Why HarvestPlus Partnered Nollywood
Only five movies, out of over 2,000 entries received by the organizers of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) from filmmakers across Africa, made it to the final shortlist as “Best Movie 2014”. Yellow Cassava, produced by Zeb Ejiro in partnership with HarvestPlus Nigeria, ran neck-to-neck with big budget movies of 2014: Kunle Afolayan’s “October 1”, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen’s “Invasion 1897”, Steve Gukas’s “A place in the stars” and Frank Rajah Arase’s “Iyore”. When the final call was made, it was Afolayan’s October 1 that got the AMVCA’s gold statuette and a cash prize of N1 million.
It appeared that Yellow Cassava had a very stiff competition in Kunle Afolayan’s October 1, as the latter won in the two categories: Best Movie 2014 and Best Script, for which Yellow Cassava was also nominated. The Yoruba title of Yellow Cassava movie, “Dada Onipaki”, by Fidelis Duker, was also nominated in the Best Indigenous Language category.
In retrospect, HarvestPlus is glad that its movies produced as info-edutainment tools to sensitize Nigerians on the benefits of Vitamin A Cassava, also known as yellow cassava, did very well a few months after their production. The movies, when finally released to the general public, will not only create amusement among movie viewers, but will educate them on the need to choose and eat healthier and more nutritious foods rich in essential micronutrients required by body cells for optimum performance. AMVCA’s nomination is an endorsement for the movie’s credibility, excellent quality of production, thrilling content and the array of Nollywood stars it parades.
Yellow Cassava tells the story of a young and beautiful, agricultural extension worker, Vero, played by Nollywood star Monalisa Chinda. Her posting to the rural village of Amuro to sensitize the populace on the bountiful yield of yellow cassava as well as its health benefits soon becomes the source of tension in her relationship