Diamond Bank Plc, a leading retail bank in Nigeria, has advocated for increased support and investment in the entertainment industry, noting that with increased investment and efficient management, the industry could significantly reduce youth unemployment and boost foreign exchange earnings for the country.
According to the Bank, the current situation were most operators in the industry lack the requisite specialized management skills to efficiently manage the business of entertainment, it is necessary that corporate organizations and investors come to the rescue by investing in the industry and helping to install reliable and business-focused management.
Speaking at this year’s Nigerian Music Video Awards (NMVA) ceremony in Lagos, Ikechukwu Omeife, Team lead, Media Relations, Diamond Bank, said the budding talents in the industry require adequate support in order to fulfill their potentials.
“Our bank believes in the youths of this country and their creative talents and potentials. We believe all these must be properly harnessed. The entertainment industry is a huge industry that has the capacity to absorb good number of unemployed in the country. These youths require corporate support and that is why we have been supporting this award for the past three years. We hope other organisations will do likewise by supporting this and other related events so we could jointly lift up this industry,” he stated.
Omeife recalled that the products of the industry have received global attention and recognition with the country’s music and its videos becoming very popular abroad.
Another official of the bank, Mr. Udoka Oguamanam, noted that the Bank’s interest in youths has driven it to come up with different initiatives targeted at harnessing their unique creative talents. He said the on-going #YouNeedANewBank contest where young people are expected to remix the Bank’s theme song for an opportunity of winning a music record deal and cash prizes, was one of such platforms to encourage them.
Winners at this year’s NMVA include Gbade Adetisola who won best Use of Visual Effects; Mya K won Best video by Minor; Niyola carted home the Best R’n’B Video and Mr Songs won the Best Pop Extra Video.
Others are MC Galaxy– Best Use of Dance in a Music Video; Nikki Laoye — Best Soft Rock / Alternative Video; Sammy Okposo — Best Gospel Video; Kemi Adetiba — Best Director; Timi Dakolo — Best Cinematography; Oritsefemi — Best Afro Beat Video; Joe El — Best Video by A New Act.
