Lagos to Construct $100m Film City to Boost Creative Economy

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Lagos State government has announced plans to construct a $100 million Lagos Film City with a groundbreaking ceremony set for Wednesday, October 18.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, over the weekend, noting that the approval for the groundbreaking shows that Lagos will witness bigger projects in Mr Sanwo-Olu’s second term.

The African continent’s digital economy is projected to grow six-fold to over $700 billion by 2050, with Africa’s film and audiovisual sectors alone having the potential to create 20 million jobs and $20 billion in annual revenue.

Lagos with this move is seeking to tap into the potential with the construction of the Lagos Film City project.

The groundbreaking of the $100 million project has been scheduled for Wednesday in Ikosi Ejinrin, Lagos East Senatorial District.

The proposed Lagos Film City, which promises to be the biggest in Africa, will sit on 100 hectares of land. It will be a major boost for the creative industry, which has the potential to offer jobs to thousands of our youths. The project will be financed by Private Public Partnership (PPP).

According to the commissioner, “It will serve as an all-in-one facility – with leisure, entertainment, and learning infrastructure. It will also have accommodations and numerous state-of-the-art studios to support television, radio and film, ranging from pre-production, production, post-production and distribution, among others.”

Mrs Benson-Awoyinka averred that the Lagos State Government is committed to investing in this project, which is kicking off with the groundbreaking event, under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.

She noted that the Lagos Film City is poised to make Lagos state even more prosperous and unique, adding that the state government will not rest on its oars of past achievements but will instead make the tourism and entertainment industry more vibrant.

According to a statement from Mr Gbenga Omotoso, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, the Lagos Film City project, alongside the creative training partnership initiatives of the state government with the likes of EbonyLife Academy, Delyork, and Ogidi Studios, among others, will make Lagos State remain a force to reckon with in the entertainment and creative industry across the globe.