The Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has declared that there is no going back on Broadcasting
Code, reports ITRealms.
According to the Minister, the Federal
Government will not be stampeded into abandoning the ongoing efforts to amend
the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to ensure the production in Nigeria of 'Nigerian
content or local content' programmes.
The Minister stated this in Abuja on
Friday when he received a delegation from the African Union Economic,
Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOC), led by its Nigerian representative,
Dr. Tunji Asaolu John.
He said those who deliberately twisted
his comments to allege that the Federal Government will ban the shooting of
films and music videos abroad are being mischievous, and reaffirmed
government's commitment to protecting local creative talents and generating
employment.
"We will not be intimidated or
stampeded by anybody," Alhaji Mohammed said.
He said the amendment of the Code will
also encourage people to invest in the establishment of world-class studios in
Nigeria to guarantee that producers get the same quality of work as obtained
abroad.
"We are not going to export jobs
to other countries and say our economy will grow. Most of the arguments which
are being proffered, honestly, are unrealistic. One of them said where in
Nigeria are we going to produce our music and our films when there are no
studios.
What they don't understand is that
nobody is going to invest in (building studios) in Nigeria if the law allows
you to go and do the same thing outside Nigeria," the Minister said.
He said the Federal Government is
consciously developing the Creative Industry in its renewed drive to diversify
the economy away from oil.
The Minister pledged the ministry's
support for the African Festival of Arts and Culture, to be hosted in Nigeria
in November.
Earlier, Dr. Asaolu said the AU is
currently implementing Agenda 2063, which is a framework to promote growth and
social development in Africa.
"Out of this Agenda 2063,
Aspiration No. 5 talked about Africa with strong cultural identity, common
heritage, values and ethics. Sir, even this aspirations alone if you put it out
to the market it can solve the problems that we are facing in Africa," he
said.
The AU-ECOSOC, which is the AU's
platform for the Civil Society, used the opportunity of the courtesy visit to
confer the Distinguished Fellowship of African Arts and Culture on the
Minister.
Uboshe Uboshe/GEE
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