President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Emeka Rollas on Saturday led members of the association to the inauguration of its new national secretariat in the Gaduwa District of Abuja.

The event also featured the unveiling of the AGN Super App and a prototype of the AGN Galleria creative hub.

Speaking at the event, Emeka Rollas said the new facility is part of efforts to reposition the guild for the future.

“As the largest association in the culture sector in Africa, we are determined to take our place of pride at the forefront of the evolution of the sector,” he said.

“It became imperative that we must put in place the necessary infrastructures to help carry out this enormous task effectively.”

He added, “Today’s ceremony is yet another milestone that attests to the phenomenal transformation that the present leadership of the Guild has continued to unveil.”

Rollas also noted that the new building and tech initiatives would help improve welfare for members.

“The key objective is to create a conducive environment … enhance our capacity towards provision of more welfare packages for members,” he said.

“In order to ensure continuous efficient and effective mandate delivery we will provide cutting-edge services to build a seamless association which will be people-centred and technology-driven.”

The AGN Super App is designed to allow actors register, pay dues, access auditions, events and other member-exclusive features digitally. The guild described it as a “digital handshake to the world.”

Rollas called on the federal ministry of art, culture and the creative economy to support the AGN through capacity-building programmes and interventions.

He also appealed to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration for partnership in talent development.

“We extend our hand of fellowship to the Minister of the Federal Capital, Abuja for a mutually beneficial partnership to discover and nurture teeming youths in FCT who are interested in the film industry,” he said.

“Nollywood plays a very significant role … filmmaking employs hundreds of talents and contributes to the development of tourism within the nation’s capital.”

The minister of art, culture and the creative economy Hannatu Musawa was represented at the event by Ugochi Akudo-Nwosu.

She commended the AGN for the initiative, describing the new secretariat as “a hub for creativity, collaboration and innovation.”

“This milestone is a testament to the growth of the AGN and the reflection of the vibrant potential of Nigeria’s creative economy,” she said.

“The creative economy is the new oil well of our great nation … Nollywood as the world’s second-largest film industry is a shining example.”

She added that while Lagos has long been seen as Nigeria’s entertainment capital, Abuja has the potential to become “a complementary and competitive destination” for the creative industry under the Destination 2030 plan.

Founded in 1998, the Actors Guild of Nigeria currently serves over two million actors across the country and has been led by Emeka Rollas since 2017.

The Super App launch and office unveiling come weeks after Rollas first announced the app would be ready by the end of June.