The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has set new rules for the Nigerian film industry while releasing the final report on the boat accident that happened on April 10, which resulted in the death of Jnr Pope and four other crew members from the movie “Other Side of Life” by Adanma Luke.
The boat accident highlighted safety issues on movie sets, leading to demands from industry stakeholders and movie fans for stricter regulations and better safety standards.
AGN President, Emeka Rollas, announced the new safety regulations at a press conference on Tuesday, July 9.
Veteran actor Emeka Ike led the committee that created the new rules, with Jude Orhorha as the secretary. Other prominent committee members included Bimbo Manuel, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Joke Silva, Francis Duru, Patience Ozokwor, Hilda Dokubo, Abubakar Yakubu, Gideon Okeke, Anthony Ogbetere, and Femi Branch.
After his speech, Emeka Ike officially handed over the complete document titled “Draft of the AGN Bylaws” to the president.
Emeka Rollas said
“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.”
“For two months, these people were brainstorming. The core of their discussions was to improve actors safety, workspace conditions, and industry standards,”
“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.” 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.”
