Alhaji Lai Mohammed:: Information and culture Minister

An up-and-coming actor, Joseph Agabi, popularly known as Joe Page, has called on the three tiers of government to enact policies that would encourage creativity in the art sector.

Agabi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that entertainment was the biggest influence on youths.

Government should fund it so as to sustain youths’ interests in entertainment activities, he said.

According to him, government should earmark funds to the sector to empower its stakeholders and assist its practitioners to fight the ills that befall the industry and the society at large.

“ Musicians do not have financial support and that is why we are calling on government to provide special funds with single interest rate that are accessible across board.

“ Government must make the conditions to be met by practitioners to access such funds very flexible with little or no collateral attached,” he said.

Agabi also said that government should partner associations in the industry to build modern art studios across the six geo-political zones of the country.

“The entertainment industry has been playing a major role in curbing criminal activities over the years, but I am sure that the government can still do more.

“If we have studios in every state where youths can mass- produce their songs for little or nothing, we will be working toward having a crime-free nation,” he said.

He said that the government should assist its citizens who do not have the capacity to build their own craft centres with such facilities.

He said that the government should ensure that it supports the various musical associations in their quest to fight piracy.

This would enable our artists to reap the dividends of their labour, he said.

Agabi was among the finalists of the Season 4 of the MTN sponsored `Project Fame’ with ”Baba God” and ” Every woman” as some of his hit songs.

(NAN)