Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has assured Nigeria’s creative, cultural and innovative Industry of necessary support through improved funding, if elected into office as president, come 2023, saying he would do this to enable the Industry to achieve its goal and objectives.
The PDP standard-bearer and former vice-president, gave the assurance on Saturday in Lagos while speaking at a special roundtable discussion with the Industry experts, just as he said players in the sector should regard him as part of them.
The interactive session, which took place at Eko Hotels, was the first of its kind aimed at highlighting and strengthening the country’s booming entertainment industry.
Some of the speakers at the discussion panel include top entertainment entrepreneur, Ayo Animashaun; award-winning director, Kenneth Gyang; ace creative director, Papa Omotayo; Talent Manager and Music Executive, Efe Omorogbe, media entrepreneur, Agatha Amata, among others.
Atiku was accompanied to the venue by his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorcha Ayu; former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; Chairman of PDP Governor’s Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwwal; former Governors Liyel Imoke and Boni Haruna; Sen. Dino Melaye, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Timmy Alaibe, among others.
The PDP presidential candidate, while throwing support for Nigeria’s creative, cultural and innovative Industry, said his government would ensure adequate funding and easier access to such funds, even as he declared that he was totally opposed to Central Bank’s intervention in the funds.
Atiku said the industry had what it takes to crash the unemployment rate and generate huge revenue for the country if it got the necessary support, noting that it was second to agriculture in terms of job creation and revenue generation.
The PDP presidential candidate said he would create an enabling environment for the players in the industry by also providing training and capacity development, adding that the funding would be liberalised and distributed through banks or agencies in order to make it easily accessible for players in the industry.
The former vice-president, who recalled that the PDP government under President Goodluck Jonathan made funding available for the industry but which could not be accessed due to the change of government, said it would be difficult for the industry to progress without the necessary support from the government.
“This industry is a livewire for our economy. A sector that provides employment, especially for the youth, is not one to be toyed with. This sector can provide us with huge revenue if well harnessed.
“The way forward is to increase funds for the arts and liberalise the process of acquiring that fund, if you give me the opportunity, I will do it because it is essential.
“I reject direct CBN intervention and encourage the private sector to be part of this, the government cannot provide all the funds needed,” he said.
Atiku, while noting that he understands the challenges in the industry as he also owns radio and television outfits, Atiku called for collaboration with the stakeholders on how to address identified loopholes in the sector.
He commended Nigeria’s creative, cultural and innovative Industry at the special roundtable discussion for its presentation, which he described as brilliant, just as he also commended players in the sector for their patriotic zeal in spite of the obstacles on their way to achieving their objectives for the industry.
“So I want you to regard me as part of you. Let me assure you, as I speak, I believe that am speaking the mind of every one of us here, that we would work together and achieve the goals,” he further assured.
“I look forward to a close collaboration with you on how we can develop the sector and explore its potential, it is a multi-billion income-creating sector.
“If we work together, we can make it, I look forward to another meeting before the elections to agree on some modalities on how things will be done,” he said
Atiku’s running mate, Okowa, commended the experts who spoke at the session for identifying and proposing solutions to the challenges in the sector, assuring them that Atiku was a promise keeper.
The governor further assured that Nollywood would manage the Delta state-owned Film village in Asaba which would be commissioned by the former Vice President in December, urging Nigerians to turn out en masse to vote during the forthcoming elections in February.
“There would be a new Nigeria if we work together to defend our land and take pride in it.
“We can make Nigeria work again through collaboration with the aim to rebuild the foundation,” Okowa said.
Earlier, experts and industry players, including creative entrepreneur, Omorogbe; Executive Producer of Hip TV, Ayo Animashaun; Founder, Africa International Film Festival, Chioma Ude, among others spoke of the various challenges confronting the industry.
According to Omorogbe, the major challenges confronting the music industry were piracy and Nigerians’ unwillingness to pay music royalties, saying that less than 10per cent of music consumers paid royalties which were not encouraging.
This was just as he noted that the Nigerian music industry remained so huge, yet to be properly tapped.
Animashaun, in his own remark, noted that the enabling environment for the creative industry must be created for businesses to thrive, saying lack of such made it so difficult for industry players to carry out major projects, while filmmaker, Gyang, said that if the industry must function optimally, the incoming president needed to create a national endowment fund for practitioners in the creative space just as practised in other climes.
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