By Nnamdi Ojiego
The rate at which Nollywood movies are being pirated is  giving the stakeholders in the industry sleepless nights.

The stakeholders, Association Movie Producers (AMP), Actors Guild of Nigeria, amongst others guilds gathered at the National Theater, Iganmu, last weekend to unveil the logo of AMP/ Eko International Film Festival. They  recounted the losses piracy has caused them and reiterated their determination to fight the ugly trend to a stand still, while bemoaning government lip services to fighting piracy and urged them to put policies in place to give the fight a new bite.

Speaking at the occasion, AMP president  Mr Paul Obasele said the biggest challenge the industry is currently facing is piracy, adding that piracy has become a thorn in their flesh. He suggested that one of the ways to check the menace was to go back to the cinema.

Veteran actor Mr Ashley Nwosu accused government of being reluctant to enacting laws that would protect works of Nollywood practitioners. He reasoned that without enabling laws by the concerned authorities, those who pirates and sell Nollywood works all over the world would not be prosecuted.

“ You can’t sue an illegal trader selling Nigerian films outside the country without a law backing it. A law will give us as a country, the right to prosecute any pirate even across the shores this country”, he averred stating that government could partner with stakeholders to move the industry forward.

Speaking in the same vein, Mr Chidi Muokebe, a known Nollywood actor said piracy deprived original owner of his daily bread. He stated that fight against piracy was not what Nollywood or its practitioners could fight themselves “we need the help of the government. Government needs to put policies in place to fight the scourge by creating awareness and educating the law enforcement agencies and the populace, to let the people know that no right thinking person can put 100 in one CD. It doesn’t make good business sense

In his own contribution, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Culture and Home Affairs, Tunde Balogun  said, his government regarded the movie stakeholders as great allies towards the development of the state and assured them of government continued support in their activities.

Meanwhile, the unveiling of the logo for AMP/ Eko International Film Festival was one of the activities lined up for the film festival which is billed for November this year.