Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of House of Representatives, says the film industry contributes 2.3 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with over 2,500 movies produced annually.
Gbajabiamila said this at a Two-Day Leadership Master class Training for Nollywood Actors organised by House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu on Friday in Abuja.
He said it was expedient to acknowledge and celebrate Nollywood Actors and Actresses as well as others who made up the Nollywood entertainment industry.
He added that with talent, fortitude, and extraordinary resilience, they had built a globally competitive entertainment industry in spite of the challenges and constraints in the nation’s environment.
“It falls on all of us in government, the private sector and across the society to identify ways we can help the industry reach the heights and we all know is possible,” he said.
He said that beyond the questions of economics and profit, there was the issue of the critical role of Nollywood in influencing culture, defining national character, and promoting national identity.
“As actors and entertainers, you directly exert tremendous influence on the lives of hundreds of millions of Nigerians, they are impacted by the roles you play, the stories you tell and the realities you explore in your movies,” he said.
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