The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said Nigerian banks, telecom companies and businesses sponsoring foreign football leagues on local television channels must be ready to spend 30 per cent of their budget on Nigerian local league.

He said this in Lagos today, folowing a planned amendment of the National Broadcasting Code to allow for Nigerian content and flavour in what Nigerians consume on electronic channels.

The Minister had stirred controversy when he conveyed government decision that any programme meant for Nigerians must be produced in Nigeria.

Alhaji Mohammed said he had no regret for stating the position, saying he was not appointed Minister to develop the economy of other countries at the expense of the Nigerian economy.

In a statement in Lagos on Wednesday, the Minister said the Creative Industry’s potential of creating one million jobs in three years cannot be realised if jobs meant for Nigerians are being exported to other countries under the guise of producing, in other countries, programmes to be consumed in Nigeria.

”I didn’t say that henceforth, all music videos and films will be produced in Nigeria, or that the production of music videos or films outside Nigeria will be banned. All I said was that if a programme is designated as a Nigerian (local) content programme, we will amend the Code to ensure that it is produced in Nigeria,” he said, adding: ”On that, there is no going back.”

The Minister recalled how his office was bombarded with calls from concerned Nigerians when the last edition of the ”Big Brother Naija” was produced in South Africa, saying he subsequently directed the National Broadcasting Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversy.

”Following the findings, we decided to amend the relevant sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to prevent a repeat of that development. We are now in the process of doing that, so that anyone who intends to
produce a reality show or similar programmes for Nigerians cannot take the production of such shows outside Nigeria.

”Nigerians are a very proud and resourceful people, and we are sure that no Nigerian will be against a decision to prevent the jobs that can be done in Nigeria by Nigerians from being exported to other
countries,” he said.

In a related development, Alhaji Mohammed has said the Broadcasting Code is also being amended to help develop the local football league.

”This (amendment) is not just about the Creative Industry. We are also going to ensure that the NBC Code is amended in a manner that if any company in Nigeria today invests a million dollars in promoting or supporting any (football) team or league outside Nigeria, I want the Broadcasting Code to be amended to the effect that it will not allow that programme to be aired unless that company supports the Nigerian League with a percentage that will not be less than 30 per cent of what was spent.

”This is because we cannot continue to develop the economies of the other parts of the world from the sweat of Nigerians and at the expense of the Nigerian economy,” the Minister said.

http://www.thesportsbay.com/lai-mohammed-orders-foreign-football-league-sponsors-support-npfl/

nice move

Omo, see *epistle... Anyway, I so much respect dis man on his decree. Always decreeing

#ORDER ORDER ORDER ORDER
#BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN

Good move from Lai Mohammad this time!

Lie Mohammad,what about you that took #10m from NBC to travel to China to promote tourism for job creation?Where is the job?

Why can't this old man just keep quiet

30% of what they spent is it by force. Oga as a leader take the lead for others to follow. After all is bis ụ dont put ur money where there is no gain

Oga Lai...When there is no power how can you produce online content.Fix Power issue first.You think Britain or China run all these machines on sand?