BON unveils nominees for 2015 awards

Nominees for the Best of Nollywood Awards 2015, were yesterday, announced at an unveiling ceremony which took place in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The  award ceremony comes up on the 12th of December, at the International Conference Centre,  Akure.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko who was visibly excited to host the event in his state, seized the opportunity offered by the unveiling ceremony to stress the need for the federal government to find a lasting solution to the problem of piracy in the country.

He noted that piracy is a major problem in the creative industry, and in moving forward, there is need for the federal government to step up its fight against piracy.

According to him, government can use technology to fight piracy in the country.

“I am confidence that Nigerians have come to appreciate the importance of this industry,especially the economic value of the industry. Nollywood has proved itself to be a major export commodity  in our country. When our economy was rebased as our  GDP moved from under $400 billion to $510 billion and we became the biggest economy in Africa, Nollywood contributed about 1.2 percent  which is about $7.2 billion to Nigerian GDP,” he said.

Continuing,  Mimiko said, ” I also learnt that apart from Agriculture, Nollywood is the biggest employer of labour in Nigeria. This is a big industry .  We are happy to make our own little contribution to the progress of this industry.  We are ware of the challenges facing the industry, especially that of piracy. I am also told that not up to 20 percent of the total quantum of money generated from that industry  go to the genuine practitioners. That a major problem in that industry and in moving forward, the government must find a permanent solution to that problem. Piracy eats into one’s creative energies.”

As a creative nation, Mimiko  called on the federal government to find a lasting solution to the menace of piracy.

On why he accepted to host the award  ceremony in his state this year, Mimiko said, it tallies with his administration’s vision to make the state the  number one event destination in Nigeria.  The even was attended by all the government functionaries.