The Federal Government says there is a compelling and urgent need to properly structure the movie industry, both as an enterprise and a cultural product.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the call on Tuesday in Lagos at a consultative meeting with stakeholders on the National Enhanced Exhibition System.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports the event was organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Film and Video Censors Board.
Mohammed underscored the need to structure the movie industry “beyond the seemingly unwieldy situation that exposes the sector to unwholesome activities detrimental to the nation’’.
He noted that the creative industry is strategic to the broad national plan agenda with tremendous capacity for wealth creation through jobs and incomes for people.
Mohammed said: “To some extent, players in the sector have made marginal in-roads, but I have to state that the gains are short-circuited by visible distortions that make quackery thrive.
“This is depriving the nation the tremendous contribution that otherwise should have been possible.
“There remains an unacceptable gap in the distribution and exhibition of films and videos, which we as a nation must address.
“There is also the task of cautiously moderating obscenity and violence in our films and videos.
“Let me point out that there is an overwhelming public consensus that the movie industry needs reform, especially in relation to the movies that are thrown into the market and how they get to the market.’’
The minister urged the forum to work closely based on collective understanding and common goal of tackling the identified challenges and come out with an arrangement that would stand the test of time.
Earlier, the Director-General of NFVCB, Patricia Bala said the forum was organised to engage relevant stakeholders on crafting of a policy initiative on enhanced exhibition and distribution system for films and videos.
She said that the initiative was borne out of a critical need to improve the industry.
Bala explained that NEEDS was seeking to create a streamlined system for movie distribution and exhibition in line with the mandate of NFVCB.
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