President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday vowed to extend his campaign against corruption to the Nollywood industry.
Buhari said he would ensure relevant agencies and commissions are strengthened to execute his anti-corruption campaign on piracy.
The President spoke at the 28th edition of the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists International Conference organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation in Abuja.
He said the sector has contributed positively to the nation’s economy and thus deserves his attention.
He said: “It is also pertinent to state that this administration is committed to revamping the Nigerian economy, diversifying the economy in the face of dwindling profits.
“In this regard, a sector that generates huge sum of money annually for the Nigerian economy and employs over a million Nigerians requires our attention.
“Relevant agencies of government will be empowered to deal with the menace of piracy, which has become an albatross to both practitioners and government.
“We support the call for Nollywood to be repositioned to serve as veritable tool for the promotion of cultural diplomacy in view of the popularity Nollywood films enjoy globally.”
The President decried the influence of foreign movies on Nigerians, which he said has “resulted in moral decadence and erosion of our cherished values”.
Buhari who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Nkechi Ejele, expressed optimism that Nollywood was capable of restoring the lost moral values.
Some of the Nollywood actors, who converged at the conference, described piracy as the greatest threat to the sector, which should be vigorously addressed to a logical end.
The participants said despite being ranked as the second largest movie industry in the world, Nollywood ought to stimulate collective attention because of its potentials to the economy.
In his remark, former Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, canvassed for an appropriate policy that would sustain growth of the sector and help tackle some of its challenges.
Babangida described the sector as being capable of addressing cultural imperialism.
Babangida, who was represented by the former NICO Governing Board Chairman, Alhaji Is’mail Ibrahim, said Nollywood could promote the nation’s culture, external relations as well as foreign exchange earning.
Earlier, the National President of SONTA, Prof. Sunday Enessi, advised the President to extend his vision to the film industry.
According to Enessi, the sector has the potential of contributing immensely to the nation’s coffers, especially in an era that the nation is considering to diversify it’s economy.
He said: “Permit me to state that if the present government was to go far in her change mission and national orientation, the answer is Nollywood.
“Also, we affirm that Mr. President’s determined fight against corruption is commendable and it should not start and end with government officials only.”
In his keynote lecture, Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi from Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan recommended a working relationship between Nollywood and security forces, provision of grants by government, checkmate Africa Magic and MultiChoice and merger of the National Film Institute NFI and the TV college.
Ekwuazi called for the provision of legal teeth to the Motion Picture Practitioners Council and also make the national film policy an article of faith in the industry.
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