CREATING WEALTH THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT

CREATING WEALTH THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT

PASTOR DEBBY JONES-ERUE.                                                        

PUBLISHER/EIC G-INFLUENCE MAGAZINE, CO-PASTOR JABEZ HOUSE OF PRAYER, CHIEF CONVERNER WOMEN ON RESCUE AND HOST COMEDY AWARD.

ENTERTAINMENT IS THAT WHICH AFFORDS INTEREST OR AMUSEMENT. AMUSEMENT IS THE STATE OF EXPERIENCING HUMOROUS AND ENTERTAINING EVENTS OR SITUATIONS. IT IS ASSOCIATED WTH ENJOYMENT, HAPPINESS, LAUGHTER AND PLEASURE. IT IS THE FELLING OF BEING AMUSED OR ENTERTAINED. IT CAN BE FOUND IN A PLETHORA OF GUISES, FROM THAT WHICH INTENTIONALLY PROVIDES FOR AN AUDIENCE SUCH AS STAGE SHOW, SPECTACLES SUCH AS CAPABLE OF DIVERTING THE ATTENTION OF AN AUDIENCE I.E CAPTIVATING, QUITE POSSIBLY IN AN AMUSING OR AGGREABLE WAY.

THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IS VAST. IT ENCOMPASSES 18 UNIQUE SECTORS, AS STIPULATED BY STUART MOSS, STAGED STORY & VARIETY; MUSIC; BARS, PUBS AND CLUBS; CINEMA & FILMS;BROADCAST MEDIA; AUDIO-VISUAL MEDIA; THE INTERNET; GAMING; PRINTED MEDIA; COMMERCIAL GAMBLING; SPECTATOR SPORTS; THRILLERTAINMENT, EDUTAINMENT, SELLETAINMENT; HEALTH ENTERTAINMENT AND ADULT ENTERTAINMENT.

ACCORDING TO HIM , WITHIN EACH SECTOR OF THE ENTERTAIMENT INDUSTRY, THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF SUB-SECTORS PROVIDING THOUSANDS OF TYPES OF ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTS, RUNNING INTO MILLIONS OF ACTUALLY PRODUCED TANGIBLE & INTANGIBLE PRODUCTS, WORTH AROUND US$1 TRILLION ANNUALLY (VOGEL 2004).

EVERY NOW AND THEN, WE TALK OF DIVERSIFYING THE NATION ECONOMY, SPECIFICALLY WE MENTION AGRICULTURE, SOLID MINERALS AND MANUFACTURING. MY QUESTION IS,  WHERE IS ENTERTAINMENT IN ALL THESE?

WHY DO WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE ENTERTAINMENT   INDUSTRY?

1). IT FOSTERS BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. IT PROMOTES WORKING RELATIONSHIP. AS THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GROWS , COLLABORATIONS ARE FORMED.  WHEN THERE ARE COLLABORATIONS,  TRADING WILL  BE ESTABLISHED. WHEN NOOLYWOOD AND BOOLYWOOD COLLABORATE, THERE IS EVERY TENDENCY TO INCREASE FURTHER BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS THERE IS A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER COUNTRIES THEY WILL HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO STRETCH  HANDS OF FELLOWSHIP .

2. IT CREATES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY. THE STATISTICAL RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA TODAY AS REPORTED BY THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTCS ON THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2015 IS 10.4 PER CENT . AND THAT IS ALARMING. GOING BY THE SERIOUS OIL PRICE FALL, THE OIL SECTOR IS A NO GO AREA FOR EMPLOYMENT. NEXT ON BOARD IS AGRICULTURE, WHICH MOST YOUNGSTERS MAY NOT BUY .  THEY MAY SEE IT AS LOSING THAT POTENTIALS , WASTING THEIR TALENT AND GOD GIVEN GIFT. THE DREAM OF MOST YOUNGSTERS IS TO BE IN ENTERTAINMENT. THEY WANT TO BE SHOWCASED.  GIVE THEM ANY DAY TO MAKE A CHOICE BETWEEN FARMING AND ENTERTAINMENT, THEY WILL CHOOSE ENTERTAINMENT INSTEAD OF FARMING . SO WHO ARE YOU CREATING EMPLOYMENT FOR? THE OLD OR THE YOUNG?  IF WE WANT TO CREATE WEALTH, THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY SHOULD BE PARAMOUNT .   IF IT IS WELL ORGANISED, IT WILL CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE TEEMING UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS IN THE COUNTRY. YOU CAN IMAGIN THE NUMBER OF YOUTHS WHO TURN UP FOR TALENT HURT.

