CEAN Announces Date For Reopening Of Cinemas

Weeks after Nigerian celebrities called for the reopening of cinemas, the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) has announced that theatres will reopen later in September.

CEAN, on its official Instagram handle on Monday, September 7, announced that the cinemas will reopen starting from 11th.

AllNews reports that the cinemas across Nigeria were shut after the outbreak of COVID-19.

“Hip! Hip! Hurray! WE ARE BACK! Visit any Cinema near you from September 11th! We cannot contain our excitement,” it wrote.

The chairman of CEAN, Patrick Lee, who spoke on the effect of the pandemic, said the association lost over N1 billion every month due to the pandemic.

Lee assured that COVID-19 guidelines will be adhered to, adding that provisions have also been made for air conditioning systems that will pump in oxygen.

“We do not have a situation whereby we have 100, 200, or 500 people in the same place at the same time because of the nature in which cinemas operate,” he had said.

“We promise to give room for social distancing, 50 percent hall occupancy, use of facemask, hand sanitisers and we have made provision for air conditioning systems that would pump in oxygen.

“We’ve seen other aspects of the economy that are already opened and we have put enough safety protocols in place to ensure, when our customers return to watch movies, they are safe.

“We have lost over N1billion every month that we have been locked down. And it is over N6billion now in six months. Most of our staff are currently unemployed.

“There are over 20,000 that depend on the industry in terms of supplies and those who work with artisans. We are at the point of bankruptcy, we want the government to help us to reopen.”

Recall that Nigerian rapper, Femi Falana ‘Falz’ called on the Federal government to reopen Cinemas across the nation, after it gave the approval for international flights to resume on August 29.

Recall that Nigerian rapper, Femi Falana ‘Falz’ called on the Federal government to reopen Cinemas across the nation, after it gave the approval for international flights to resume on August 29.

In reaction, Falz took to his verified Twitter handle to appeal to the Federal Government to also allow the entertainment industry to gradually reopen.

He tweeted: “The entertainment industry must be allowed to gradually get back in business!!

“Let’s start with cinemas reopening with all safety precautions in place!!

“Right now, we don’t see anything but a government that contributes little or nothing to its creative sector and continues to attempt to stifle the sector in every way”.