“We need to urgently plan for the future” – Pastor Paul Adefarasin on having an Enabling Ecosystem for Africa’s Creativity at #BlackPanther Screening

Founder and Senior Pastor of House on the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, spoke on the strength of the Nigeria film industry at a special screening of Black Panther movie, organized by the US Consular Mission.

According to him,

The Nigeria film industry is recognised in the global economy as the third largest movie industry in the world. But it is very important that we seek more technical support and more integration with movie industries in America, Europe and in India. I think we can continue to improve our acting skill and make the movie industry grow and continue to hit the silver screen, not just at home but also abroad in foreign markets, and thereby continue to boost the export, economic growth and the GDP of our nation.

We need more film houses in the country, significant infrastructure and national planning. This is a big market; the Nigeria population will be over 400 million in the next 20-25 years (3rd biggest national population in the world) that the global film industry will be most interested in. so, I’m excited for it. The movie industry in the cultural space is also an important space. Culture drives our value system and is a space I am interested in. we want to see the cultural space beginning to drive the value judgement of freedom, justice, righteousness and industrialization.

I am scared about our growth! It’s going to take a lot of planning on the part of the government and increase in the GDP so that we ensure a stronger economy that can facilitate the amenities and infrastructure to cope with such a large population. It’s actually an emergency. So, we need to urgently plan for the future.”

On his review of the movie, in a post he put on his Instagram page, Pastor Adefarasin wrote:

The plot, effect, contrivance and even the comic relief were all thoroughly engaging and intelligently executed. The depiction of our strength and capabilities as a race was awe inspiring, as was the representation of the African culture, beauty and talent. We enthusiastically celebrate our Nigerian, African and African American brothers and sisters for their groundbreaking accomplishments with this project.

If you have not seen this movie, I think you should go and see it … do so with pride. Take your kids along (if they are within the permitted age) because it is experiences like this that empower us and expand our consciousness, showing how successful, powerful and influential that we as African States, and people of African descent can be”.