Nollywood actor, Saidi Balogun, has urged the Nigerian government to enact stricter laws to guide and regulate operators in the movie industry.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday, Saidi said the current laws regulating the nation’s artistes were too weak and needed to be amended.
The Family on Fire actor said the weak laws were responsible for most of the films being produced in the country in recent times not depicting the indigenous cultures of her citizens.
“The present laws guiding the industry are too weak, we need laws and structures that will regulate the indigenous movie industry as well as the kind of foreign films that can be shot in the country.
“It is unfortunate that the legislators in the various house committees on culture at the national and state levels have not deemed it fit for years to sponsor any bill aimed at restructuring the operations of the entertainment industry,” he said.
The 51-year-old also expressed his disappointment at the fact that those who were conversant with the intricacies of movie production were no longer engaged to handle it.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians to stop patronising actors and movie producers, whose films do not depict the nation’s numerous cultural values, heritage and societal morals.
“If an actor or actress is not doing a good job, we should all stop embracing him or her. Such a person will change for the better.
“If I produce a movie which you don’t like; don’t buy it, this is because restructuring of the industry has to include joint efforts of the government, viewers and the movie-makers.
“We should stop celebrating names or personalities producing sub-standard movies, rather we should celebrate people who know the right thing and are doing it,” he said.
