Being in government won’t affect my career – Ini Edo

Delectable Nollywood actress, Ini Edo has been around for a while. From having a successful stint in the movie industry, she now finds herself in the corridors of government from where she will be organizing the first ever Akwa Ibom State Festival, otherwise called IbomFest. She speaks with MUTIAT ALLI on her plans for the cultural parade, being in government among other issues.

Sultry Nollywood diva, Ini Edo may be courting government now but she admits that her loyalty to the Nigerian movie industry is unwavering. With a recent appointment as the Special Assistant to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State on Tourism, and as coordinator of the first ever Akwa Ibom State Festival, otherwise called IbomFest, she says that now, more than ever, she is better placed to positively impact on the Nigerian movie industry.

“I would like to state that my stint in government won’t affect my career as an actress. Since my appointment to serve my State, I have been receiving calls from producers, and actors alike to extend their hands of fellowship in building the Nigerian project. Again, I have been invited to play different roles in the movie industry so nothing has changed,” she says.

On how her appointment would impact on the Nigerian movie industry, she says that it is an advantage to movie producers that one of their own has a government appointment. Although admitting that she is not the first to be so appointed, she is out to make a difference by contributing her quota to the development of the industry.

“My work in Government is basically to assist my State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel in the area of tourism development. This entails how as a State we can harness the rich tourism potential into a world class money making venture that will also attract direct foreign investment into the State and increase tourist traffic into Akwa Ibom State,” she also stated.

As with all assignments, she faces her own challenges. Although the job may be daunting, she reveals that she has a recipe for scaling through. “Certainly, nothing good comes easy but I still try to do my work religiously and I put in my very best to uphold the confidence reposed on me having been so appointed to serve my State,” Ms Edo said.

What is the approach of her government towards developing tourism in the state? The Governor, Udom Emmanuel, she said, has a five-point agenda and among them, tourism is encapsulated in the industrialization drive.

“I would like to state here that the Governor is very keen in developing the vast tourism potential that abound in the State and this has given strength to his endorsement of the IbomFest Heritage Festival which is coming up from 15th to 17th of December. For us, developing the tourism sector will increase tourist traffic to our State, increase the IGR and employ a lot of our youths and others of workable age,” the actress revealed.

The approach, in her view, will further enshrine the State as a tourism haven and destination of choice to discerning tourist and investors. The ripple effect, she also believes, will see many unemployed people will being engaged in one form of trade or the other. Already, her office, in partnership with a tourism consulting firm, is beginning to train young people to become tourist guides so fill in the blank spaces of those who should take guests around our tourism sites, she says.

But what is so unique about IbomFest? “IbomFest is unique in many ways, at first, it theme is Our Cultures beyond Borders so I would like to say it’s not a carnival of some sort. It is festival to showcase our way of life, our natural endowments, our rich cultural heritage and our most widely celebrated cuisines. Every Local Government Areas in the State is blessed with huge deposits of Natural resources; all of these will be showcased to the admiration of spectators, tourist and visitors during the festival in December,” she says.

Putting together a project of such magnitude does not come without its challenges but the actress believes that nothing is insurmountable.

“I would not call them challenge. It is all about just having the urgent need to get the right people, the right team to work with to achieve this task. That I believe I have and so far our team is working night and day to make sure the project succeeds. Since our Governor runs and all inclusive governance, he endorsed the project after my presentations to him. Having been convinced of the economic benefits accrued to the State, he gave his nod and endorsed it,” says the thespian.

IbomFest is targeted at inviting investors into the state to be part of thee industrialization drive of government, so the festival is one of the many platforms to achieve this noble goal, the actress says. She also assures that security is not an issue when it comes to Akwa Ibom and its plans for visitors coming to the state.

“I can boldly state that Akwa Ibom State is the safest place now in Nigeria. As such, visitors into the State will not have problems of security as there are armed security personnel everywhere, offering maximum security to all persons. Our hotels are all mobilized to clean up their environment in readiness to receive visitors. All hospitality business owners have also begun to train their staff in preparation for the festival. Local tours will be organized to allow our visitors see Akwa Ibom and its beauty,” she revealed.

With four components lined up, the festival will not go down without delivering on excitement and a celebration of culture, especially as Akwa Ibom is known for its rich heritage.

“We will be having The Parade of Colours where all local Government Areas will parade in the streets of Uyo to showcase their rich cultural attires, The Beach Fashion Show which will showcase Ibeno beach, the longest stretch of sandy beach in the coast of Africa, our Akwa Ibom cuisines as well as a Boat Regatta. Since we are riverine, it’s important to showcase our strength in boat building through this colorful boat regatta competition,” an excited Ini Edo says.

With so much at stake, it only makes so much sense for corporate bodies to key into the project. As a result, she says, IbomFest is expected to be a public private partnership driven project. “As such we call on all corporate bodies in the country to come and be part of it be way of sponsorship or partnership to make this vision a reality. Already some corporate bodies are beginning to make enquires while some have indicated strong interest to participation.”

In all of these, Ini Edo, whose appearance raises the interest of her fans, says that she would love to be remembered for the right things.

“By Gods special grace, I plan to build the IbomFest Heritage Festival to be self sponsored, attract tourist traffic yearly to the State, increase the IGR and create employment and partner development agencies and government to develop tourist sites in Akwa Ibom State,” she says.

However, she also has a nugget of wisdom for budding actors in Nigeria. Having once worn their shoes herself, Ini Edo says that her primary advice for any budding actor is that selling their bodies for roles to a producer to get ahead does not work in the long run; “not as well as hard work and talent. Develop your craft and always give your all in depicting any role you accept to play whether big or small. That’s what gets you noticed and that’s what wins awards.”