The minister of information, Lai Mohammed after receiving knocks from members of the creative industry, has now shed more light on why the Federal Gov
The minister of information, Lai Mohammed after receiving knocks from members of the creative industry, has now shed more light on why the Federal Government plans to stop entertainers from movie and music video production abroad.
Recall that last week, Lai Mohammed had disclosed this plan when he was being honoured by the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) at COSON House in Lagos. Now he has said that id the proposed ban would help tackle the exploitation of perceived loopholes in the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, NBC.
“The NBC code today as it stands has been exploited and not defined and that’s why movies being directed by Nigerians with Nigerian actors, actresses can be shot in South Africa and then brought back to be consumed in Nigeria. All we are saying is that we are going to amend the code in a manner that it will not be possible for you to exploit any loophole there to go and shoot outside Nigeria film, music or programs that are meant to be consumed in Nigeria.
“It is not directed at any particular incident, every country should respect the local industry of other countries. For example, in Ghana they introduced a law today that demands visiting actors to pay a thousand dollars to the government coffers while visiting directors and producers pay 5,000 dollars. We must create an enabling environment and also generate revenue from our creative industry.
“The argument is simple, when you go to shoot a film offshore, you use the work force of that country to develop the capacity of that country and you improve the economy of that country and that is what we are trying to do here.”
Also, the minister announced the establishment of a one million-dollar venture capital to boost the creative industry. He made the announcement at the opening of the two-day Creative Industry Financing Conference which held in Lagos recently, saying 20 people, each investing $50,000, are expected to help make up the required amount. He said so far, five people have volunteered to invest $50,000 each, and expressed the optimism that more investors will come forward.
He said the $1-million venture capital would provide seed money for young and talented Nigerians to set up businesses in the creative industry.
”From my interactions with Industry stakeholders since assuming office, one issue has stuck out like a sore thumb: lack of access to financing is a major bane of the Industry. Instead of just lamenting over this, we have decided to tackle the problem headlong, hence the
decision to host this conference. I have no doubt that at the end of the series of events here, we will be able to come out with a way forward that will surely boost the Industry,” he said.
Continuing, he said the government is paying great attention to the creative industry because of its capacity to create 1 million jobs in three years, boost the economy and allow the creative talents of the youths to blossom. He listed the efforts so far made to re-position and transform the Industry as including the landmark National Summit on Culture and Tourism, held in Abuja last year; the Creative Industry Roundtable held in Lagos last week, and the MoUs signed with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the British Council and the Bank of Industry.
The conference was jointly organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the Think Tank Media, and was conceived with a view to taking the creative industry into a golden era of smooth access to short and long term financing.
