The Gambia National Centre for Arts and Culture is enforcing a new quota policy that requires local television and radio stations to air seventy per cent Gambian music, movies and theatres.

The new quota policy was introduced in 2003 but failed to be enforced until now.

Last month, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture announced that Gambians in the performing arts industry especially musicians will benefit from their royalties.  

And the policy doesn’t only now mean a mammoth achievement for Gambians in the performing arts industry but also a platform for them to be producing music and movies that will entertain Gambians like their foreign competitors.

But the million dollar question surrounding the policy is: why is the quota policy being implemented now?

Speaking to Radio Gambia’s This Morning Show on Friday, executive director of National Centre for Arts and Culture, Hassoum Ceesay said “the policy is meant to empower local cultural products like music, movies and theaters.”

He also said that his office wants to encourage local radio and television stations to habit the culture of promoting Gambian artists and performers at all times.

However on the late implementation of the policy, Mr Ceesay said “It was due to the nature of the environment in place before and that the performing arts industry was so dominant that it was impossible to enforce such policy.”

Despite the new policy and quota, Mr Ceesay commended the stations for already taken steps towards the 70% requirement.

He urged the radio and television stations to do extra efforts in order to   ensuring they meet the 70 percent requirement and even beyond it.

The National Centre for Arts and Culture is the Gambian institution under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture that is in charge of the country’s performing arts industry and archiving its history.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba