Ace actor, Tobi Igbenoba-Onikoyi, has said the Nigerian entertainment industry can drastically boost the nation’s economy if the government provides the enabling environment as well as funding opportunities for the sector.
Coming at a time when the nation’s economy is faced with critical challenges as revenue nosedived to record low, Igbenoba-Onikoyi, who played the role of Silk in Africa Magic’s TV series ‘Dilemma’, insisted that the entertainment industry has more to offer Nigeria’s economy.
In a chat with journalists, she noted that the industry remained the best avenue to market the unique opportunities in the country to investors within the African continent and beyond, addressing unemployment and attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs).
According to her, the sector, if improved, will create multiplier growth in the hospitality, tourism, aviation sectors and other industries.
While PWC had predicted that Nigeria’s Entertainment and Media industry is expected to grow from $4.46 billion in 2018 to $10.5 billion market by the end of 2023, the Federal Government said the over 2,500 movies produced yearly in Nigeria is already contributing about 2.3 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product.
With the nation’s debt at about N77 trillion amidst rising inflation and unemployment.
Igbenoba-Onikoyi said: “The entertainment industry can play a vital role in the economy by taking part in some sensitization projects.
“They can use these projects to spread the word about the different ways people’s behaviour affects the economy, and also engage in activities that encourage people to vote.”
According to her, with Nollywood as the third largest film industry in the world, more stringent rules about how the nation’s films are distributed and supplied would add an enormous value to the economy if things are done right.
Speaking further, Igbenoba-Onikoyi lauded the contribution of the industry to the economy, stressing that the sector would do more with the support of the government.
“We need to value our entertainment practitioners and make sure they are being trained properly, paid well enough and have access to funding to develop their craft and grow a thriving industry,” she said.
Graduating from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana with a B.A. in Theatre Studies, Igbenoba-Onikoyi had joined the nation’s entertainment sector and has featured in many projects that have strengthened the industry.
She has appeared in several stage productions such as ‘The Chibok Girls: Our story’ which was staged at the Ubumuntu Arts Festival in Rwanda and at the Georgetown University in Washington DC, ‘Moremi’, ‘Eneli’, ‘Perfect Man’, etc.
Igbenoba-Onikoyi also played key roles in movies like ‘Trinity’ which was shot in Ghana and got her nominated for ‘best upcoming actress’ at the ZAFAA Awards in 2010. ‘Sheila’, ‘Lovish’, ‘Stay, etc.
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