Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), on Friday, commended President Bola Tinubu for the appointment of Special Adviser on Culture and Entertainment Economy.
National President of TAMPAN, Bolaji Amusan, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday, said that the appointment was unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.
Amusan said that this was an indication that the Tinubu-led administration would pay more attention to the industry, unlike the previous administrations.
While describing the appointment as a step in the right direction, he said that the association remained optimistic that significant improvement would be recorded soon.
NAN reports that the president had, on Monday, announced the appointment of Hannatu Musa-Musawa as special adviser on culture and entertainment economy.
NAN also reports that before now, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture had been overseeing the affairs of the entertainment industry.
“We are quite happy that government is now thinking of the entertainment industry. Before now, we had no special adviser on entertainment; the industry was under the information ministry.
“I commend President Tinubu for this. It is a new beginning for the industry and a sign that the present administration is ready to work in the industry.
“Entertainment was not given priority attention before now. We hope the office will function well to the expectation of the practitioners who have been the sole drivers of the industry right from time,” he said.
Amusan urged the new administration to create viable platforms through which practitioners in the industry could have access to soft loans, with minimal interest rate.
He said that government should also consider encouraging the practitioners with incentives or tax waver as well as through the establishment of film villages in all the 36 states of the federation.