AWKA/Nigeria: Film producers have begun showing interest in an 87-year-old storey building in Igbo-Ukwu, Anambra State, as a potential location for epic and historical movie productions.
The owner of the historic structure, Mr Ozioma Ubabukoh, disclosed this while explaining the growing interest in the building and its potential to provide filmmakers with an authentic setting for stories rooted in Igbo history and culture.
According to him, some producers have already indicated interest in using the building for epic films, a development he said could create a new platform for telling Igbo stories through the movie industry.
“Some movie producers have already expressed interest in using the building as a location for epic movies.
“This is another way we can tell our story and showcase our cultural heritage to the world,” he said.
The building, completed in 1939 by the late Chief John Ubabukoh, is regarded by the family as the first storey building in Igbo-Ukwu and one of the town’s notable historic structures.
Ozioma said its distinctive architecture and historical character could make it particularly suitable for productions requiring an old-world African setting.
He said plans to renovate the building were also being pursued in a manner that would retain its vintage and ancestral character, making it suitable not only for preservation but also for cultural and creative purposes.
He said the use of the structure as a film location could expose Igbo-Ukwu’s history and architecture to audiences beyond the community, particularly through films distributed across Nigeria and internationally.
The development, he added, could create an additional link between Igbo-Ukwu’s cultural heritage and Nigeria’s growing creative industry.
Ozioma said the project was also expected to complement the Igbo-Ukwu National Museum and other cultural assets in the area, creating opportunities for visitors who may come to the community because of its appearance in films.
He described Igbo-Ukwu as a community with a rich cultural and archaeological identity that could benefit from greater exposure through film, tourism and other creative platforms.
The building was inherited by Ozioma’s father, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Ubabukoh, following the death of Chief John Ubabukoh in February 1996.
Ozioma said his father, before his death in February 2024, instructed him not to demolish the structure but to preserve it as a family and community legacy.
He said the family’s decision to retain the building had now assumed a broader significance, given the interest from filmmakers and the possibility of using the structure to support the creative industry.
Mr Okey Ubabukoh, 73, the oldest surviving child of Chief John Ubabukoh, recalled that constructing the building in the late 1930s was a major undertaking.
He said his father had to source timber from the forest at a time when colonial authorities had taken possession of substantial quantities of timber for export during the war effort.
“My father had to go into the thick forest to source for wood to build the storey building, and it is still standing strong till today,” he said.
Okey described his father as a businessman who operated in Northern Nigeria and spoke Hausa fluently, adding that he was also involved in construction and served as a customary court judge.
He further recalled that Chief John worked with British archaeologist Prof. Thurstan Shaw during archaeological exploration and excavation activities in Igbo-Ukwu.
Another family member, Apostle Emeka Ubabukoh, 86, recalled the prominence of the building during his childhood and described it as a structure that had become part of the community’s identity.
He said the building’s continued existence offered younger generations an opportunity to connect with an important part of Igbo-Ukwu’s past.
Pa Timothy Anigbogu, a close friend of the Ubabukoh family, also described Igbo-Ukwu as a community with significant archaeological and cultural importance.
He said the town’s heritage, including the Igbo-Ukwu National Museum, provided a foundation that could support broader cultural and tourism initiatives.
With filmmakers now showing interest in the historic building, the family hopes the structure can serve not only as a reminder of Igbo-Ukwu’s past but also as a backdrop for contemporary efforts to project Igbo history and culture through Nigeria’s film industry.
