As the build up to the presi­dential election which holds on March 28 gathers momen­tum, President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that Nollywood has the potentials to trans­form the Nigerian economy and provide jobs if well harnessed.

The president articulated this position during the question and answer session at an event tagged The Showbiz Interactive with GEJ, held on Sunday, March 15, at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

Flanked by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ad­amu Muazu, Chairman, PDP's Governors Forum, Godswill Akpabio, the party's gubernatorial candidate in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje, ex-governors Gbenga Daniel and Peter Obi, Tony Elumelu and Jim Ovia among others, the president spoke on prevailing issues in the entertainment industry and disclosed that the industry now contributes as much as 1.4 per cent to Nigeria's GDP.

Responding to a question on why he is passionate about Nollywood, Jona­than said: “You want to know why I am quite passionate about the entertainment industry? First, I feel that the entertain­ment industry, just like sports is impor­tant. Secondly, the industry has been a kind of boost for tourism. We have not yet exploited the potentials and I see big op­portunities. Entertainment like sports is a unifying factor. As a boy who grew up in the village, whenever we had a dance, people didn't quarrel. So, entertainment unites.

“In Bayelsa State, we have been promoting the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). If we encourage the entertainment industry it will do better. I have noticed that if we encourage the entertainment industry, that is the Nolly­wood family, we would really be pushing this country forward because before this time, Nollywood and the entertainment industry in general was not producing much but now, in terms of our GDP, it is contributing over 1.4 per cent growth annually. So it is a sector that I am so passionate about and want to encourage because it will create a lot of jobs for young people as well as adults who are in business. I think we should make the industry bigger as we progress.”

Identifying piracy as the bane of the industry, the president said that though, piracy cannot be completely eradicated, government will do its best to reduce it to the barest minimum. “When artistes do not get the maximum benefit they are supposed to get from their works, there is a problem for government and soci­ety. What I am promising the industry is that we will work together in the fight against piracy. What government will do is to work with you and people from the private sector. We will encourage people to build more cinemas. I believe that if we have more public places where people will go to watch movies, piracy will be reduced. But in terms of combat­ing piracy, it is just like armed robbery. The fact that you continue to kill robbers does not stop others from stealing. Just like I told you, we must continue to work together. We must continue to use superior intelligence and technology. The key thing is working with people who are in the industry. I promise that we will set up a technical committee to work with government; we need the private sector to work with us as well. I will nominate some people to work with us. Copyright laws will be reviewed to ensure that sanc­tions are commensurate with offences.”

On whether the industry could be moved from Ministry of Information to Ministry of Culture and Tourism like many stakeholders have been clamouring, the president said: “Definitely, it is pos­sible. We will move the entertainment in­dustry from the Ministry of Information to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. If that is where this sector will function well, then we will have to move it there in the next dispensation.” Jonathan also promised to fund the enter­tainment industry better than he has done before, noting that the N3 billion that was approved initially for the sector was experimental.

– sun news online