Okoroji |
SHOWBIZPLUSng gathered that Okoroji made his intentions known while speaking at the Stakeholders’ Forum on the Entertainment
Industry, organized by the Nigerian Export Promotions Council (NEPC) at
Lagos Sheraton Hotel & Towers on April 14, 2014, Chief Okoroji said, “If we
must confront the frightening unemployment in our country and provide a better
tomorrow for our children, we must flex our diplomatic muscles and take on the
big abuse of intellectual property trade not just in the ECOWAS nations but
across Africa”.
According to Chief Okoroji, “We do not have to create the demand
for Nigerian entertainment products anywhere in the continent. The demand for
Nigerian music and movies in every country in Africa is huge and worth billions
of naira. That demand is being met not with legitimate products but pirated
products mostly from the Far East. The result is that the Nigerian nation and
Nigerians in the creative industry are losing a huge amount of money. If we are
serious about dealing with the massive unemployment in our country, the
Nigerian nation cannot afford these losses anymore and must act with its might
at the highest level. It is an emergency. Entertainment which is very
attractive to young people is one area where Nigeria has significant
comparative advantage”.
Earlier in his keynote address, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, the
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Export Promotion Council
(NEPC) had said that the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, as the nation’s
statutory agency charged with the promotion of non-oil exports, in fulfillment
of its mandate, has identified the entertainment industry as part of the four
priority sectors for promotion under the services’ sector medium term
implementation plan. According to Mr. Awolowo, in fulfillment of its commitment
to develop the industry, the NEPC in 2010 and 2011 took some Nigerian
entertainment practitioners on a road show to Namibia and Kenya respectively,
with a view to bonding and networking with other entertainment practitioners,
as well as charting a structured distribution channel and synergy in those
countries.
Mr. Awolowo also said that the relevant government agencies in the
sector have been assembled to ensure that a holistic approach is adopted in
order to find a common solution to all impediments that have bedeviled the industry.
Said Mr Awolowo, ‘’This forum will mark the beginning of yet another milestone
in the development of non-oil export, from Nigeria as the entertainment
industry has the capacity to generate substantial forex for the economy if well
managed”.
Frontline stakeholders present at the forum were Mr. Mahmood Ali
Balogun, Chairman, Audio Visual Rights Society (AVRS); Mr Ejike Asiegbu, former
President of Actors Guild of Nigeria; Chief Gab Okoye of Gabosky Films; Chief
Don Pedro Obaseki, etc. Also present were top officers of the National Film
Corporation (NFC), Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), National Film &
Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigerian Export-Import
Bank (NEXIM) etc.
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