We'll promote Bayelsa's huge tourism potentials at this year's AMAA - DG, State Tourism Agency

Bayelsa Gov, Seriake Dickson

After several months of meetings and strategic networking, the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency (BSTDA) has concluded arrangements to host the tenth edition of the African Movie Academy Awards in Yenagoa, the capital of the oil rich state governed by Barrister Henry Seriake Dickson on May 24, 2014, at the newly refurbished Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre.

SHOWBIZPLUSng learnt that this year’s event which will attract a galaxy of celebrities and stars in the African movie industry especially Nollywood, promises to be exciting and superlative

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It will definitely be a night of glitz, glamour and razzmatazz as the entire city of Yenagoa will come alive as they roll out the drums to celebrate excellence in the African movie world.

The awards ceremony which is Africa’s answer to America’s Academy Awards is one of the widely acclaimed awards on the African continent as it brings together a kaleidoscope of movie producers and other practitioners from across the globe to interface and share ideas and celebrate excellence on a regular basis annually.

Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu Brown, the Director General of BSTDA, in an interview with SHOWBIZPLUSng in Yenagoa said: 

“AMAA awards this year is going to be unique and special in several ways because we intend to use the occasion of the event to showcase our rich cultural heritage and to promote the tourism and investment opportunities in the state.”

According to the Director General, this is the tenth year Bayelsa State is hosting AMAA, and that means we will go the extra mile to ensure that we put together a grand ceremony which will remain a reference point in the entertainment industry in Nigeria.

Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu Brown also reiterated the fact that this year’s event is being bankrolled by the public sector and some public spirited individuals who share in the vision of His Excellency, Gov. Henry Seriake Dickson in transforming Bayelsa State into the tourism haven in Africa.

She stated further that the award has provided a veritable platform to train our youths in various departments of movie making in line with the capacity building and empowerment programme of Gov. Dickson. This year about 500 youths will again be trained as cinematographers, producers, camera men, vision mixers, make-up artists, script writers, directors, actors and many more.

The essence of the training aspect, Mrs. Brown observed, is to provide Bayelsa youths the opportunity to participate in the production of movies in Nigeria thereby reducing the burden on government as the sole employer of labour in the state.

Mrs. Brown has admonished Bayelsans to troop out in their numbers to welcome the galaxy of stars and also be part of the award ceremony.