The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • TAN dares Dickson: you can’t ban us from Bayelsa

    TAN dares Dickson: you can’t ban us from Bayelsa

    The Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) yesterday fired back at the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, saying he lacked the powers to order its exit from the state.

    TAN, the main campaign group of President Goodluck Jonathan, also condemned a statement issued by the Bayelsa Youth Vanguard (BYV) barring the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, from accompanying her husband to campaign in the state.

    The group in statement signed in Yenagoa by its state Director, Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba, expressed shock and disbelief at the pack-and-go order emanating from the governor.

    TAN also reassured the governor of its readiness to cooperate with his government in campaigning for President Jonathan’s reelection in the state.

    “We are shocked because we find it hard to understand how an elected Governor of a State would make such a statement in a democratic setting, as we have in Nigeria, as there is nowhere in the Nigerian Constitution that gives any governor such powers.

    “TAN in Bayelsa is however, aware of plots by some over-zealous Government officials to portray groups such as TAN, Women For Change Initiative and others in very bad light, in order to make it appear as if they are against the State Government.

    “In the same vein, we re-assure our teeming members and supporters not to worry, but rather remain resolute and focused as the Presidential election is less than a month from now”, the statement said.

    Frowning on the threat by a youth group barring Dame Patience from attending the forthcoming February 5th Presidential campaign in the state, TAN said such threat was unfortunate.

    “TAN, while strongly condemning the threat by the group ,said the statement by the group is unwarranted. The TAN said it is the believe of the group that such probe will expose those behind the shame act, but will also serve to deter others who might want to toes the same line.

    “We have noticed that since alleged cold war between the State Government and the First Lady, became a topic for public discourse, more individual and groups in the state have become emboldened to make statement that are clearly disrespectful to the office and person of the First Lady.

    “The recent sack from the State Executive Council of associates of the first lady such  as the former Commissioner for Local Government, Mrs. Marie Ebikake and the former Special Adviser to the Governor on Federal Projects, Chief Remi Kuku, who is also the Deputy National coordinator of the First Lady’s NGO, Women For Change Initiative did not help matters.

    “In addition to the above, the TAN State Director of Logistics, Chief Abel Ebifemowei has been removed from his post as Chairman of the State Environmental Sanitation Authority, as well as a top Civil Servant Mrs. Irene Digitemie who has also been recommended for retirement for allegedly associating with the Women for Change  Initiative group.

  • Talking AIDS on stage

    Talking AIDS on stage

    Promise of the Future,  a novel written and adapted for stage by Towunmi Coker, is a story of HIV/AIDS in the society. Staged at the Terra Kulture last weekend, it was meant to enlighten the public on so many aspects of the disease. Edozie Udeze reports 

    Promise of the Future, a novel which has been adapted into a stage play was written by Towunmi Coker,a twenty-one year final year medical student of the University of Lagos. Last weekend the play was on stage at the Terra Kulture, Lagos, where the issue of HIV/AIDS resurfaced to remind Nigerians that the disease is still very much around. The play which was scripted and directed by Segun Adefila of the Crown Troupe of Africa has all the trappings of medical terminologies showing that the playwright is indeed at home with the issue she tackled in the book. All the sentiments were well demonstrated on stage by the artistes.

    While on stage, the audience could follow the sequence of events that led the main character Celestina Ajoke, to contract the dreaded disease. It was in the course of the events that other instructive issues concerning HIV/AIDS came to the fore. And this was why the author, Coker explained in an interview that the story is to remind the public which seems to have relaxed with the belief that HIV/AIDS is abating or disappearing, to have a rethink.

    She said, “What we do is to use literature to impact on our world. Some of the activities we indulge in include organising writing competitions for students and getting them to understand and appreciate better how literature can be used to recreate the society. This is what we do in Lagos State every year. Stage play is also one of our activities and the stage play must be based on a book which has also been published. Promise of the Future is a novel, but the aspect of it that deals with HIV/AIDS has been adapted to be able to send the necessary message to the people on how to handle the disease,” she said.

    Coker also delved into the areas of the disease which is still a bit confusing to the people. “You see, you can be HIV positive, yet you can marry and will not infect your spouse. So long as you keep taking your drugs based on instructions and prescriptions, you may have children who are not infected. But above all, people need to be more careful so as not to contract it. These are some of the lessons we try to pass across but it is all in the play and it is written primarily to pass this message across to the larger spectrum of the society”.

    Using this part of the play to draw people’s attention to the issue was the best way to reignite the HIV flame in the minds of the public. “Yes it is part of the education we are talking about. We need to continue to enlighten the public; we have to continue to remind everybody that HIV/AIDS is still an issue in the lives of the people. And plays can go a long way in passing the message, in making the public try to sit up by not even rejecting or neglecting carriers. There are enough drugs now to quell it or control it in such a way that it does not necessarily endanger lives. This is why I adapted the novel for stage so that using the terms that are appropriate, we can begin to see the reality of what we are saying”.

    Coker who divides her time between studying to become a physician and writing to impact on the society won the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) literary prize for children in 2007. She was 14 then. “Yes, I didn’t particularly grow up with writing in my mind. I chose to do so because of the passion I have for people and theatre is a beautiful vehicle to reach out to the society. I won an award in secondary school in literature and that also motivated me to write more books. Also my ANA literary prize in 2007 helped me to do more as a writer. Apart from the books I have written myself, I read other authors extensively to know more and understand better. Apart from that, also, to me literature permeates the society. When this play was staged at the University of Lagos and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) the responses were very encouraging. You could see how the audience sat with rapt attention to learn more about the drugs and what needs to be done to avoid infecting the spouse or the unborn child.

