Celebrated playwright, and legendary veteran actor, Lari Williams, has urged President Buhari to inquire into the current state of the grant Goodluck Jonathan gave to Nollywood.
Former president Goodluck Jonathan and Nollywood practitioners
In an interview with pressmen on Tuesday, legendary veteran actor, celebrated playwright, musical poet, and lecturer, Lari Williams (MFR), has urged the President Buhari-led government to inquire into the current state of the grant the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration gave to the entertainment sector, especially Nollywood, and that he and others needed to know what had been disbursed and what had yet to be disbursed.
He disclosed that a proper management of the sectors’ resources would help to keep it dynamic with the provision of requisite infrastructure and training schools for stage and movie performance.
"There was a cash grant for the development of arts in Nigeria disbursed to the sector by the immediate past president but the practitioners do not know how the grant is being disbursed.
"We need to know how the funds given to the sector is being disbursed because the growth of Nigeria’s entertainment industry will be enhanced by such money if well utilised. Let’s restructure the industry to give a better foundation for the entertainment sector to grow the way it should," he said.
It can be recalled that on Nov. 7, 2010 during the 30th anniversary of Silverbird Organisation, former President Jonathan gave a grant of $200 million to the nation’s entertainment industry. He charged entertainment practitioners to use the grant to produce quality music and movies that would create more jobs for people and make the country prouder.
The funds were reportdly domiciled with the Bank of Industry for eventual disbursement to those artists who were able to come up with viable business plans.
Emeka Ossai, a renowned Nollywood actor, told newsmen in 2014 that he was able to get some funds from the BOI after he was able to present a workable business plan.