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The Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has advised filmmakers not to see pirates as enemies but as “our brothers and sisters.” Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Association of Movie Producers (AMP) Eko International Film Festival held at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, on Monday,

Fashola told the filmmakers that pirates do not dislike them.”Let us understand that, they do not dislike you. It’s not that they have a personal quarrel with you but there is an economic opportunity there and that is the best way they have responded to it,” he said.Though he acknowledged that piracy is a problem which undermines the efforts and returns of movie producers, the governor urged them not to despair.

He said the solution to the problem lies with both filmmakers and the government who have to find ways of constructively engaging the pirates so they can desist from the act.”It is for us as leaders to show that there is a better way, a way in which we take them along. And as I said when I first met with you, they would become your distributors, marketers and agents and everybody will have a win-win situation.”It will require advocacy, it will require even better communication from us, not only from you. How many movies have we made about the ills of piracy? Have we made many to educate people? It’s one thing to go and shut down the place [Alaba] today but if people don’t understand why they must change, we fight a very difficult battle.” The governor added that his administration will help the filmmakers fight piracy by employing science and technology to protect their works. He disclosed that his government has requested some consultants from Harvard University to look into the matter.

Responding to the filmmaker’s request that he set up a revolving fund for them, Mr Fashola said government can’t set up special interventions for every sector because it won’t have money to provide basic amenities for the people.He advised the filmmakers to package their productions better to attract sponsorship from banks. “We have to wear our creative cap to make this business finance-friendly, government alone can’t do it”.Mr

Fashola, who described the filmmakers as instrumental in national life, also charged them to “put the best image of this country forward in your works.” The week-long festival featuring film screenings, discussions and workshops ends on Friday.