World's No 2 film industry loses battle against Muslim clerics

An influential group of Muslim clerics in the northern Nigerian state of Kano state has blocked the construction of a cinema centre for fear that it could encourage immorality and tarnish the image of Islam.

The cinema centre estimated at about $10 million dollars was programmed to be built on a 20 hectares space in the outskirts of the ancient city of Kano but the Muslim community in Kano kicked against the idea forcing the government to block the project.

“We do not want it, we do not need it. We will continue to encourage people to revolt against this cinema centre,” one of the Kano campaign leader, Abdullahi Usman Gadon-Kaya said.

Movies produced in Kano represent 40 percent of Nigeria’s total film production. But movies produced here respect Muslim values.

According to the Nigerian Film Corporation, blocking the project is a big loss for Nigeria’s economy as close to 10,000 employment opportunities were expected to have been created.

“It was an opportunity to offer employment opportunities to our youth, who turn to the drugs due to idleness” a film critic, Mudan Saidu said.

A 2010 world bank report estimates that Nigeria’s film industry contributes close to one billion dollars to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).