Digital Economy: How COVID-19 Boosted Northflix, an Alternative Film Market in Kannywood – Dr.Sufi

Digital Economy: How COVID-19 Boosted Northflix, an Alternative Film Market in Kannywood – Dr.Sufi

Northflix, a Northern based replica of the number one global movie streaming platform, Netflix has leveraged on the vast opportunities presented by Social Media and Digital Economy to create an alternative market for Kannywood.

This was revealed by Dr. Kabiru Saidu Sufi, an Entrepreneur and Senior Lecturer, Kano State College of Education and Preliminary Studies during a one-day workshop on how to turn the prevailing COVID-19 crisis into opportunities in entrepreneurship and innovation, organized by PRNigeria Centre for strategic communication in collaboration with Habiba Jimeta Memorial Foundation in Kano.

According to him, the COVID-19 crisis has provided vast opportunities and ways by which individuals, groups and especially youths can further respond to change productively. He said the lockdown boosted sales for Northflix which was formed in June 2019.

While recalling how, through a collective effort they were able to use Social Media in raising the largest financial donation for Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, when it was heading towards operational crisis during the pandemic, Dr. Sufi urged young people to maximize the medium for beneficial ventures and disruptive innovations.

“Many times, a lot of great ideas come, depending on how you see it and how you take it,” he added.

While presenting his paper titled, “Using Social Media for Career Advancement and Effective Networking”, the Executive Director, Digital Development Hub, Abdulganiyu Rufai Yakub, said the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a lot of weaknesses in our labour force, proving that there is no need for bogus space and meetings, which in itself presents a huge opportunity in digital space.

“When the pandemic started, FG asked all Grade level 14 staff and below to work from home and heaven did not fall. This has shown us that huge offices don’t count; you can do a lot within the comfort of your home.” He said as he called on SME’s to build pandemic resilience.

He further predicted that a post COVID-19 society will see businesses operating mostly in virtual spaces while workshops, conferences and meetings are going to go home.

On his part, Khalifa Mustapha Dankadai, Executive Director, KDC Foundation said post COVID-19 will empower a lot of people with IT skills who have consistently been ignored in the past two decades.

“Those that have been taking papers to government offices and organizations for contract but have consistently been ignored will now be needed. Smart import and export will be the order of the day. The need to continue building new skills to help us tap these opportunities is very essential. Even Journalists must befriend IT post COVID-19.”

Earlier, the Executive Director Habiba Jimeta Memorial Foundation, Barrister Abubakar Mujahid who represented the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Investment Program, Barrister Ismail Ahmed, called on participants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset towards emerging opportunities.

He said the Foundation was happy to partner with the PRNigeria centre because of the fact that empowerment is one of the key objectives of the organization.

Also speaking, the Manager of PRNigeria Kano Centre, Adnan Mukhtar Adamu reaffirmed the commitment of the Centre towards equipping young people and individuals with needed capacity to respond to growing change. He also announced that the Centre has commenced sale of form for commencement of a four weeks’ program in digital media and journalism.

Adnan said: “There are a lot of innovations and skills in Digital Economy which is being canvased by Communication Minister, Dr. Isa Pantami. It is knowledgebase economy of skills that use ideas to change the way business is done digitally. That is why we are introducing programmes and courses in that area at the PRNigeria Centre in Kano.

By PRNigeria