INTERVIEW: What I’ll do for Association of Movie Producers – Queen Blessing Ebigieson

In this Famous Faces Interview Series with the publisher of DAYLIGHT Online, Azuh Amatus, leading female producer and the newly sworn in national president of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Queen Blessing Ebigieson speaks passionately about her new position, aspirations, plans and vision for the numero uno body for film producers in Nigeria.

Amiable Ebigieson, also a top actress and founder of the wave making Queen Blessing Ebigieson Foundation, further shared with us, how she intends to consolidate and continue with the foundation already laid by her late predecessor, Peace Anyiam Osigwe, in the next one and half years.

The Okpella, Edo state-born entertainment entrepreneur made it crystal clear that her administration will focus mainly in the areas of welfare packages for members, quality productions, empowerment, collaborations, global competiveness as well as other fruitful and beneficial endeavours, aimed at strengthening and repositioning AMP as a global brand.

Enjoy the encounter.

Congratulations on your new position!

How does it feel to be sworn in as the second and youngest female national president of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP)?

Thank you very much; it’s bitter and sweet, bitter because we lost our dear president madame Peace Anyiam-Osigwe MFR, in January 2023. Until her untimely death, I was her vice president; together we ran the association for two and half years. I had gotten used to working under her leadership. I had to be sworn in as president to continue moving the association forward. What needed to be done was done for the good of the association as provided by the association’s constitution. Sweet because I know that she is in a better place in heaven and would be happy to see me move the Association of Movie Producers in Nigeria forward…As for me becoming the second female national president, madame Peace Anyiam-Osigwe MFR had always said I will be the second female national president after her term had ended. That she was going to support me to run for president, it happened not as I would have liked it, but who are we to question God…

As the new president of AMP, what are the major tasks you intend to focus on and possibly achieve at the end of your tenure?

As president of the Association of Movie Producers some of the issues that I would like to work more on include, first, health insurance, to make sure that my members’ key into the insurance policy that my late president had started before she passed on. Second is to make sure that we start talking about retirement plans for our producers. The government is not going to make available funds for them when they are old. The industry is not going to do so either, so it’s important we teach them how to save. They need to learn how to save, that way their retirement can also be secured. Third, I’m going to be teaching members how to crowd fund to make quality productions, while sharing the risks and profits of the business. We will continue to build capacity for members. It was one of the things my late president also did and I would continue that because the most important thing is to make sure that our members are growing. The more they acquire more knowledge, the more they will do well in their productions and do well in their personal lives as well, because if your business life improves, your personal life will definitely improve too. Fourth is to make sure that the state chapters of AMP are carried along. We will go into the states to find out what we can do for the chapters to make them grow better and faster. Good producers are not only in Lagos, Delta, Enugu, Abuja and Port Harcourt, they are everywhere. We can also make sure that our chapters that are even in the north are also seen to be working …These and many more are in my Agenda…With God and hard work, everything and anything is possible.

You are no doubt stepping into the big shoes of your late predecessor, Peace Anyiam Osigwe, do you think you are ready, capable and also has what it takes to lead an association as big as AMP?

I am ready and capable; I have been running my businesses for years and by the grace of God and my go getting spirit, I am doing well. I have been in Nollywood for 24 years both as an actor and producer. I have been a member of the Association of Movie Producers Nigeria for over 16 years. I have also served as the national treasurer of the association for two years and as vice president for two and half years. I know the Association of Movie Producers Nigeria very well and now as national president, I will definitely do well because I have the support of my members, my fellow executives and other industry players. With God on my side and everything I learnt working as vice president to the late madame Peace Anyiam-Osigwe MFR, trust me I am capable.

What is the legacy you want to leave behind as AMP President by the time your tenure in office elapses?

I believe in building relationships and mending fences, never leaving anyone behind, I will be one of the most accessible presidents in the Association of Movie Producers Nigeria, always there to listen and help my members as much as possible.

In your views, what would you say is the biggest challenge facing AMP and its teeming members?

The biggest challenge is funding for productions. As you know our producers have practically done this on their own year in, year out. Even though we’re adding to the country’s GDP, the government has really not taken time to look at this sector and the private sector is also not really looking at the sector. So the biggest challenge is funds and what we have tried to do with my late president was to make sure that our members access funds.

And in what ways do you intend tackling these challenges, especially the dearth of funds?

My team and I would still continue to engage the government to provide grants, low interest loans and zero interest loans. Also, the private sector and every meaningful individual who would like to invest in filmmaking should trust us and invest through our producers and the association.

What are your plans, in terms of welfare packages, especially for the sick, old and vulnerable members of AMP?

As the president of the Association of Movie Producers Nigeria, I will encourage my members to key into health insurance schemes and to also start retirement packages that will go a long way to help, if they become sick, old or vulnerable.

How do you also intend to reconcile and bring together all the warring and aggrieved members of AMP?

The Association of Movie Producers Nigeria as at today does not have factions. Trust me, we are moving forward together as one…My members are all CEOs in their rights and big people, trust me they don’t dwell on grudges…People quarrel, make up and move on, that is the cycle of life.

As a busy entertainer cum entertainment entrepreneur with visible projects, don’t you think your personal endeavours will clash with your new position at AMP?

Like I said, I have been a member of AMP for over 16 years and I have served as treasurer, too. My personal projects never got in the way. I’ve also served as vice president for two and a half years, also my personal projects never got in the way. I am a go-getter I am someone who can multitask. I can do so many things at the same time. I’m not a lazy person and I know how to divide my responsibilities, remember I am the president. Yes, I have other executives working with me and I know that they’re going to give me their full support and nothing is going to suffer. AMP is not going to suffer. My private business is also not going to suffer. Like I said, I’m a very strong person by the grace of God, I also multitask a lot

And lastly, did you ever envisage that you’d become the president of AMP this soon?

Yes, we’ve always talked about it, me and my late president. Madame Peace Anyiam-Osigwe MFR would always talk about how I will become the next president by the grace of God after her tenure in office, to make sure the association does not fall into wrong hands, which will destroy all the good things we have done. We all keyed into her vision for the association and I know that the members of Association of Movie Producers believed so much in her vision. It’s quite unfortunate it happened the way it did. And who are we to question God. Like I said earlier, I’ve been in this industry for 24 years. Some of us met outside AMP even before they joined the association or before I joined the association. And some of them I brought into the association. So there is no way I will run for an election by the grace of God and not win. So, yes, I’ve always known that one day I will run for president of the Association of Movie Producers Nigeria and by the grace of God I would win too. May the soul of my late president, Madame Peace Anyiam-Osigwe MFR continue to rest in peace.

(www.daylightng.com)