Rivers: Entrepreneur seeks more investment in entertainment industry
Omiete Blessing
An entertainment industry promoter, My-ACE China has expressed regret that companies operating in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital do not sponsor entertainment shows in the state, a way of encouraging safe environment and business development.
Mr China also known as the Mayor of Housing, stated this on the sidelines of a mega comedy show in Port Harcourt, said 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 ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’ show featuring the host, K.O Baba Jornsen, said companies that support upcoming artistes and comedians in the Niger Delta would win big in the near future, while those still shunning the youths of the region may lose big time soon.
Speaking on why investment in the entertainment industry is the right way to go in Port Harcourt, China 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 described the show as a prime export from the Niger Delta.
Explaining what brought the Mayor of Pitakwa show to the mega point, Mr China said it’s 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.
China further stated that Port Harcourt has been very ready for the entertainment industry, but this year’s event benchmarked as more resilient than other places.
He said: “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.”
He appealed to corporate bodies and governments to make haste and join in promoting art in the Niger Delta and Port Harcourt before its too late. “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’ in the annual comedy project with K.O Baba, the Mayor of Housing mentioned 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 at the end of the event, K.O Baba, who thanked the likes of the Mayor of Housing, Budweiser, and Trophy, described the event as very successful.