Asika spoke during a presentation and interactive session at the World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit, held at the Indian High Commission in Abuja on Thursday.
He stressed that Nigeria must be actively involved in global conversations and collaborations, particularly to expand its influence and access to international markets, including India.
“You do not benefit if you stay outside the room. The key thing is to be in the room in the first place,” Asika stated.
“We must commend the Indians for what they are doing. This is a massive undertaking, bringing together a sector that has not really been converged before — broadcast, entertainment, media, and associated services.
“They are driving this from the government, which is not necessarily the case in many countries. In most places, the private sector leads because the government cannot manage all the necessary processes. But perhaps this is one reason why India is a world leader in many of these industries.”
He stressed the importance of involving key Nigerian private sector players such as MultiChoice, Filmhouse, Chocolate City, Mavin Records, and others in collaborative efforts with India.
By establishing a unified Nigerian pavilion at the Wave Summit, the country can showcase its diverse cultural industries, including music, fashion, television, and film, while fostering partnerships.
“We need the private sector to come with us to India. I want to see MultiChoice, Filmhouse, Chocolate City, Mavin Records, and others. We have built strong brands and are achieving great things daily in Nigeria.
“India needs to provide us with all the necessary information so we can share it with our industry because many Nigerians are unaware of the opportunities. They need to know how they can participate,” Asika added.
He stressed that “Nigeria Everywhere” would be the brand taken to the event, representing the nation’s rich cultural diversity across various sectors.
Asika also pointed out that Nollywood has yet to penetrate the Indian market, making this collaboration crucial for increasing Nigerian films’ visibility on Indian platforms.
“I was shocked to learn from the Indian High Commissioner last year that Nollywood is not available in India. That is incredible. So, we have work to do to make Nigerian films accessible and bring them onto Indian platforms.”
The Joint Secretary of the Government of India and Director-General of the National Film Development Corporation, Shri Kumar, echoed these sentiments. He noted that the collaboration aims to unite both countries’ entertainment industries to leverage each other’s strengths.
Kumar suggested dubbing Nigerian films into Indian languages to introduce them to a local audience, similar to how Korean and Japanese content has gained popularity in India.
“The best Nigerian films should be dubbed into a few major Indian languages and screened at events like the Wave Summit or released in theatres. Once Indian audiences develop a liking for them, interest will continue to grow,” he said.
