Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, has clarified some statements (that FG will ban overseas production of Nigerian films and music) attributed to him as reported in the media last week when he visited the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in Lagos,.
Speaking at a news briefing at the end of the two-day Creative Industry Financing conference with the theme ‘Financing the Film, Television and Music Industries,’ held at Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Mohammed clarified what he said about the amendment to the NBC Code to discourage production of Nigerian movies and music abroad.
“At that meeting, I said that I will work to amend the NBC code to ensure that if a product is designated a Nigerian product; it must be produced in Nigeria. I didn’t say that henceforth, all music and films will be produced in Nigeria.
“All I said was that if a programme is designated as a Nigerian content programme, we will amend the code to ensure that it is produced in Nigeria. I didn’t say I’ll ban the production of Nigerian movies and videos overseas,’’ he said.
He explained if the law says that a programme shall have 60 per cent Nigerian content, the producer could not go ahead to shoot such outside the country for Nigerian viewers.
