Lai Mohammed clarifies‎ ban on movie production abroad

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has insisted that government’s decision that any programme meant for Nigerians must be produced in Nigeria is the best for the country.
Mohammed, who was reacting to criticisms and backlashes the announcement received from artists in the country, said he was not appointed Minister to develop the economy of other countries at the expense of the Nigerian economy.

The minster said this in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday
According to him, the Creative Industry’s potential of creating 1 million jobs in three years cannot be realized if jobs meant for Nigerians were being exported to other countries under the guise of producing in other countries, programmes to be consumed in Nigeria.
He said, ”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.”
On the Big Brother Naija TV reality show that was staged in South Africa, the minister said that
”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.”
Mohammed said the Broadcasting Code was also being amended to help develop the local football league.
He added, ”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.”