TVC E – The minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has reiterated the federal government’s readiness to partner Nollywood institutions, rather than individuals and groups in a bid to form the pattern of interaction with stakeholders in the motion picture industry.
The minister made this known on Sunday, during an interactive forum with filmmakers at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Media Centre, Iganmu, Lagos.
Lai Mohammed emphasised the need to strengthen agencies such as the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) as the true ears and eyes of government rather than the various groups of dissenting voices that Nollywood is known for over the years.
This was just as some practitioners stressed the need for a common platform for practitioners.
Mohammed who spoke with profound knowledge of the film industry; its prospects and challenges, said he will also make moves to bring the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) under the Information and Culture Ministry, because the decision to move the NCC to the Ministry of Justice has caused a major disconnect between the industry and the other sector of the arts.
Alarmed by the spate of piracy in the country, the minister said: “There is no doubt that piracy has become a monstrous disincentive not only to you, filmmakers, but also to the entire arts and the entertainment industry.