Governor Gboyega Oyetola administration in Osun State has assured that it would put structures in place to tap the economic potentials in the film industry.
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Adebayo Adeleke stated this on Wednesday while receiving the Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board, Mr Adedayo Thomas on a courtesy visit to his office on Wednesday.
According to him, the state government has been losing a huge sum of revenue from the industry, despite the fact that the state is blessed with enormous human and material resource that can help in generating revenue from the industry.
He said, a large number of films are shoot in the state, yet the state has never benefitted from the activities.
He assured that Governor Oyetola’s administration was ready to put structures in place and if possible enact laws that would make it possible to tap the enormous potentials in the film industry.
While urging the board to do more in censoring some of the films and videos that go out for public consumption, Adeleke noted that many of the films are automatically exposing the values of the Nigerian people into ridicule.
The commissioner added, “The truth is that the industry has been neglected for too long and that has been making us to lose so much.
“Governor Oyetola is determined to do everything humanly possible that will assist in making the state an economic hub for all sectors of governance”.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative and Industry, Mr Henry Olaonipekun said, there is need for collaboration between the state government and the board to tap the potentials in the film industry.
He then assured that Governor Oyetola’s government was always ready to provide the needed structure and the legislation to harness the potentials in the industry.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the board, Mr Adedayo Thomas urged that the government should consider the establishment of a State Censors Board under whatever name to ensure that films produced in the state are not taken out for censorship.
Noting that the film industry is the largest employer of labour in Nigeria outside agriculture, he said that the negligence of the sector would automatically resulted to the lost of revenue.
He expresses readiness of the board to collaborate with the state government to create job, and boost the economy of the state.
Present at the gathering were the Special Adviser, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Rasak Adeosun; Coordinating Director of the ministry, Mr Ayobami Akinpelu and other directors of the ministry, as well as the Secretary General, Ileri Oluwa Campaign Organisation, Mr Richard Tinubu.
