COVID-19: Entertainers may go hungry if they don’t look for alternatives, says Gloria Young

Gloria Young, a veteran Nollywood actress, says entertainers in the country would go hungry if they don’t look for alternative ways to work amid the ongoing lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

As COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, economies have witnessed a shortfall in earnings as industries and individual firms have been ordered to remain shut in order to contain the novel virus.

Young, who has starred in numerous Nigerian films, spoke with NAN on how the outbreak has continued to stifle activities, leaving the internet as the only option for creatives.

She said the lockdown has caused several losses to the entire industry, especially among employers.

According to the 53-year-old actress, several showbiz activities have had to switch to the internet to engage their audience in order to sustain the industry.

“Most people in the industry would go hungry if we sit down and do not find an alternative within the confines of our homes to get the industry going,” Young said on Monday.

“The Coronavirus pandemic has affected all forms of the economy, including the entertainment sector which is one of the greatest employers of labour that had been greatly affected.

“Though all productions of films and radio had been put on hold, however, we still hold internet meetings to plan the way forward for sustenance.

“When the pandemic is over, our lives won’t be the same again. We hope to use the internet more in subsequent productions, following the current experiences we’re passing through.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier imposed a two-week lockdown on Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja but later extended it, with other states following suit to contain the virus.