Sanwo-Olu promises decent livelihood for creatives

• Lagos saves N774b during emergencies, says commissioner
• Edo film festival winners to receive entrepreneurship training

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, renewed his administration’s commitment to collaborate with stakeholders in the entertainment industry to create an ecosystem that will provide a decent livelihood for creatives.

Sanwo-Olu, who spoke as a special guest of honour at the graduation ceremony of the African Film Academy in Lagos, said the state government was committed to achieving its 30-year development plan recently unveiled at the 2022 Ehingbeti Summit.

The governor said his government would use entertainment and tourism to connect with the future so that Lagos could be a one-stop shop in the world for creative minds.

He urged them to harness the opportunities provided on the right track to ensure a better and greater Lagos, as well as take the country to an enviable position in entertainment.

Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, who congratulated the graduands, said the state would continue to monitor their growth and assist them to produce competent creative works in the industry.

She also said the concept had been expanded to develop the arts and culture for optimum performance to stimulate economic growth, skills and job creation to bridge the gap in the creative industry.

Also, Chief Executive Officer of, African Movie Academy Award, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, urged the graduating students to be creative always.

A filmmaker, Tunde Kelani, also thanked the governor for his support to the entertainment industry, saying that the training was to get the young people to work as an entrepreneur.

Meanwhile, former Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, said that the state, through its agencies, had rescued 405 people and saved N774 billion worth of property between 2019 and 2022 during emergencies.

IN another development, GIZ Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE) has planned entrepreneurship training for winners of the just-concluded Edo State International Film Festival.

Head of Programme, Tobias Wolfgarten, said the four winners were rewarded with N50,000, N75,000, N100,000 and N150,000.

He said the rural photography training received 24 entries and four winners.

In addition, GIZ SKYE launched an e-learning platform called, Edo State Academy, to help young citizens of the state acquire soft skills.