Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced a health insurance scheme for veteran theatre practitioners in the state.
The Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the governor, Jubril Gawat, made the disclosure on Tuesday in a series of tweets.
Sanwo-Olu told the Nollywood actors at a dinner on Monday at the Lagos House Marina that they have his support.
The governor who hailed the contributions of the Yoruba Nollywood actors in the development of Lagos State said he will set up a health insurance scheme to assist ageing actors.
He further expressed his commitment to the creative industries as he pledged to support revitalising the industry.
Sanwo-Olu’s health insurance scheme for Yoruba Nollywood actors is coming after the governor attended the 2022 Headies award, where he also pledged his support for the creative industries.
In response to the Governor’s health insurance scheme intervention for the veteran actors, the Yoruba Nollywood actors declared their support for him for a second term in office.
The tweets read, “Lagos State Governor, Mr @jidesanwoolu announced plans to institute a health insurance scheme for theatre practitioners in the State during a dinner with veterans in the Yoruba Nollywood industry at the Lagos House Marina on Monday night.
“The announcement by Governor @jidesanwoolu was commended by the Nollywood actors and actresses at the event who appreciated the Governor for deeming it fit to take care of the health of the theatre practitioners, especially the veterans in the industry.
“Governor @jidesanwoolu who said he would pay the insurance premium cover for the theatre practitioners, most of whom are ageing, said the Nigerian movie industry and practitioners had played key roles in shaping the development of Lagos.
“Governor @jidesanwoolu 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.
“Governor @jidesanwoolu during the COVID-19 lockdown approved N1 billion intervention fund for the film industry. The intervention was as a single-digit soft loan initiated to cushion the effect of the pandemic, among other incentives, for the creative & entertainment industry.
“The theatre practitioners during the event unanimously endorsed Governor @jidesanwoolu for a second term and promised to work for his victory in the 2023 governorship election in Lagos State.
“They also expressed their support for the candidature of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT, who, according to them, has done a lot for theatre practitioners.”
