Soyinka Advises Banks to Invest in Nollywood

• Soyinka Advises Banks to Invest in Nollywood

Nobel Laurate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has urged banks to promote entrepreneurs in the art industry by investing in them.

In a statement, he said this during a programme for senior management and top performing employees of Sterling Bank Plc, in Lagos.

Soyinka, who noted that the contribution of arts to the society was mostly underrated, said there were opportunities in the industry.

He enjoined Nollywood actors to wake up so that banks would invest more in their business, describing it as a viable industry.

He regretted the extinction of artworks across the country, stressing that many artworks had disappeared from Oyo to Bida, among other notable art centres in the country.

The professor also commended Sterling Bank’s decision to focus on five key areas of the economy under the acronym of HEART, which are healthcare, education, agriculture, renewable energy and transportation.

He was quoted as saying, “I really appreciate your efforts in the transportation system while I encourage you to put some effort in the railway system. Solar power is very good, and I use it sometimes in my house in Abeokuta.”

Soyinka also applauded Sterling Bank’s initiative to send its employees home to collect their PVCs in preparation for the general elections, describing it as civic solidarity.

He urged the electorate not to give up on the country’s leadership because the signs of another change were already showing.

In his welcome remark, Chief Executive Officer, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Abubakar Suleiman, described Soyinka as a living legend whose large body of work was positively influencing people on the continent and across the globe.