By EricJames Ochigbo
Some stakeholders in the Nollywood industry, under the auspices of Renewed Hope for Nollywood, have pledged to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid to sustain ongoing reforms in the country.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, the group’s President, Mr Emmanuel Osakwe, said the Nollywood industry had never had it so good, hence the need to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
According to him, Nollywood today is one of the largest film industries in the world, producing over 2,500 films annually and providing direct and indirect employment to millions of Nigerians.
Osakwe He said that beyond traditional filmmaking, the rise of digital content creation across platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and streaming services, had further expanded the creative economy, turning storytelling into an engine for youth empowerment and income generation.
“We are witnessing a new era where content creators are not just entertainers but entrepreneurs, employers and global cultural ambassadors.
“In recent times, the Federal Government has taken deliberate steps to recognise and invest in this sector.
“Through initiatives such as creative industry funding programmes, grants and structured financing interventions, billions of naira have been made available to support filmmakers, producers and creative entrepreneurs across Nigeria.
“These interventions represent a policy shift that acknowledges the creative industry as a strategic contributor to Nigeria’s GDP,” he said.
Osakwe acknowledged the efforts being made under the Tinubu administration to reposition the creative sector.
“Our role, therefore, is to ensure that Nollywood stakeholders are not left on the sidelines, but are actively engaged, organised and positioned to benefit from these opportunities.
“We are committed to strengthening collaboration between ‘creatives’ and government, and expanding access to funding and investment opportunities.
“We are also committed to promoting globally-competitive Nigerian content and empowering the next generation of storytellers.
“Renewed Hope for Nollywood will serve as a bridge, connecting policy with participation and vision with execution,” he said.
On his part, the group’s Director of Social Services, Mr Johnson Yakubu, said that the industry had noticed the tremendous progress that the Tinubu administration had brought to Nigeria in the last three years.
“Look at all the road constructions happening in Nigeria; look at all the new innovations and all the things it has brought.
“We as ‘creatives’, we have seen the little torch and we believe that by giving our support, fully into his second trend, we are going to gain a lot more.
“That is why we are all out wholeheartedly to see that the renewed hope is really actualised for the next four years,” he said.
Yakubu said that the group would mobilise the industry and beyond, using all its channels like content creation and filmmaking, to drive mass awareness on government programmes and galvanise votes for the president.
He, however, said that the industry and indeed Nigerians expect much more from Tinubu in exchange for their support.
Yakubu stressed the need for more government support for the industry, saying that it had largely been private investments over time.
“We need government’s support; we need government funding. In fact, we need an international standard studio in Nigeria where filmmaking will be produced.
“We have been given a land here in Abuja but government needs to put in fund and build the land; we need health insurance to support actors when they fall ill as a result of the nature of our job.
“We believe all these are going to come in the next four years. Nigerians also need palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
“We believe that in the second term, he (Tinubu) is going to look into the economy to see that Nigeria begins to thrive economically and then the standard of living of Nigeria is going to be greatly enhanced.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)