By Godwin Agia, Jalingo
President and Chief Creative Officer of Fedmas Studios, Dr. Sam Idiagbonya, has said collaboration among filmmakers is critical to survive the high cost of production in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Dr. Idiagbonya, a medical doctor and filmmaker, stated this during an interactive session on the operational realities and economic prospects of Nollywood in the nation’s capital on Saturday.
He said while Abuja offers physical advantages for filmmakers, the rising cost of production equipment, limited training facilities and fragmented creative efforts remain major drawbacks.
According to him, lone-wolf operations are no longer sustainable in modern film business, stressing that teamwork and constructive criticism are critical to elevating production standards.
He noted that creatives need an ecosystem that guarantees room for innovation and technical growth alongside shared access to high-end filming gear.
Idiagbonya however maintained that Abuja possesses distinct features capable of powering a thriving movie hub if properly tapped.
“The future of creativity is collaboration. You cannot do this alone. I could write a script for a month, and my team could spend weeks criticising it. That criticism is necessary. If somebody has a better idea, you should be able to listen.
“Creatives need the freedom to experiment, fail, criticise, and try again. Then there are infrastructural deficits. Equipment is expensive, training remains a challenge, and filmmakers need more opportunities to justify investments in equipment.
“Abuja is a plus. We have relatively stable electricity in many areas, a serene environment, good hotels, accessibility, and relatively easy movement. The problem is that we don’t always take advantage of these advantages,” he added.
Idiagbonya urged emerging filmmakers across the FCT and northern region to prioritise skills acquisition, continuous professional learning and cross-disciplinary partnerships to turn creative potential into a viable export economy.
