Felix Duke, CIG President
An appeal has been made to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to embrace the Creative Industry Group (CIG) software package for the financial benefit of Practitioners.
Amb. Felix Duke, President of CIG, made the appeal during the week, saying the software was designed to capture and monitor practitioners’ audio and visual products being used nationwide and across the globe.
According to him, the measure became necessary as it was observed that content owners where being ripped off and denied reasonable return after putting so much to come out with quality products.
Said Duke: “We are appealing to our able Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to consider the software initiative which will create an enabling environment for practitioners to enjoy fruits of their labour.
“The concept behind the whole arrangement is to avoid exploitation, track, stop users and usages of contents whereby people download and use products of content owners, ripping them off their efforts with them gaining anything in return.
“So it is all for the benefit and survival of practitioners as the software package will attract a 70 per cent of income from their contents being used because everything will be monitored under the software.
The CIG leader, added that the measure would spur the up and coming artistes in the country as to develop their talents with the knowledge that they would have something to gain from their works.
He said it would invariably transform as well as boost the Nigeria creative industry and content owners to an enviable standard and sector to be reckoned with.
Noted he: “Once the money is generated and collected by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) from the used registered content with the help of the software, 70 per cent is sent to content owners.
“We need to make it clear for better understanding that the body is not imposing any physical payment on content, production of films or any material as being speculated.
“The creative industry in Lagos State represents one of the largest and most visible segments of the informal economy in Nigeria and an enabling platform to function effectively.
“Majority of creative content is either physically or digitally distributed from Lagos State which is described as the hub of the creative industry in Nigeria.
“Research indicated that 10 percent of Nigerian creative content in circulation globally is in the physical while 90 percent is in the digital landscape.
“This indicates that they are no longer a local concern but global and all these contents are sold, uploaded, downloaded and streamed from the city of Lagos which is regarded as the hub of entertainment in Africa.
“It is estimated that the entertainment and media revenues for Lagos State will reach an estimated US$7.0 billion in 2020, while all other states generate an estimated US$3.0 billion annuaIly”.
He explained that funds from the initiative could be employed towards providing enabling Infrastructure for the entertainment industry in Lagos State to thrive and compete favourable within the global entertainment landscape.
