#NECLive8: Government Should Not Use Nollywood For Props – Dakore Egbuson-Akande
Award-winning Nigerian actress, Dakore Egbuson-Akande, has urged the federal government to invest more in Nollywood, and not just use the film industry as an easy reference point when discussing the country’s progress.
The 42-year-old, who triumphed in the Best Actress category at the 2018 Africa Movie Academy Awards for her role in the movie Isoken, stated this during a panel session at the 8th edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference (#NECLive8).
“The creative industry does not exist in a vacuum, and we are products of our environment”, said Egbuson-Akande. “It’s chaotic, it’s tough to make a living in Nigeria, but the fact that we’ve been able to create an industry that actually employs people – it’s the second-highest employer of labour after agriculture – shows you the power of the creative industry; it should not be ignored. Also, we shouldn’t be used as cheap conversation fodder. Government shouldn’t just say ‘yeah, that’s Nollywood’; are they making investments? Are they implementing policies that will help the industry grow? That’s what we need, not necessarily money to shoot films. We need infrastructure.”
Egbuson-Akande, who first ventured into Nollywood in 1999 has been in movies like Emotional Crack, Playboy, Silent Tears, and Shattered Illusion. In recent years, she has appeared in films like Isoken, Fifty, Chief Daddy, New Money, and The Set-Up.
To learn more about what Egbuson-Akande had to say about Nollywood and the current trajectory of Nigeria’s creative industry at #NECLive8, check out the video below.
You can still catch up on all the action, excitement, and key movements from #NECLive8, including the fireside session and the live performances. All you have to do is visit the NECLive page.
