ACTORS Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has advised incoming administration in Kwara State to harness and encourage potentials in the entertainment industry to reduce youth unemployment and generate high turnover in the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR).
Speaking after an emergency meeting of the association in Ilorin, the AGN president, Ambassador Emeka Rollas, the entertainment industry is one of the cradles of the greatness of any society.
Rollas, who spoke through a national officer of the guild, and the Plateau State chairman, Mr Edesiri Edwards, advised the incoming administration to create a conducive environment that would promote entertainment industry in order to shore up the financial status of the state.
“Entertainment industry is one of the cradles of greatness in any society. But when there’s no structures and enabling environment, investors would not come in. Many producers would come to shoot films when the situation of things are pleasant. And as much as you have more productions coming to the state, more revenue would be accrued to the coffers of government, more jobs to people, more money that comes into the state in form of business, productions houses will pay taxes to the government of the day.
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“If Kwara State becomes a good ground for production houses, rent generation would come in. Revenue would come to people through rents. As you realize, it affects the economy of the state by and large,” he said.
The AGN boss, therefore, called on relevant government ministries concerned with entertainment and creative industry to put in place necessary infrastructures and collaborate with the AGN to enable a common project that would benefit all.
“Government can work closely with the AGN through sponsorship, royalty on production, and sourcing of local content for state broadcast media platforms, instead of national or foreign content.”
Also speaking, a member of the guild in Kwara State, Chief Adedotun Ajala, canvased unity among members of the guild in the state, saying that they should abolish factions and unite for attainable progress in the industry.
“The house that is divided cannot stand. It takes teamwork to make a dream work. AGN is one in Nigeria and it has only one president in Ambassador Emeka Rollas. Judiciary is there to hear all sides in a matter. But I want you to know that we have only one national AGN body. We are here in the real sense of it to help each other grow in this profession.
Nollywood has not been able to have the voice it should have because of that thing called faction. It does not help.”
Talking about the way forward among AGN members in the state, Edesiri Edwards who is also the chairman of northern chairmen of AGN, said that members would be responsible enough when they are registered members, added that financial responsibility to the guild would enable them to vie for an executive position in the association.
He announced the formation of a three-man committee, saying that the committee would be supervised by two national officers of the guild, to midwife Kwara State election of the guild in the first week of July.
He said that the state officers which would emerge from the state election would coordinate national election slated in August.