Sequel to the initial N 3bn Project ACT -Nollywood grant
given movie practitioners by the Federal Government ,
the sector can expect further boom , should President
Goodluck Jonathan - led administration be voted back
into power .
That was the situation when in what was largely a
campaign move, the president held an interactive
session with stakeholders in the showbiz sector on
Sunday , at the Eko Hotel , Lagos.
Hosted by Richard Mofe - Damijo, the event tagged ‘ The
Showbiz Interactive ’ had President Jonathan dialogue
with entertainment stakeholders on the way forward .
Fielding a question on whether the Federal Government
intends to add more fund to the N 3bn sovereign fund to
the entertainment industry, Jonathan responded:
“Definitely , if we must make the industry big, and of
course, I ’ ve seen the potential in it. We’ re talking about
contributing 1 .45 per cent to the GDP. Before, it was
zero. So , we know there are potentials in the industry.
The first three billion ( Naira) was experimental . Now, we
feel that it is quite successful . But , surely , we’ ll do
better .”
During the session, the issue of piracy and how the
government could curb it came up . And a vocal voice
amongst those who preferred that rather than dole out
money to practitioners, government should put in a
place , structure where artistes could benefit from their
works , was foremost comedian, Ali Baba .
“I think a lot of our artistes believe that it is sovereign
fund that is the only thing that is holding us back , ” said
Ali Baba . “It is not sovereign fund . What is holding us
back is the dynamics and the machineries that will help
us to create money for ourselves. ”
According to the comedian, while piracy is a big issue,
the absence of a proper distribution channel was a
greater problem.
“What we need is a proper structure that can make us
earn money from the films we put in the market, ” he
told the President. “The question I want to ask you now ,
I’ m asking on behalf of Amaka Igwe . And she has asked
this question in this forum before when you talked with
us the last time . We asked this same question here:
How are we going to deal with pirates so that we can
put our products in the market and make money from
it ? Because if you give us five billion dollars to put a
product out in the market , as soon as it is in the market
and the pirates get one, it is over. ”
However , a flustered Jonathan could not promise a
potent formula to combatting piracy .
Responding, Jonathan , who views the entertainment
industry as ‘ a unifying factor ’ just like sports, said : “In
terms of combating the piracy which is just like armed
robbery… armed robbers are being shot but people are
still committing robbery.
Advocating the “continuance of security efforts, ” the
president said , “it will be difficult to say we have a
magic wand to wave to wipe out piracy but we can
continue to suppress it and make other avenues of
showing the films.
“We need the private sector to get involved , ” Jonathan
said . “This time around , luckily, with your support , I ’ m
going to win election and immediately we get back …
we’ ll set a small technical committee to strengthen the
department of government and we’ ll continue to fight it
( piracy) until we reduce it to the barest minimal . At the
same time , we ’ re exploiting other opportunities that
could enhance the earnings of creative artistes. ”
Other people who asked questions at the parley include
actor Adeniyi Johnson and former president of
Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria ( PMAN ) , T -
Mac Omatsola .
Johnson had asked the possibility of moving the
entertainment industry from the Ministry of Information
to the Ministry of Tourism , Culture and National
Orientation to which Jonathan replied in the affirmative ,
saying , if it was the wishes of “this family ”, referring to
the entertainment industry.
Despite romancing players in the entertainment industry,
all has not been well with the sector which has been
bedevilled by piracy and absence of proper distribution
framework.
“In the last thirty years, record companies and labels
have gone under , what plans do you have to save the
music industry because of piracy?” asked T - Mac.
Accepting this situation poses a problem to the artiste ,
society and the government , Jonathan could, however ,
only offer a feeble way out .
“If people must be in the industry and be creative, then ,
definitely, they should benefit , ” Jonathan said .
“While we have the copyright commission and other
institutions that is supposed to control it , I think the
criminals are always trying to beat us . We would work
together . I promised the industry before this time that
we would strengthen our laws in the first place … First of
all , we have to review the laws to make sure that the
sanctions are commensurate to their offences . The
punishments are quite light and we must take it very
seriously .”
Nigerian entertainment industry has seen tumultuous
times, especially with the activities of pirates . However ,
not much success has been realised in tackling the
menace .