By Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has been appointed chairman of the implementation committee of the post-COVID-19 initiative for the creative industry.

The five-man committee was virtually inaugurated on Tuesday by Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed.

Other members of the committee are Ali Baba (deputy chairman), Anita Eboigbe, Baba Agba and Joe Mutah as secretary.

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The committee has six weeks to conclude its assignment. However, the minister suggested that the time might be too short given the enormous work it has to do.

The term of reference of the implementation committee are: to design an implementation plan on immediate and short-term relief for the creative industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic; and design a Policy Framework for Tax Relief for the various sectors in the creative industry, if it is identified as one of the measures aimed at achieving immediate and short-term relief for the Industry.

It is also to work out a detailed implementation plan for a long-term intervention for the overall development of the industry in Nigeria.

Mohammed said the committee was put in place to ensure diligent implementation of the report on COVID-19 initiative for the industry, which was submitted by the Ali Baba-led committee on July 3.