AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The management of Purified Entertainment Company Limited has pledged its readiness to contribute its quota to youth development by grooming up and coming musical artistes to gain reckoning in the entertainment industry.
The Chief Executive Officer of the musical production company, Agboola Babawale, expressed his organization’s resolve during a Stakeholders’ Meeting with the Ibadan based On Air Personalities, Studio Managers, Bloggers and entertainment reporters at the Charlton Gate Hotel, Idi-Ape, Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday.
Noting that there are lots of grounds to cover in meeting the needs of the Nigerian youths, Babawale, urged governments at all levels to wake up to their responsibilities in tackling restiveness.
He expressed worries on the high crime rate in the country owing to unemployment and economic distress, noting that the 10-day nationwide protest by the youths gained momentum due to their neglect.
He advised state governors particularly to inaugurate youth-centered programmes in a bid to guarantee sustainable socio-economic development. Babawale stated, “We all witnessed what happened in some parts of the northern states of the country during the just concluded nationwide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance where some of our youth turned what supposed to be a peaceful protest to a looting spree.
“The protest in that part of the country also resulted to loss of lives and looting of public properties. Issues like this need to be properly addressed to avoid future occurrences.
“It is high time our government wake up from their slumber by addressing the series of challenges facing our youth
Majority of them graduated without a good job, this issue of unemployment has affected a lot of our youths and government needs to do something fast to address this before it’s too late.”
According to him, youth oriented programmes and policies would help in addressing youths restiveness and reduce crime. Among others, he listed job creation, mentorship, talent discovery in sporting activities and creative arts development as possible ways to address the current logjam.
He said, “Our dear state (Oyo) can even generate more funds by supporting the youths and their ideas. Creative industry alone, if properly harnessed, can boost the internal generated revenues of this state by hundred per cent. Government needs to tap into these potentials and harness them for the betterment of our dear state and Nigeria as a whole.”
Babawale, also urging the privileged Nigerians to support youth programmes and initiatives with their resources, said that PECL would not renege in its resolve to nurture up and coming artistes to the peak of their career.
Disclosing that the newly signed talents under his record label are all doing well, he solicited for a robust working relationship between his organization and the entertainment stakeholders in Oyo state.
He said, “Though my office is situated in Lagos State, I am a proud son of Ibadan. We have the notion that Lagos is the entertainment heartbeat of Nigeria, there is no doubt about that, but Ibadan is the next city aside Lagos when we are talking about entertainment and creative industry in Nigeria today.
“I am ready to work with stakeholders to ensure we actualize our set goals for Ibadan and Oyo State in general as far as entertainment is concerned in this country.”
Kazeem Awojoodu, Head of Media, Communication and Branding of Purified Entertainment Company Limited, expressed appreciation to the OAPs, DJs, bloggers, the entertainment reporters and other stakeholders in the state for their supports for the Purified Entertainment brand.
He called for synergy, saying that an entertainment company cannot thrive without the support of critical stakeholders in the industry.
In attendance on the occasion were artistes such as Davidainojadu, Rave Temper, Young flow Alhaji, Purified Entertainment Record Label Manager, Olasile Rasheed Abiodun; and a showbiz entrepreneur, Abubakar Giwa, among others.
