British actor Idris Elba don tell di BBC say e go relocate to Africa within di next decade as part of im plans to support di continent movie industry.

Di 52-year-old star of di hit series The Wire dey behind some projects to build one film studio on di Tanzanian island of Zanzibar as well as one for di Ghanaian capital, Accra.

Born in London, Elba, wey im mama na from Ghana and papa from Sierra Leone, get one strong attachment to Africa.

E wan use im star power to back di growing feem business as e say e dey key say Africans get to tell dia own stories.

I go certainly consider to settle down hia; no even consider, say e go happun," e tok for one interview for di sidelines of one cinema industry meeting for Accra.

"I think [I go move] for di next five, 10 years, God willing. I dey hia to support di feem industry - dat na10-year process - I no go dey able to do dat from overseas. I need to dey di-kontri, on di continent."

But in di spirit of Pan-Africanism e no go commit to live for one specific place.

"I dey go live for Accra, I dey go live for Freetown [Sierra Leone capital], I dey go to live for Zanzibar. I dey go to try and go wia dem dey tell stories - dat one really dey important."

One goal wey e no get na to go make one feem for im studio for Accra one day.

Elba, wey bin play South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela for di 2013 biopic Long Walk to Freedom, believe say e dey key for Africans to dey centre-stage for di entire film-making process. Dat na for front of camera, behind di camera and also for financing, distribution, marketing and showing di final product.

E dey imagine say just as movie audiences around di world sabi di differences between di US cities of New York and Los Angeles without say e go really need to visit dem, dey go one day get more understanding of di continent.

"Dis sector na one soft power, no be just across Ghana but across Africa.

"If you watch any feem or anytin wey need do wit Africa, all you go see na trauma, how we be slaves, how we bin dey colonised, how e be just war and wen you come to Africa, you go realise say no be true.

"So, e dey really important say we own those stories of our tradition, of our culture, of our languages, of di differences between one language and anoda. Di world no sabi dat."

Wit Nigeria Nollywood wey dey produce hundreds of movies per year, films be arguably one of di kontri most successful exports. E aslo get one tradition, especially for parts of Francophone Africa, of making high-quality films.

For di past, Elba don recognise di talent for Africa film industry, but say di facilities dey "lack".

One 2022 report from Unesco back up di actor.

Di UN cultural agency tok say despite "significant growth in production", industries across di continent dey affected by issues like piracy, not enough training opportunities and lack of official film institutions.

Elba believe say wit di right encouragement and involvement of govnments wey dey will to create di right environment, one virtuous circle fit dey established.

"We need invest in our story-telling sake of say wen you see me, you see one little version of yourself and dat dey encourages us."