The Federal Government has expressed shock and sadness at the death of veteran movie producer Eddie Ugboma, calling him a worthy pioneer of today’s burgeoning Nollywood industry.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the fact that Chief Ugboma lived a purposeful life and left his footprint in the sands of time is a soothing consolation for all who knew him.

“In his lifetime, Chief Ugboma produced a number of avant-garde movies that blazed the trail and fired the imagination of those who would later become the top producers in today’s Nollywood. In a way, the success of the industry is a tribute to him and his co-pioneers,” the Minister said.

He expressed Federal Government's condolences to the family and friends of the late film maker and prayed that God will grant him eternal rest and comfort his family.