Ben Bruce: With FG’s support, our entertainment industry will be best in the world

Ben Murray-Bruce, senator representing Bayelsa east, says Nigeria’s entertainment industry will be the best in the world if it receives support from the federal government.

Murray-Bruce, founder of Silverbird Group, made the call on Wednesday nat The Dance Workshop (TDW), organised by Imagneto Dance Company.

He said: “We just need the federal government to support the entertainment industry and Nigeria will be the biggest in the world of entertainment.

“Right now we are the best in Africa and second in the world in the entertainment industry after America.

“We have brilliant and intelligent dancers, actors/actresses, musicians’ comedians and host of others in the country, so if the FG supports the industry we will be the world best.”

The senator also called for an enabling environment for artists to ply their trade effectively.

According to him, the sector now contributes three per cent of the country’s GDP, adding that if given the needed support; it can contribute up to 25 per cent.

He said that giving enabling environment was not just fighting piracies, but encouraging banks to give five per cent of all loans to the practitioners in the sector.

Bruce said when the government provides the enabling environment, the practitioners can then build the infrastructure to carry out their performances.

He said that long-term loans of two-digit interest should be given to practitioners in the industry.

“It will be possible for one to build dance studios, dance houses and venues where we can do concert and shows,” he said.

Bruce lamented that in Nigeria, there are very few venues for entertainment events.

“Only in Lagos and Abuja that you can find such venues to perform, whereas in the real sense it should be available in each local government areas of the country. There are so many things the government can do to make these things possible,” he said.