LAGOS IS READY TO HOST AMAA, SAYS GOV. AMBODE.

Veteran Actor Olu Jacobs,Joke Silver, Mrs Peace Anyiam-Osigwe (AMAA Founder)

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode,Doris Simon,Paul Obaze and others.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday played host to officials of AMAA led by its President, Mrs. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe at the Lagos House, Ikeja, the governor expressed optimism that the plan to upgrade the National Theatre to world class standard would serve as a viable venue for the AMAA event when completed.
“I want to also say that I am very particular about the venue of the AMAA, so we would use everything possible to make sure that the National Arts Theatre is ready. We are in a process and before the month ends, we should have something to start doing within the first week of April to getting the whole place ready,” he said.

Alluding to the fact that Lagos would turn 50 by May 27, the Governor said that the hosting of the AMAA event in Lagos would add more glamour to the celebration of the State’s Golden Jubilee and showcase its hospitality to the continent and the world at large.
“This is a very historic moment for us in Lagos. 2017 we are celebrating the existence of Lagos for 50 years. If you look at the calendar, you would wonder in what ways and manner can we celebrate Lagos?

While officially accepting the hosting rights for AMAA 2017, Governor Ambode said the State would take advantage of the opportunity to boost its tourism mileage beyond Lagos @ 50.
“The whole essence is to grow the GDP of Lagos; it would bring people into Lagos, they would stay in our hotels, they would come watch the movies and then they would pay their taxes and eventually it’s a conglomerate of goods and services that would escalate our GDP,” the Governor said.

Earlier, President of AMAA, Mrs. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe commended the Governor for his interest in the creative industry, saying that it has given the sector a major boost in recent time.
“It’s amazing to have a Governor who is like a family that seems to understand what our needs are. We’ve never had a Governor of Lagos State who has shown so much deep interest in Nollywood,” she said
She said the 2017 AMAA ceremony, the 13^th in the series would feature films from 72 countries with over 23,000 guests from across the African continent vying for various awards.

The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is a subsidiary of the Africa Film Academy. The Academy, founded on the best film tradition is geared towards research, training and propagating filmmaking in Africa.
AMAA was established in 2005, aimed at facilitating the development and relevance of African film & cinema by providing a reward & recognition platform for film makers on the continent. The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards is the most prestigious award in Africa, showcasing and rewarding great talents in the film industry. It has since become the most - hungered after - event in African movie world.

AMAA is conceptualized as an annual celebration of the brightest and the best in African movie. It is about class and style, glitz and razzmatazz. The first award of its kind, it is the biggest gathering of movie makers across the African continent. AMAA has evolved from a one-day live televised event to an all-year-round engagement platform for filmmakers, industry professionals and their fans. Today, AMAA is most prestigious and glamorous entertainment industry event of its kind in Africa

Pic Credit: the nation.