3). AS THEY PROGRESS IN THE INDUSTRY THEY BECOME ROLE MODELS TO OTHERS. AS WE KNOW MODELLING IS A FORM OF BEHAVIOURAL MODIFICATION…….. WHEN THIS INDUSTRY PROGRESSESS, CHARACTERS ARE FORMED . AND IN NO TIME THE SOCIETY WILL BE DEVIOD OF YOUTH RESTIVENESS, KIDNAPPING,  TERRORISM, INSURGENCY AND ALL THE RISMS. OBVIOUSLY, DRUGS, ARMED ROBBERING,  INTERNET SCAM , KEEP INCREASING EVERY OTHER DAY. THE GOVERNMENT CAN LAY SEIGE OVER THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY AND USE IT TO THE NATION’S ADVANTAGE NOT ONLY TO ENRICH THE NATION BUT TO MOULD CHARACTERS AND BUILD PERSONALITIES.

4). IT INCREASES THE NATION GDP. … THERE ARE SO MUCH MONEY IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY YET UNTAPPED AND THE CAPITAL MARKET OPERATORS ARE REQUIRED TO CREATE INSTRUMENTS THAT WILL CREATE WEALTH. THE INDUSTRY GIVES US LIFE AND WILL BRING MORE LIFE TO THE FINANCIAL SECTOR. IT IS THE UNIT THAT IS GOING TO BE THE HIGHEST SPINNING MONEY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IF WELL TAPPED. TAP ON IT AND GET THE BEST , SO THAT THE INDUSTRY WOULD HELP TO GENERATE FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND BOOST THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF THE COUNTRY.

5). TASTE CHANGE:  ENTERTAINMENT IS GROWING EXPONENTIALLY; THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY INDUSTRIALIZED AND RECREATION—SEEKERS ON THE WHOLE HAVE GREATER AMOUNTS OF BOTH TIME AND DISPOSABLE INCOME, TO SPEND ON ENTERTAINMENT, WHICH BODES WELL FOR THE INDUSTRY. THE NUMBER OF SECTORS WITHIN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY WILL INCREASE BY NUMBER IN FUTURE YEARS, AS TASTE CHANGE, TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES AND PRODUCTS DIVERSIFY, PRODUCING NEW ‘SPECIALISM’ . ( PEOPLE ARE READY TO SPEND THEIR MONEY IN ENTERTAINMENT AS THEIR DESIRES CHANGE)

MY TAKE:

YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT IN NIGERIA TODAY, THERE A LOT OF YOUNGSTERS IN COMEDY WHO HAVE CARVED OUT NICHE FOR THEMSELVES, THEY ARE BEACON OF HOPE. THERE IS HARDLY NO FUNCTION TODAY, YOU WON’T BE ENTERTAINED WITH LAUGHTER. INFACT WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO IT AND SURE YOU KNOW IT IS NOT FOR FREE.

AS A PASTOR I HAVE COME TO KNOW ALL THESE YEARS THAT WHAT I DO ON THE ALTAR IS ENTERTAINING THE CONGREGATION WITH THE WORD OF GOD.

YOU SEE THE EUTHIASIASM IN THEM, WATCHING AND LISTENING WITH KEEN INTEREST IN ANTICIPATION OF WHAT YOU SAY. AND BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN YOU, THEY ADHERE TO ALL YOUR INSTRUCTIONS. THEY BELIEVE IN YOU AND TRUST YOU. G-INFLUENCE IS COMMITTED TO THIS COURSE.