By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Lagos state and the Federal Government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to sanitise and regulate the film industry in Lagos.
The MOU was signed between the Lagos State Film and Video Census Board (LSFVCB) and the National Film and Video Census Board (NFVCB), at the Lagos Airport Hotel.
The MOU will see the Federal Government collaborate with the state government to fight quacks, nudity, curb piracy and regulate the placement of film posters and banners across the state.
Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, signed the MOU on behalf of the Lagos state government, while the Director-General, NFVCB, Mr. Emeka Mba, signed on behalf of the Federal Government.
According to Afikuyomi, the MOU would see the state government investing in the film industry by setting up a film fund where film producers could tap into in order to boost production.
He said the MOU would enable the state and federal governments to wage a relentless war against piracy and ensure that quacks are shown the way out of the film industry.
“The driving force of world economy is the entertainment industry. As a government official, I have had occasion to be challenged that there is no law regulating the film industry.
“People are saying that their children are being bombarded with pornographic posters everywhere,” Afikuyomi said, adding that there was an urgent need to move the film industry to the next level.
“Bollywood has done so much in India by generating funds for the nation. Hollywood exists only in a part of California and it is the 7th largest economy in the world. The entertainment industry is the largest single employer of labour. We are not doing much for the industry in Nigeria.
“We have made so much progress and have become an international force. We are in an industry that has the capacity to influence the nation. The only way is for the state and the federal governments to collaborate and invest in the film industry,” he stated.
According to the Director-General of NFVCB, the MOU would lead to a revolution in the film industry. “We want to restructure the industry. What we are doing today is to work together and ensure the achievement of a broad objective.
“What you are witnessing is the beginning of a new road map to create a partnership between the Lagos state government and the Federal Government. Lagos is the heart of the industry and we want to see the partnership start in Lagos.
“We have to do it now to have a well structured and sustainable industry,” Mba said, adding that the industry would now be regulated.
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