From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
The city of Jos, the Plateau State capital, is set to host a state-of-the-art film village to serve as a creative incubator for emerging stars in the entertainment industry in the state and beyond.
This followed plans by Governor Caleb Mutfwang to perform a ground breaking foundation laying ceremony of National Film Village, one of its kind in Africa.
The state government has also concluded arrangements for the construction of Smart City Housing Units for low, middle and high income earners for sustainable Housing in its comprehensive approach to overall development in the state.
The film village, according to the Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development Hon. Joshua Ubandoma Laven, is expected to revolutionise both the local and global landscapes, featuring state-of-the-art music and movie studios, for equitable wealth distribution and to provide a platform for scaling up and showcasing the talents of Plateau’s youth on the global stage.
Speaking to journalists while on a guarded tour to the projects sites in Kuru and Mararaban Jama’a in Jos South LGA said, the commissioner said, the coming of music star Wycliffe Jean would serve as a motivation for young people to show case their talent in music and the arts
He said, “We are here to inspect the sites of our Film Village and also in respect of the Housing project of his Excellency Barr. Caleb Mutfwang tagged Jos Smart City Housing Units .”
Laven said ventures are some of the priority projects of Mutfwang, whom he described as a proactive governor who matches words with actions.
He added that the governor had directed them to ensure appropriate sites is secured so that the developers can come in as quickly as possible to commence works.
“We want to develop a state of the art film village, first of its kind in Africa here. Wycliffe Jean is coming on the 28th December, 2023 for a peace concert and then performed the foundation laying ceremony of the Film Village. The governor has gotten the commitment of all developers with a view to hit the ground running.”
The commissioner said that Mutfwang, in line with his vision to transform the state, is desirous to change the narrative of Plateau state from being the home of civil service to destination for entertainment, peace and tourism.”
According to Laven, “The Film Village and Jos Smart City projects when completed will generate huge revenue for the state. The development will further boost tourism and bring the State to National and International limelight. Indeed, Plateau will be the headquarters of entertainment in Africa, he said .
Commissioner of Lands and Survey Town Planning, Peter Nyam Gai, said what this implied is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to boast the economy stressing that the State Government is ready to hit the ground running to ensure that this projects that have timeline is activated within the specific time.
General Manager Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMBD), Arch. Hart Bankat, on his part expressed satisfaction with the two sites secured for the projects, saying it is in line with Governor Caleb Mutfwang mandate to implement the greater Jos master plan .