Actor appeals for budgetary provisions for entertainment industry

Alex Ekubo, a Nollywood actor, has called on the Federal Government to make budgetary provisions for the nation’s entertainment industry  to improve quality and attract revenue for the government.

Ekubo, also a model, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

“The Federal Government should have a specific budget for entertainment sector every year, especially movie and music.

“They should also believe in the sectors, because when you believe in something, you will definitely support it and want to see it grow and succeed.

“Hollywood is where it is today not just because of the support they get from the government but corporations and well-meaning individuals who believe in entertainment.

“From my own point of view, the only sectors that are doing well in Nigeria today are the music and movie industries.

“When the sector is supported yearly with government budget, support from corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals, it will grow bigger and generate revenue for the government,” he said.

Ekubo is playing the role of Zamani in a northern movie, “Zero Hour” that is currently being shot in Abuja.

According to him, every movie comes with peculiar challenges; even on this particular one because we are trying to achieve a world-class production with limited funds and we are doing the best possible.

A first runner-up at the 2010 Mr Nigeria contest, Ekubo said the challenge of limited funds was peculiar to every film maker in the country.

He stressed that there were so much movie makers would want to achieve, but could only try their best with what they have on ground.

The 32-year-old model said he believed that Nollywood would move from the global ranking as the third largest movie industry in the world to second or probably first position.

“Within the next five years, I see tremendous support for the industry; more investors, corporate bodies sponsoring production of movies and more worthy individual supporting the industry.

“With those, I also believe will take our ranking to the next level.

“However, I am also working on a couple of projects; and in due time, I will let the cats out of the bag,’’ Ekubo said.

NAN reports that Ekubo, a native of Arochukwu in Abia, won the Best Actor in a supporting role award at the 2013 Best of Nollywood Awards for his role in the movie `Weekend Gateway’.

The graduate of Law from the University of Calabar, with a Diploma in mass communication from, Calabar Polytechnic has acted in many films.

Some of the films include: `In the Cupboard’, `True Citizens’, `Undercover Lover’, `Dream Walker’, “A Man for the Weekend’’, a 2017 Cameroonian romantic comedy produced by Syndy Emade and many others.