FG appoints Ali Baba, Segun Arinze, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Charles Novia, others into COVID-19 committee
Veteran comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome aka Ali Baba, Nollywood actor Segun Arinze, movie directors Bolanle Austen-Peters and Charles Novia have been appointed as members of a committee of Creative Industry stakeholders to look into and advise the Federal Government on the best way to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced this on Wednesday during a meeting with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).
Other members of the committee include: Dare Art Alade – Livespot Entertainment; Efe Omoregbe – Record labels and Collective rights management (Hypertek/Now Muzik); Ali Jita – Actor and Musician; Baba Agba – Film Director (BCI Studios); Kene Okwuosa – Cinema and Distribution (Filmhouse); Prince Daniel Aboki – Radio and Film (CoolFM/WaZoBia); Chioma Ude – Streaming (Envivo); Olumade Adesemowo – Television and Platform (FreeTV); Hajia Sa’a Ibrahim – Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON); Anita Eboigbe – News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The committee will be chaired by Ali Baba, while Anita Eboigbe will serve as Secretary.
“Representatives of the Fashion, Publishing, Photography as well as Hospitality and Travel sectors are also to be included in the committee, which has four weeks to submit its report,” the minister said.
Mohammed stressed the need for a collective and government-supported approach in dealing with the immediate, short and long term palliatives and initiatives for the industry, in order to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on the Industry.
“We have therefore decided that instead of addressing this problem piecemeal, we should do so holistically for a more positive outcome,” he said, noting that the Creative Industry is a very critical sector of the nation’s economy and a major plank of the economic diversification policy of this Administration, in addition to creating the highest number of jobs after Agriculture
The Minister said the terms of reference of the committee include to assess the expected impact of the pandemic on the industry in general and advise the government on how to mitigate job and revenue losses in the sector as well as to create succour for the industry small businesses.
The committee is also to suggest the type of taxation and financing that is best for the industry at this time to encourage growth and also advise the Government on any other measure or measures that can be undertaken to support the industry.
The creative industry as well as the hospitality and travel industry are the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced many nations into a lockdown as billions of people across the world sit at home to observe social distancing. While the lockdown are gradually being relaxed, there is no immediate plan to lift the ban on large gatherings, which means concerts, entertainment shows, clubs and cinemas where the creative industry generates income, will remain closed.
