Lai Mohammed responds to reactions on overseas video shoot ban by FG

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has clarified an earlier statement credited to him on the amendment to NBC Code to discourage production of Nigerian movies and music abroad which was also reported by Naija News.

Speaking on Tuesday in Lagos, the minister said his statement was aimed at encouraging local content development and boost the Nation’s economy.

“At that meeting, I said that I will work to amend the NBC code to ensure that if a product is designated a Nigerian product; it must be produced in Nigeria.

“I didn’t say that henceforth, all music and films will be produced in Nigeria.

“All I said was that if a programme is designated as a Nigerian content programme, we will amend the code to ensure that it is produced in Nigeria,” he said.

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He added that if the law says that a programme shall have 60 per cent Nigerian content, the producer could not go ahead to shoot such outside the country for Nigerian viewers.

“Of course, they will come and say that you do not have infrastructure and that is why they went outside to shoot.

“I asked if it is not the same programme you went to shoot outside Nigeria because we have epileptic power that you will bring back to show to us in Nigeria.

“Then, with which power are you showing the programme?

“I promised Nigerians that I am going to create one million jobs in three years and I can’t do that if they start exporting jobs to other countries,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that participants at the forum, mainly stakeholders in the creative industry, welcomed the clarification by the minister and the position of government.