Any programme to be consumed by Nigerians must be produced in Nigeria- Lai Mohammed insists

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed, has reiterated the
government’s decision that any programme
meant for Nigerians must be produced in
Nigeria, saying he was not appointed
Minister to develop the economy of other
countries at the expense of the Nigerian
economy. He said this in a statement
released today.

In a statement he released today, Lai
Mohammed said the Creative Industry’s
potential of creating 1 million jobs in three
years cannot be realized if jobs meant for
Nigerians are being exported to other
countries under the guise of producing, in
other countries, programmes to be
consumed in Nigeria.
”I didn’t say that henceforth, all music
videos and films will be produced in Nigeria,
or that the production of music videos or
films outside Nigeria will be banned. All I
said was that if a programme is designated
as a Nigerian (local) content programme, we
will amend the Code to ensure that it is
produced in Nigeria. On that, there is no
going back.”he said
The Minister recalled how his office was
bombarded with calls from concerned
Nigerians when the last edition of the ”Big
Brother Naija” was produced in South
Africa, saying he subsequently directed the
National Broadcasting Commission to
investigate the circumstances surrounding
the controversy.
”Following the findings, we decided to
amend the relevant sections of the Nigeria
Broadcasting Code to prevent a repeat of
that development. We are now in the
process of doing that, so that anyone who
intends to produce a reality show or similar
programmes for Nigerians cannot take the
production of such shows outside Nigeria.
Nigerians are a very proud and resourceful
people, and we are sure that no Nigerian
will be against a decision to prevent the jobs
that can be done in Nigeria by Nigerians
from being exported to other countries,” he
said.
In a related development, Alhaji Mohammed
has said the Broadcasting Code is also being
amended to help develop the local football
league.
”This (amendment) is not just about the
Creative Industry. We are also going to
ensure that the NBC Code is amended in a
manner that if any company in Nigeria today
invests a million dollars in promoting or
supporting any (football) team or league
outside Nigeria, I want the Broadcasting
Code to be amended to the effect that it will
not allow that programme to be aired unless
that company supports the Nigerian League
with a percentage that will not be less than
30 per cent of what was spent.
”This is because we cannot continue to
develop the economies of the other parts of
the world from the sweat of Nigerians and
at the expense of the Nigerian economy,”
the Minister said.

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