The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, has said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between
the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the Bank of Industry
(BoI), which makes available 300 million Naira loan for stakeholders in the
Creative Industry, will create 200,000 jobs in the sector, reports ITRealms.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday when the Director General of the
Council, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, presented to him the MoU, which was signed
earlier in the day.
"I have been reliably informed that top on the list of
the benefits that will accrue from this landmark MoU is that it will create
over 200,000 jobs for the sector. This is epochal, and it is in line with one
of the cardinal programmes of this administration, which is job creation and
empowerment.
''The MoU will also act as a catalyst for the development of
the country's craft industries, create a financing window and make available
loanable funds to be accessed by all NCAC stakeholders, as well as assist the
stakeholders in capacity building," he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said the MoU will equally enhance the
capacity of producers of cultural products and services to work towards
attaining the standard of modern practice in the packaging of their cultural products,
to enable them compete favourably at the global markets and earn the nation's
Artists a decent living.
The Minister commended Otunba Runsewe for putting together
''this momentous event'' just a few days after assuming office as the NCAC DG,
and also thanked the Acting MD of BoI, Mr Waheed Olagunju, for his support for
the Creative Industry.
"As you may all be aware, one of the factors militating
against the promotion of the Nigerian creative industries has been lack of
access to funding for the Artists to develop their creative works as well as weak
access to international markets, due to poor packaging and standard. I am
therefore happy to say that with the signing of this MoU, Nigerian Artists can
heave a sigh of relief," he said.
In his remarks, Otunba Runsewe described the MOU as a
milestone in the creative sector, being the first time in history that the
sector will access funds from a financial institution with a single digit
interest rate.
"Today, we have come to make a history-making
presentation to the Honourable Minister. Today happens to be a day that will
create a change and we are going to tell our story the way it should have been told
some few years ago," he said.
The NCAC DG acknowledged the leadership role of the
Minister, particularly in leveraging on the unique potential of the Creative Industry
to drive the diversification of the economy away from oil.
The Minister used the occasion to decorate some journalists
with a special pin with the inscription: "Our Culture, Our Pride", as
part of a conscious strategy to mobilise the media to promote the nation's
creative industry.
Pix: The Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, presenting a Memorandum of Understanding between the Council and the Bank of Industry to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja on Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment