Osinbajo opens creative industry financing conference tomorrow

TO further underscore the Federal Government’s readiness to explore and exploit the ‘new oil’ (creative industry), the Minister of Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has announced the Creative Industry Financing Conference happening on Monday and Tuesday at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.

With ‘Financing the Film, Television and Music Industries,’ as its theme, the conference is being organised by  the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, in conjunction with  Think Tank Media and Advertising helmed by Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin.

Speaking at a news briefing in Lagos, the minister said the conference, to be declared open by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), intends to take “the industry into a golden era of smooth access to short and long term financing, world class management as well as local and international distribution.”

He explained that, “We conceived this conference because of our realization that lack

of access to financing is stunting the growth of the creative industry. It is the latest in a series of conferences and other events that we have held since assuming office. Recall that we held the landmark National Summit on Culture and Tourism last year to chart the path for the industry. Most of its recommendations are already being implemented.”

The minister, who reiterated that the Buhari administration value the creative industry and  sees it as the new oil, also revealed topics that would be discussed at the meeting.

The topics to be tackled by experts from within and outside Nigeria include ‘Government’s Role in Funding Creative Industry: The Bank of Industry Experience’, ‘Fundamentals of Financing Film, Television and Music Production’ and ‘Film, Television and Digital Distribution’

Speakers  at the conference include, chair of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, Hamzat Ayodele Subair; CEO of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission;  Yewande Sadiku; founder of Iroko TV, Jason Njoku; Alex Okosi of Viacom International Media Network; Jeff Kalligheri of Waterstone Entertainment and Kene Mkparu of Filnhouse Cinemas.

Others are Lindsey Oliver of Chiswick Park Studios, Rachel Glaister of EVP International Brands and Press; Adeola Bali of Garment Care Limited, Sanjay Salil of MediaGuru and Pai Gamde of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

The Minister of Communications and Information of the Niger Republic will also be at the event. Mohammed said the participants would critically discuss how to forge ahead in exploring and exploiting the new oil.