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•As nightlife lovers say insecurity reduced in Rivers
From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
An entertainment industry promoter, My-ACE China, has said it was regrettable that companies operating in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, do not sponsor entertainment shows in the state capital, but only in Lagos State.
Mr. China, also known as Mayor of Housing, said on the sidelines of a mega comedy show in Port Harcourt that the sellout of the show was evidence that nightlife is fully back in Port Harcourt and that the city is once again ready for business.
The Mayor of Housing, who was the main sponsor of the ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’ show, said companies that support upcoming artistes and comedians in the Niger Delta at this stage would win big in the near future, while those still shunning the youths of the region might lose big time soon.
It was at the annual ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’ show featuring the host, K.O Baba Jornsen which took place at the newly built, but biggest event place in the Niger Delta, the EUI Event Centre, on Abacha Road in the New GRA, Port Harcourt.
Speaking on why investment in the entertainment industry is the right way to go in Port Harcourt, the Mayor of Housing, who is known as a real estate success strategist, described the show as a huge success because the hall was full to the brim.
He said everybody was looking above the standard already and described the show as a prime export from the Niger Delta.
Explaining what brought the Mayor of Pitakwa show to this mega point, Mr. China said it was because every year, he (K.O Baba) ups his game and tries to compete with those shows that happen in Eko Hotel and those places in Lagos.
The Mayor of Housing said the state capital has been very ready for the entertainment industry, adding that this year’s event benchmarked Port Harcourt as more resilient than other places.
He said: “This is because what you see he is doing is on the back of very little support. The dichotomy between Lagos and Port Harcourt is mainly sponsorship. Many of the entertainers here have the talent, but lack the commensurate sponsorship others have in Lagos because Lagos has already crossed a threshold where commerce and art meet.
“Companies in Nigeria that have branches in Port Harcourt will rather budget for sponsorship of arts in Lagos and nothing for Port Harcourt. So, this has benchmarked how far one can go on personal resilience and little support.”
Speaking on the challenges faced by the industry, the Mayor of Housing appealed to corporate bodies and governments to make haste and join in promoting art in the Niger Delta and Port Harcourt before it is too late.
China said: “You can see that brands such as Trophy and the rest are coming in because they are beginning to see value above sea level. It’s actually a dying minute for any sponsor to come in before it becomes too expensive for them to compete.”
On what gains he expected from collaborating in the ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’ annual comedy project with K.O Baba, the Mayor of Housing talked of two things; brand visibility and brand export.
He said: “I tell people, being known without selling is empty, selling without being known lacks a future. So, for a business, you like to sell for immediate income, you like to be known for future income. So, the first thing for my brand is partnering with the biggest comedy show in the Niger Delta, the more people know the Mayor of Housing and think about the Mayor of Housing, the more they will buy when they are ready to buy.”
For export, he said those that support growing artistes gain when those artistes hit success because the stars won’t forget their early sponsors.
“There is a lot of value in the entertainment space; and more than entertainment is people. People are more important than money because people make money, money does not make people. So, instead of doing all to get the money, do all to get the people.”
Speaking later after the event, K.O Baba, who thanked the likes of the Mayor of Housing, Budweiser, and Trophy, described the event as very successful.
He expressed: “The success was in all ramifications. Attendance was massive, content was very good, and the organization was world class. Many have said that is how it should be. If we must say the truth, a lot of things we didn’t envisage happened.
“We want to begin to do satellite broadcast so other cities can watch the annual show. We want to give it global appeal. It attracted many persons from outside Port Harcourt. That is what tourism is; airport pickup, hotels, and others.”
Some of the patrons and night lovers at the event who spoke with the press said insecurity has come down much.
David Ogwuzerem and his wife said night life is needed in Port Harcourt because people are suffering and need where to ease off.
He said: “It’s a holiday, one needs to catch fun, have some relaxation and feel the impact of the holiday.”
He admitted that Port Harcourt used to be the hub of entertainment and fun; but, militancy and cultism affected it, and Lagos took over the industry.
“But in the last few years, there have been efforts to reintroduce entertainment. I appeal to the government to give their full support to the creative artists. They should build sites, environments, and locations because tension is much in Nigeria and people are supposed to ease out tension.
“I encourage those who are engaged into vices to begin to think of how to develop their talents in music, drama, comedy.”
Another attendee, Victor Tubo, also described the event as a good investment because it gives peace of mind.
He also said that people perish because of lack of vision, saying investment into the entertainment industry in Port Harcourt stands to become instant success.
