The Victims Support Fund (VSF) is collaborating with the Hausa movies industry (Kannywood) to produce movies and songs as part of efforts to combat insurgency in the Northeast.
As a precursor to this, a three-day behaviour change communication workshop is being held to intimate movie stars from the North of their roles in entrenching peace in the region.
The workshop is centred on using indigenous contents to prevent and counter violent extremism in the Northeast.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director of VSF, Prof. Sunday Ochoche, said: “war may cease, but it does not necessarily mean that peace has come. You have to work to keep the peace.
“Peace involves everybody and all hands must be on deck and here today are some of the most influential people in the society looking at how we can all work together to promote peace.”
While noting that peace does not just happen, Prof Ochoche stressed that “we must work on peace to have peace, we must prepare for peace to have peace and you [Kannywood stars] are a very important component of the VSF programme to promote peace.”
Speaking on the collaboration, Alkasim Abdulkadir of the Presidential Committee on Northeast Initiative (PCNI) who is also the moderator of the programme, said the first set of movies and songs are expected to be out in the first quarter of 2019.
“We have brought together Kannywood stars to help us with messaging through music videos and film in other to counter violent extremism in the North.
“This is aimed to checkmate Boko Haram recruitment and extremist views in the North.
“The people who watch these videos will understand the importance of coming together and living in peace,” he said.
Kannywood stars participating in the workshop include; Ali Jita, Abba El-Mustapha, Fatima Mohammed, Nafisa Abdullahi, Mariam Sangadali and Fatima K. K.
Speaking with Daily Trust, Film maker, Abba El-Mustapha, said they were starting a synergy with the VSF to enlighten the Northeast public about the ills of insurgency.
“We will provide them with clips and sounds that will help them reach their audience,” the producer of popular “Jarumai” disclosed.
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