Ghana govt bans Nigerian Films?

NOLLYWOOD, Nigeria's home movie industry, may be in for difficult times as the Ghanaian government is said to have banned sale of such films in the neighbouring West Africa nation.

A Nigerian businessmen based in Ghana, Mr. Uche Okafor, involved in the distribution of Nollywood products in that country, told Daily Champion in Onitsha weekend, that Ghana is doing all, including outright seizure to discourage the sale of Nigerian home videos in that country.

According to him, they (distributors) in the past one month have been harassed at the border and major streets of Accra for bringing in and selling Nigerians films and videos in Ghana.

Okafor alleged that government agencies in Ghana are carrying out daily raids on markets even as officials of state told them that Nigerian films and videos have been banned in the country.

Chairman of Nigeria Film and Video Producers Association, Mr. Rob Emeka Eze, confirmed this, saying they have been receiving news of the development from their distributors in Ghana.

Eze said they have become handicapped and have been experiencing low sales since the development became glaring.

According to him, film producers have made necessary enquiries and discovered that the Ghanaian Government has not done anything to stop the raids.

"As at this moment, they have not given our distributors genuine reasons for their actions. Nigeria and Ghana have free trade relations, so I cannot understand," he said.

Eze, who is also chairman of Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA), said there were speculations earlier in the year that the Ghanaian government had plans to censor Nigerian films.

He said that Nigerian producers and marketers might have lost about N150 million ($3 million) in the last one month due to the development.

Eze said, however, they will storm Abuja soon, to consult with relevant authorities especially the Ministers of Tourism, Information and National Orientation, Foreign Affairs, Finance, The presidency and Ghana High Commission in Abuja on the development.