Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has described Lagos as the “Bastion of Entertainment” were the best of creativity is exported to the rest of the world.
Sanwo-Olu said this at the Lagos premiere of the film on President Bola Tinubu’s biopic, “Last Man Standing”, held at the Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos.
The film, ‘Last Man Standing’, earlier premiered in Abuja, is a biographical film on the flow of events during the eight-year tenure of Tinubu as the Governor of Lagos State.
The governor, represented by Jaiye Opayemi, a Public Relations professional and Managing Director of Chain Reactions Nigeria, therefore, called for support from all levels in order for the creative industry to keep thriving and to always churn out the best.
According to him, Lagos State will ensure that the creative industry gets all of the support it requires because they can employ more people than the oil and gas industry.
“Lagos State is not just Africa’s entertainment capital, Lagos is indeed the bastion of entertainment.
“It is the place where we export the very best of creativity to the rest of the world.
“This is to say thank you to the producers and the cast and crew who have put this biopic together in recognition and celebration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Dr Abisoye Fagade, the Executive Producer In his remarks, said there was no better way to celebrate Tinubu than to contribute his own quota to the history of the country through documentation.
Fagade, however, noted that the major problem in Nigeria was documentations of historical events and happenings
“Our major problem in Nigeria is that we do not document things. If our forefathers had documented some of the things they knew, things would be different for us today.
“But I was privileged to be alive at the time Asiwaju was the governor of Lagos State and l can remember Lagos State in the 80s through the 90s, and how the Island, the Maroko in those days, has become the choice of the people today.
“I realise that there is no better way to celebrate Asiwaju and to contribute my own quota to the history of this country and to document it,” he said.
Present at the event included the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly,Hon. Mojisola Ojora Meranda; a former Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, AIG Hakeem Odumosu; Corporate Pictures Boss, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdulrasaq; and Dr Abisoye Fagade.
Also present were Lateef Adedimeji who played the role of President Tinubu in the biopic and his wife Bimpe Oyebade Adedimeji as well as Shushu Abubakar, who played Remi Tinubu.
Other dignitaries included Tunde Olaoye, the Director of the movie; Kofoworola Abiola Atanda popularly known as Madam Kofo and who starred as Iyaloja Abibatu Mogaji; Foluke Daramola and Segun Arinze, a member of cast who also a compere at the event.
Others included Dr Shaibu Husseini, Zeb Ejiro, Gbenga Adeyinka, Jide Kosoko, Sam Olatunji, and others
Mr Seun Oloketuyi, the Producer of the Last Man Standing, recounted some of the ordeals in getting the cast and crew of the film.
He said: “It was a difficult task for us getting the cast and crew together because it was casted few months before 2023 general election.
“It was a difficult task getting someone to play the role of Asiwaju because that was the time when social media was volatile on the subject of politics.
“The social media was agog with all sorts of abuses but l appreciate all those who took out their precious time to be part of the Tinubu biopic,” he said
Speaking on what the biopic stood for, Oloketuyi explained that the film showed the dynamism, tenacity and grit of President Tinubu.
“On how for eight years, the former governor masterfully withstood Federal might over issues like the creation of more local governments to bring government closer to the people.
“It serves as a raw showcase of the brilliance of Nigeria’s number one citizen who became a political enigma against all odds,” he said.
