The Minister of Information in addition to Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reiterated the government's determination that whatsoever programme meant for Nigerians must live on produced inwards Nigeria, proverb he was non appointed Minister to educate the economic scheme of other countries at the expense of the Nigerian economy.
The plan, which was revealed past times the government minister lately has sparked off reactions amid pop artistes, alongside unopen to proverb the federal authorities should Pb past times lawsuit past times commencement banning authorities officials traveling abroad for medical handling in addition to vacation.
However, Mr. Mohammed has insisted that the authorities is going ahead alongside the plan.
In a statement by Segun Adeyemi, SA to the Minister of Information in addition to Culture, in Lagos on Wednesday, the Minister said the Creative Industry's potential of creating 1 1000000 jobs inwards iii years cannot live on realized if jobs meant for Nigerians are existence exported to other countries nether the guise of producing, inwards other countries, programmes to live on consumed inwards Nigeria.
The government minister said: ''I didn't say that henceforth, all music videos in addition to films volition live on produced inwards Nigeria, or that the production of music videos or films exterior Nigeria volition live on banned. All I said was that if a programme is designated every bit a Nigerian (local) content programme, nosotros volition improve the Code to ensure that it is produced inwards Nigeria,'' he said, adding: ''On that, at that spot is no going back.’'
He recalled how his part was bombarded alongside calls from concerned Nigerians when the concluding edition of the ''Big Brother Naija'' was produced inwards South Africa, proverb he later directed the National Broadcasting Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversy.
''Following the findings, nosotros decided to improve the relevant sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to foreclose a repeat of that development. We are instantly inwards the procedure of doing that, in addition to so that anyone who intends to create a reality demo or similar programmes for Nigerians cannot own got the production of such shows exterior Nigeria.
''Nigerians are a rattling proud in addition to resourceful people, in addition to nosotros are certain that no Nigerian volition live on against a determination to foreclose the jobs that tin live on done inwards Nigeria past times Nigerians from existence exported to other countries,'' he said.
In a related development, Alhaji Mohammed has said the Broadcasting Code is likewise existence amended to assist educate the local football game league.
''This (amendment) is non merely well-nigh the Creative Industry. We are likewise going to ensure that the NBC Code is amended inwards a means that if whatsoever fellowship inwards Nigeria today invests a 1000000 dollars inwards promoting or supporting whatsoever (football) squad or league exterior Nigeria, I desire the Broadcasting Code to live on amended to the consequence that it volition non permit that programme to live on aired unless that fellowship supports the Nigerian League alongside a per centum that volition non live on less than thirty per cent of what was spent.
''This is because nosotros cannot proceed to educate the economies of the other parts of the globe from the elbow grease of Nigerians in addition to at the expense of the Nigerian economy,'' the Minister said.