Mr. Amine Djouahra, is the senior manager, sales and marketing, B2C, Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA). He looks after the consumer business unit of Canon, which includes all cameras, photos, videos as well as printers.
In this interview with Chinenye Anuforo, Djouahra explains that Canon, in dealing with Nigeria’s younger generation, has realised that they possess huge potential and capabilities. The company fells that, by allowing them to access equipment of certain technology Nigerin youth would release their creativity and potential. Excerpts:
About Canon CCNA
Canon CCNA is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2016 was a strategic step to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region, by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus.
CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market. Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region.
CCNA will ensure the provision of high-quality, technologically-advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, it manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.
Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei, ‘living and working together for the common good.’
Production of Mokalik
As a leading manufacturing unit, when it comes to emerging products, we have always looked forward into very strong partnership. When I say very strong partnerships, we always look for the key industries and key players in the industries. Nigeria being the most important country and market for our territory, so, considering Nollywoood and the importance of the filmmaking industry in Nigeria, we are looking forward to building that local partnership. How do we look at partnerships? We are a manufacturer, we are a big brand, we have global partnership but we always look forward to local partnership to empower the local filmmakers and creativity. I think it started with an idea of empowering a very strong director and producer by allowing him to access high level equipment and also allowing his productivity to shine through his movie, which I am sure you would have loved because I was impressed by the movie.
Canon EOS C300 Mark II
The EOS C300 Mark II Digital Cinema Camera is an evolutionary second generation Cinema EOS 4K camera system with a wide range of new and improved features including 4K/2K/Full HD internal and external recording and a new 10-bit Canon Log 2 Gamma. Focused to help to deliver more creative flexibility for professional studio motion picture production applications, as well as independent productions, TV dramas, commercials, news features, sports and more, the EOS C300 Mark II is an ideal choice.
So, I think there are multiple advantages when it comes to the EOS 300 Mark II such as the fore case, canon log, colour qualities. I think it is a camera which will allow any strong production to release a very good quality movie.
Advanced image processing of EOS C300
The only thing I can tell you is that a camera is made up of different components such processors, sensors, opticals and I think we have been leading for each component’s production. We have been successful having the widest portfolio when it comes to photos, videos as well as output devices like printers, scanners and the likes. The only thing is that, if you are strong in still image and you are experienced and know-how in video, it is easier to be very successful with cinema cameras.
What accessories are the C300 compatible with?
As a manufacturer for this industry, the C300 is compatible with all third party accessories, of course there will be compatibility charge but there is not much of restrictions because it is used as a camera with many other third party brands and accessories. However, one of our strengths is being very strong in margin, our cinema lenses are one of the best lenses in the world. We have a very strong know-how and experience in optical devices for which we produce high quality lenses. In fact, even many other brands camera, many other directors and producers would request to use Canon cinema lens, which will give you the strength of our optical lenses.
What the camera can do in movies?
First thing is that I have enjoyed seeing the movie and something, which I was trying to look for is anything about the colour vibration, anything about depth of field and you will realise that the set appeal was very strong because we have seen quite natural colours, which also gives you an idea about the quality of the camera, the sensor as well something which was very good also is that, you have seen a lot of faces and lots of depth of field, sometimes the first face is very sharp while the back one is very blurred that gives you an idea about the high quality of the camera which is because of the lenses. So, I think that made me realise the pride that comes with using our cameras for such productions.
Nigerian market
I came for the first time to Nigeria early 2016 and since then I have come back every month and sometimes twice in a month. I think this country is unique, the potential of the young generation, the creativity of the people, the smile you see on the faces of people is amazing. I think whatever we have been discussing with customers, with young Nigerians whenever we are delivering trainings, we realise that there is huge potential and capability with this young generation. So, we feel that by allowing them to access equipment of certain technology, we can help them to unleash their creativity and potential. So, forget the business potential, we have been running in Nigeria since 2016, our sustainability project, which is linked to our corporate philosophy called Kiosay, that is, living and working for the common good. So, Canon as a brand will love to give back to the community; so we have been selecting young people in Nigeria that have not had access to education and no job, we took them through classes where they learnt photography, filmmaking and we allow them to run their own businesses. This gives you an idea that Canon, when it looks at potential in a country, it goes beyond the business side, it goes up to the human and up to community level.