The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has outlined plans to help Port Harcourt regain equality with Lagos in the entertainment industry, pledging to join efforts with others to close the gap between the Port Harcourt and Lagos entertainment hubs, just as he has urged states in the oil region to use entertainment to attract investors.

The Mayor of Housing disclosed his intention after bagging two awards last weekend at the Port Harcourt Awards Night where he emerged as Brand of the Year 2024 in his personal capacity, while his firm, the Housing and Construction Company Limited, bagged the ‘Real Estate Company of the Year’ award.

China told the audience that he had already made up his mind to help in ending the Port Harcourt/Lagos entertainment dichotomy of migration. “If other people will not do their best, I will do my best”, he declared.

He said he would work with the organisers and like minds such as K.O. Baba Jornsen and Christian Kendrick to boost Port Harcourt shows to record capacity crowds from the beginning of the shows to the end as he said is the case in Lagos.

On why he has chosen this course, China, the CEO of the Housing and Construction Mayor Limited, said by so doing, he would be impacting on the youths of the state who he said were the future of the state.

The Mayor of Housing advised the Rivers State Government to use the entertainment industry to woo investors. He said the creative industry is one of the biggest attention-grabbing industries in any location.

He remarked that attention is the new money, so wherever attention goes in this 21st century, money flows there.

He advised Port Harcourt to commit to developing the state capital towards attracting investors and to endeavour to showcase the creative talents and the entertainment industry.
This way, he assured, Rivers State would reclaim its place of pride in entertainment and tourism.

Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the awards, the investor urged states to buy attention through promotion of entertainment saying states seeking to woo investors should first build consistent attention through tourism industry driven mostly by entertainment.
The CEO told newsmen that the entertainment industry wins huge attention and that where attention goes is where investment follows.

On how entertainment can win investments, China said the creative industry is one of the biggest attention-grabbing industries in any location. “And attention is the new money, so wherever attention goes in this 21st century, money flows.
“So, I advise Port Harcourt to not only be committed to developing their state towards attracting investors but if you are able to showcase the creative and the entertainment industry, not only will the people to be entertained flock to Port Harcourt, but brands that also want visibility, global brands and others will flock to Port Harcourt and we can reclaim our golden years when Port Harcourt was the rendezvous of the global entertainment stage. It will return to the time when you had the likes of Rex Lawson and the rest of them. It helps boost the general macro-economics of the state.

“Then, when entertainment is boosted, a lot of hands begin to get involved in entertainment and when youths are engaged, peace is endeared, prosperity prospers, and everybody is happy for it. But most importantly, wherever in this 21st century attention goes, money flows.”

He said he has been consistent in preaching for attention to the creatives and promotion of the agencies that promote tourism. On the level of response this message may have received from the authorities, China said it has been gradual.

“We are getting what we call competitive attention. When the authorities see what one man is doing and what one man is gaining from what he’s doing, there’s that competitive attention that they also want to a piece of the action.

“For instance, after the last economic summit in the state, we were the only investor that donated to support and do a partnership with the Rivers State Tourism Development Agency (RSTDA). When other corporate bodies saw what we did, they jumped onto the wagon and wanted to also sponsor. This was because they saw the amount of visibility we were getting on the back of that altruistic gesture.

“So, I usually tell people, the universe is very just. You might do something as altruistic intervention but the universe will always repay you as a sowing and reaping intervention.”

He mentioned the things his firm did of recent that warranted the awards, the real estate success strategist said his was the only company that started investing in corporate social responsibilities (CSR) from the scratch without waiting to see profit.

“We believe that CSR is part of the fledgling building of the business. So, we start human capital development and social interventions right at the fledgling stage of our project and we were able to do a lot in Alesa—the community where we are hosting the Alesa Sustainable Smart City Project.

Addressing the seemingly excited audience at the award night, China said he was joining efforts with others with others to close the gap between Lagos and Port Harcourt in the entertainment sub-sector of the Tourism Industry.

China told the audience that he had already made up his mind to help in ending the Port Harcourt/Lagos entertainment dichotomy of migration. “If other people will not do their best, I will do my best”, he declared.

He said he would work with the organisers and like minds such as K.O. Baba Jornsen (highly rated comedian and investor) and Christian Kendrick (Publisher of the Port Harcourt Magazine) to boost Port Harcourt shows to record capacity crowds from the beginning of the shows to the end as he said is the case in Lagos.

On why he has chosen this course, the CEO said by so doing, he would be impacting on the youths of the state who he said were the future of the state. His firm is behind the upcoming Alesa Sustainable Smart City Project in Eleme close to Port Harcourt.

He said: “As I always say, the greatest asset of Nigeria is in the youth demography and anything you do to that class would not only have the highest impact, but will be getting you accolades such as this, because those same youths are the ones running the shorts in most of the industries like this.”

Also speaking to newsmen, one of the biggest show and entertainment promoters in the Niger Delta, K.O Baba Jornsen, commended Kendrick of the Port Harcourt magazine. “This is a magazine that has been very notable for projecting Port Harcourt, the activities, the content, the culture and everything. And this is like one of the biggest awards in Niger Delta, yes.”

He mentioned notable names that won awards or graced the occasion along with the Mayor of Housing as Dame Ibim Semenitari, Hon Ezebunwo Ichemati (the Mayor of Port Harcourt (local council boss of PH LGA), Rt Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo (the speaker recognized by the Rivers State Executive Council), etc. He also mentioned Mr Tunde Gaud, who he said has been very supportive of the entertainment industry, Angel D’ Laugh (Angel Attah, a renowned comedian who has been very helpful in promoting grassroots entertainment), Femi K who promotes lifestyle, trying to strike that balance in Port Harcourt.

He said the 2024 edition is for the elite; “Unlike other editions that were generic. These ones were picked carefully, the biggest and the finest, that’s what this edition is representing.”