Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced plans to institute a health insurance scheme for theatre practitioners in the state.
Sanwo-Olu made this known during a dinner with veterans in the Yoruba Nollywood industry at the Lagos House Marina.
The governor was commended by the Nollywood actors at the event, for deeming it fit to take care of the health of the theatre practitioners, especially the veterans in the industry.
It would be recalled that in recent times, theatre practitioners battling various health challenges and lacking funds have had to take to social media to beg Nigerians to foot their medical bills.
Some are also living in penury due to their inability to work in old age and health challenges.
Sanwo-Olu, who said he would pay the insurance premium cover for the theatre practitioners, most of whom are aging, said the Nigerian movie industry and practitioners had played key roles in shaping the development of Lagos.
He said: “We realise that your industry is one of the highest employers of labour. You have continues to provide succor and means of livelihoods to a lot of citizens quietly. More importantly, you give freshness to our lives through your stories.
There is always a lesson and information to learn from the experiences you paint in your works. You fill in the creative space of our society and projects good values about our culture, way of life and race.
“To further enhance our intervention, we are going to initiate an insurance scheme to assist the Nollywood and give the practitioners free access to health care in public health facilities. This scheme will be specially categorized for professionals in the film business. This is yet another token of what the government can offer those who have shaped our society.
The insurance scheme would come in handy for practitioners who cannot afford medical expenses and prevent them from seeking assistance in an embarrassing manner.”
The governor further said his administration would continue to contribute required resources to the entertainment and creative industry to make life easy for the theatre practitioners.
He also pledged to provide additional intervention funds for those in the Nollywood industry. Speaking earlier, some of the theatre practitioners at the event, including Adebayo Salami, a.k.a Oga Bello, Jide Kosoko, Adewale Elesho, Idowu Phillips, a.k.a Iya Rainbow and Mahmoud Alli- Balogun, commended the Sanwo-Olu – led administration for carrying out peopleoriented projects, which according to them, are people-oriented, and qualify him for a second term in office.
