The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has introduced new bylaws for the Nigerian film industry as it presented what it described as the final report on the 10 April boat mishap that claimed the lives of Jnr Pope and four other crew members of Adanma Luke’s “Other Side of Life’ movie
The boat crash raised concerns over safety issues on movie sets, prompting calls from stakeholders and movie lovers for thorough scrutiny and higher standards in the industry.
The president of AGN, Emeka Rollas, announced the new laws during a press conference on Tuesday, July 9.
Veteran actor, Emeka Ike, led the bylaws committee, with Jude Orhorha serving as the secretary. Other notable members of the committee include Bimbo Manuel, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Joke Silva, Francis Duru, Patience Ozokwor, Hilda Dokubo, Abubakar Yakubu, Gideon Okeke, Anthony Ogbetere, and Femi Branch.
“This will show members that we are taking the guild seriously. We came up with this presentation because the guild cannot move forward without structures that match international standards and practices put in place.” Emeka Rollas said.
“For two months, these people were brainstorming. The core of their discussions was to improve actors safety, workspace conditions, and industry standards,” he said.
“What this also means is that after these laws have been passed, if people intentionally flout the guild’s laws, we will take it very seriously because time was spent developing this structure.”
Emeka Ike said;
“A nation without bylaws is not in existence. An association or a group without bylaws is not profitable. The Nigerian film industry has lived in this state. This is one of the reasons things are not adequately regulated, why there is not much residual income, and why people in the industry are not gaining from the benefits they should be receiving.
“People go to make contracts without having a background, and in this, it is the wisdom of Mr President that we should sit as a committee to find ways to address these issues that have existed in the entertainment industry related to acting.”
“It’s going to send shockwaves through the industry. I also hear the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) is already working on their bylaws.
“This would encourage Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo filmmakers to adopt similar standards, leading to a better industry where everyone benefits. These bylaws contain everything that pertains to acting. The president will release these bylaws to the press and actors.”
After his speech, Emeka Ike officially presented the entire document “Draft of the AGN Bylaws” to the president.