1. REMARKS BY HON. GEOFFERY I. TENEILABE, CONSUL-GENERAL OF
NIGERIA, ATLANTA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE SCREENING OF THE
NIGERIAN MOVIE ‘MEMORIES OF THE HEART’, A PROGRAMME OF
NEW MEDIA NOLLYWOOD IN COOPERATION WITH FUTURE MEDIA
FEST.
ATLANTA, NOVEMBER 16, 2011.
Distinguished ladies and Gentlemen.
Good evening.
I feel a sense of honour to welcome you to this special occasion,
marking another watershed in the mutually beneficial relationship
between Nigeria and the United States.
2. On this note, I am delighted to express kind gratitude to the
organizers of the event, for their remarkable initiative, efforts and drive
to ensure the success of this event. I also wish to thank the great
Nollywood cultural Ambassadors present here with us, whose
performances and talents on the screen have helped to tell the
Nigerian story around the world. It is my desire that they would strike
the right cords with their American counterparts, to build partnerships
of enduring business relationships.
3. Nollywood is the world’s second largest film industry, especially in
terms of films produced each year, next to Indian Bollywood and ahead
of the American Hollywood. It is certainly the largest in Africa. As an
emergent and fast growing industry, with high capacity for
employment, Nigerian movie industry, at an estimated value of $500
million, is undoubtedly, a revenue spinner waiting to be tapped further.
It is, therefore, no coincident that this partnership is coming at a time

2. Nollywood has become Nigeria’s new bride waiting to be courted by
suitors.
4. However, though ahead of the United States Hollywood,
Nollywood is still miles away from the technological sophistication of
the American film industry. The future of the Nigerian film industry is
intricately woven around its advancement in technologies that would
ensure advancement of its status as ‘Home Movies’ to an
internationally competitive industry, with the capacity to maximize its
potentials.
5. Taking that into account, the collaborative partnership between
the Georgia Institute of Technology and Nollywood, and between the
United States and Nigeria, is an awakening likely to define the future of
cinema and motion picture in the 21st century. It is hoped that the
partnership would develop to a marriage between talent and
technology, between history and modernity, and between cultures of
two civilizations. This marriage, if nurtured, would likely create the
most elaborate market for the most balanced movies in the world,
where the language of communication would have more universal
appeal.
6. I must not fail to point out that the collaboration being witnessed
today is largely a product of the encouragement of the Nigerian
Administration under President Goodluck Jonathan, which seeks to
expand the space for Nigeria’s non-oil foreign business partnerships in
the areas of investment, culture, agriculture, solid minerals,
communication, infrastructure, energy, etc. I assure you that as agents
of that government, the Consulate is open to facilitate the objectives of
the Nollywood dream.

3. 7. It is my hope, therefore, that all of us gathered here tonight,
would continue to be part of the unfolding history, leading to the
emergence of more collaborative movies involving Nollywood and
Hollywood stars, increased choice of Nigerian locations for American
movies and the enjoyment of abundance of nature, promotion and
marketing of Nigerian movies in the U.S.A. as well as the establishment
of American production studios in Nigeria.
8. It is similarly my hope that the panel discussions that would follow
the screening of the ‘Memories of the Heart’ will offer more
opportunity for deeper reflections that would help our collective
endeavours.
9. Thank you for your kind attention and have a pleasant evening.
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