BON 2018: Organisers to honour Kene Mkparu, Baba Sala, Jason Njoku at 10th edition
Jason Njoku, Kene Mkparu, Baba Sala and Corporate Pictures boss are some of the powerful people in Nollywood who will be recognised at the 10th BON awards.
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In a statement by Seun Oloketuyi, BON Awards Executive Producer, the new is coming as BON Awards 2018 gathers steam.
Oloketuyi said three eminent stakeholders and top cadre players in Nollywood, Jason Njoku, Kene Mkparu and Abdulraaq Abdullahi will receive Special Recognition Awards at the ceremony.
"The Special Recognition Award Plaques will be presented by H.E. Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Executive Governor of Oyo State and Chief Host for BON Awards 2018 to Jason Njokwu, Co-founder and CEO of Iroko Partners, Kene Mkparu, Co-founder and former Managing Director of FilmOne Distribution Limited, owners of FilmOne Cinemas and Alhaji Abdulrasaq Abdullahi of Cooperate Pictures," Oloketuyi said.
Why BON is honouring Mkparu, Njoku, Abdullahi and Baba Sala
According to the statement, Oloketuyi said the choices of individuals were arrived at after a critical evaluation of their individual contribution to the growth of the Nigerian movie industry.
"The choice of Njokwu was arrived at to applaud his pioneering efforts at developing a digitalised distribution model for local movie contents in Nigeria. He launched Iroko TV as a Video-On-demand platform, to be to Africa what Netflix and Hulu was to the West. The platform is one of Africa's first mainstream online movie streaming portal, giving instant access to nearly 10,000 film titles.
"Mkparu relocated to Nigeria from the United Kingdom where he runs a stable cinema business, to take a chance on Nigeria’s unpredictable and murky cinema entertainment business terrain; at a time when many had dismissed it as non-bankable. The re-awakening of the cinema culture in Nigeria and the growth in that sector can be credited to contributions of brilliant minds like Mkparu. Nigerian movies are now making more money from cinema exhibitions than they were at anytime in our history. He also set up West Africa’s first IMAX theatre experience, adjudged one of the top three IMAX theatre in the world.
"With an experience spanning nearly three decades, in the business of film and home video marketing and distribution, Alhaji Abdullahi Rasaq, the CEO of Corporate Pictures, and former president of the Yoruba Video Film Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria has continually raised standards for the distribution and consumption of Nigerian movies made in Yoruba indigenous language. His Corporate Pictures outfit majors in the marketing and distribution of Yoruba movies, churning out at least 60 percent of blockbuster movies from that sub-sector of Nollywood," Oloketuyi said.
On the recognition for Baba Sala and Baba Ajimajasan, he said, " We will also recognise posthumously two late theatre veterans and comedians, Ola Omonitan, Ajimajasan and Moses Adejumo, Baba Sala in recognition of their sacrificial contribution in laying the founding blocks for the comedy and film industry now enjoyed by generations after them."
In it's 10th year, the Best Of Nollywood award is billed to hold on December 8, 2018 at Kakanfo Inn, Ibadan Oyo State.
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