained that the theme of this year, Nollywood and the Supernatural is significant as it is an indication that the university is committed to developing the local culture of its immediate environment.

Professor Okome who also stood in for the Dean School for Visual and Perfuming Arts acknowledged that the Nigeria film industry, Nollywood, cannot exist outside the global culture. He therefore commended the Kwara State University for taking the bold step in generating knowledge about Nollywood.

The two day conference had in attendance Nollywood practitioners and scholars from within and outside the country