The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced the establishment of a health insurance scheme for theatre practitioners in the state.
The announcement was made at a dinner with veterans of the Yoruba Nollywood industry at the Lagos House Marina.
Nollywood celebrities who attended the event praised and applauded the governor for his efforts to improve the health of theater professionals, especially the seasoned professionals.
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The governor, who reaffirmed that he would pay the insurance premium cover for practitioners who are elderly, also claimed that the Nigerian film industry and actors had contributed significantly to the development of Lagos.
Recall that, practitioners are battling with different health challenges, including funds which made social media to plead Nigerians to foot their medical bills and some people are also suffering with old age and health issues.
In order to make sure that life is simple for theater professionals, Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed that his administration would keep providing the necessary resources to the entertainment and creative sector.
In addition, he promised to offer more intervention money to those working in the Nollywood sector.
The governor, in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, endorsed a N1 billion intervention fund for the film industry. The intervention was as a single-digit soft loan initiated to cushion the effect of the pandemic, among other incentives, for the creative and entertainment industry.
The fund has been accessed by many practitioners in Nollywood, who used the grant to fund for movie production. The additional support, Sanwo-Olu promised, will boost the creativity and innovation in the sector.
The Governor applauded the efforts of Nollywood Actress, Mrs. Foluke Daramola-Salako, who operates an Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Passion Again Rape and Abuse in Africa, which is seeing to the wellbeing of veterans in the industry. Sanwo-Olu said his administration would continue to reach out to the movie legends through the platform.
“This is a new beginning of the journey that will further strengthen Nollywood; we are going to be interacting more with every layer in the industry and provide opportunities where necessary. We want to be a partner in bringing this noble industry out for more growth and celebrate the industry veterans while they are alive,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Some of the theatre practitioners at the event, including, Adebayo Salami, a.k.a Oga Bello, Jide Kosoko, Adewale Elesho, Idowu Phillips, a.k.a Iya Rainbow and Mahmoud Alli-Balogun, commended the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration for carrying out people-oriented programmes and projects which according to them are people-oriented qualify him for a second term in office.
The actors present at the event all agreed to support Governor Sanwo-Olu for a second term and pledged to work to ensure his victory in the Lagos State governorship election in 2023.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, has allegedly done a lot for theater professionals, and they also expressed their support for his candidacy.
More than 100 Yoruba theatre professionals, producers, directors, and marketers attended the dinner event, including Tade Ogidan, Lere Paimo, Fausat Balogun, Iyabo Ogunsola, Yomi Fash-Lanso, Charles Olumo, Saidi Balogun, Toyin Adegbola, Taiwo Hassan, Damola Olatunji, Bimbo Akintola, and Eniola Badmus.
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