Players in the creative industry should learn to approach BOI – Dr. Wale Okediran, former ANA President

Renown writer and erstwhile president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Dr. Wale Okediran, has called on publishers and people in the creative industry to befriend the Bank of Industry (BOI) in a bid to bring their concepts to live. Okediran was one of the panelists at a publishers’ forum held in Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday.

The forum was organised to address challenges confronting publishers in Nigeria. Some of the challenges highlighted were lack of government support for publishers, foreign incursions into the industry, absence of cohesion among publishers, and the dearth of cogent policies to ensure every publisher in Nigeria is enlisted as member of the Nigerian Publishers Association before operation.

Addressing the lack of support commonly noted by publishers, Dr. Wale Okediran, said the Bank of Industry (BOI) is a go-to for anyone with a viable business idea.

Citing his own case, he said, “When I wanted to convert one of my books to movies, I approached the BOI, and after due process and examination, they gave me some loans with favourable interest rates and repayment plan.”

“Therefore, the BOI is there for everyone; all you have to do is approach them with your proposal”, he added.

Nigerian businesses have been complaining of negligence by financial institutions in the country. By tapping the resource available at government-controlled financing chains such as the Bank of Industry, more people will be able to access funds to push their ideas further.