The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has declared total war on film piracy in the state.
The Osun helmsman gave this assurance during a courtesy visit by a delegation of Nollywood stars in Osogbo, the state capital.
As part of efforts to discourage film piracy in the ancient Yoruba state, Governor Adeleke vowed that anyone caught would be prosecuted and jailed accordingly.
Adeleke also received the hosting rights for the 2023 edition of the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards, billed to be held in Osogbo on December 22,
He said: “Piracy must end in Nollywood. Pirates can’t be benefitting from the sweat and blood of filmmakers.
“The choice of Osun to host the 15th edition of the awards is a great move by the organisers because this administration understands the impact of the entertainment industry in Nigeria.
“Therefore, I assure you that there will be no haven for piracy perpetrators in Osun. Anyone caught will be prosecuted accordingly. My nephew, Davido, and my son, B-Red, visited me recently, and we talked about the industry and the BON Awards. My dream was always to have a solid policy for the entertainment industry.”
While appreciating the governor for the opportunity, the founder and convener of BON, Seun Oloketuyi, urged the Nigerian government to leverage the entertainment industry to assist in its work and the enlightenment of the populace.
“The industry should be utilised to its full advantage. Countries around the world use this industry to market their nation, and I believe this can also work for Nigeria,” he said.
Aside from the different categories of awards, the organisers revealed that special recognition would be given to Adebayo Salami for his many contributions to the industry.
In addition, Oloketuyi noted that many hands contributed to the foundation of Nollywood as it is known today, adding Adebayo Salami was one of them.