    In adopting the style of storytelling to inform the people, both Adefila who directed it and Coker who scripted the play were in consonance that it was the best format to allow the story to tell itself. Celestina who hitherto was known as Ajoke was the main character. Suddenly, she lost her parents in an inferno. With all hope lost, she was taken away by her father’s business partner who promised to take good care of her. Now in a place somewhere in the East, she practically lost touch with her people in the West. Her new madam did not treat her well. Subsequently, her master took a liking to her. The man himself was a great womanizer that he had girl-friends everywhere. Even after the wife complained severally, he did not yield. This resulted to series of quarrels.

    Gradually, he began to show interest in Celestina whom he pestered with gifts and promises. Initially they were using protection but when it downed on them that they needn’t worry about that, they discarded the idea. In the meantime, Celestina had another boyfriend by name Kunle. That one took her on a holiday when her madam was away and they had fun to their hearts content. So when five years later Celestina began to show the symptoms of HIV/AIDS and she was no longer in the custody of the man and Kunle had disappeared, it became impossible to know who actually gave her the disease.

    But all hope was not lost for Celestina who had now been located by her people for her father willed all his wealth to her. She gained admission and later found another lover who promised to marry her in spite of her dilemma. For a long time Ajoke refused to be swayed by the man who proved all his love for her. “I don’t want to infect you too”, she said. “But I love you and I want to marry you”, he insisted. In the end, they got married and had a set of twins who were not infected. That is the whole beauty of the story,” Coker enthused”. Today many people who have watched this play on stage have been sending me text messages to ask whether this is really possible. And I say yes, it is possible. Theatre is the best way to inform them”.

    So make it permanent in the consciousness of the people, Adefila devised two methods. One, he used music to sooth the embers of the audience and the stage. Two, he used dance-drama to demonstrate the profundity of the subject. Together, these two methods helped the audience to follow the story meticulously as the narrators interjected from different directions of both the stage and the hall. It was an innovative concept, for it helped to properly situate the story in the minds of the people.

    The artistes were also equal to the task, for they were to dance in different styles to depict what life had in stock for the characters. Adefila adopts this abstract form of theatre which is not only demonstrative, but conveys his messages much clearer to carve a niche for himself. He reasons that theatre is life and therefore has to be used to attack the ills of the society. People have to feel the pulse of theatre as it relates to everyday life and then learn from it. Now that the play is billed to go places it is instructive to use it properly to preach against promiscuity and the spread of HIV/AIDS not only in Nigeria, but elsewhere.

     

  • Behold ‘best artist in the world’

    Behold ‘best artist in the world’

    Despite his seeming low profile at Ibadan, Oyo State capital, Olugbenga Akande emerged the ‘best artist in the world’ at an international art exhibition in Paris, France, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme.

    His name may not ring a bell among mainstream arts collectors and within the exhibition circuit. Yet, the self-trained Ibadan based-artist, Olugbenga Akande is a rare artist with a strong passion for the art. He would sell off his property to attend an art exhibition anywhere.

    Last year, his efforts paid off as he was rewarded for his stylistic value at an international exhibition, La grand exposition universelle, in Paris, France. He bagged the ‘best artist in the world’.

    His winning artwork, Eyo featured  at an exhibition that hosted 81 artists from 31 countries.The organisers of the exhibition came for secret room of art in Palemo, Italy.

    Akande said he chose to sell his property to attend art exhibitions not because of any material gains, but to network with artists from across the globe. He said he was more comfortable dealing with artists and gallery owners outside.

    “I sell my property to attend art exhibition across the globe. It gives me greater opportunity to meet captains of the industry on the world stage. I don’t think anything good can come from the local fronts, so I collaborate with foreign galleries, especially in the marketing of my paintings,” he said.

    His first international exhibition was in December 2013 at Florence, Italy. He was part of eight-man group exhibition.  Sallamattise Gallery in Torino, Italy is one of the galleries that sell his paintings in Europe. At Polo Club, Ibadan in 2010, he participated in an exhibition, My Exposure for a week. His theme dwells on African culture, history, languages and dances. Some of his paintings include Return to chance, Your Highness, The Reed dance and Many rivers to cross.

    He disclosed that he was planning a street carnival that would feature dances from African and Europe. The project, he said, was to provides a forum for artists to broaden their minds about Nigeria and Africa.

    Akande, who is founder of Gbegi’s Art Gallery at Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State went into art business after leaving Lagelu, Grammar school, Ibadan. According to him, his first gallery was burnt by his siblings because they wanted him to go for further studies. He later studied at the Federal Cooperative College between 192 and 1984 for a diploma.

    Asked why he was not keen at exhibiting locally in cities such as Lagos, he said: “I sell my works which are mainly paintings and portraitures. In fact, I just want to be on my own.”

    He however, noted that he was not perturbed by the relatively low patronage of art in Ibadan, saying: ‘I am not into art to make money but to follow my passion. If money is at the back of my mind, I will not be a good artist. However, I have clients like hotels that demand my paintings.’

     

    The France award

     

    “I am so happy to be recognised and awarded the best artist in the world. I received the award at the grand universal exposition Gustav Eiffel Hall, Eiffel Tower on the 125th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower on October 23, 2014, featuring 80 other contemporary artists from 31 countries, including three Morocco and Algeria. It was curated by Francesco Saviero Russo and Salvatore Russo. It is worthy to be awarded at the most prestigious art exposition in the world. I am so delighted to see myself among the best in the world as a Nigerian, am glad and as an African, am proud

    I find myself at the top echelons of art, art merchandising and its absolute practice in totality world over. Recognised for whom I am, has paved the way for me. I have been invited to the most prestigious art expositions, international biennials of art around the world. It has given me the privilege to know the best and active curators, international art consultants, art critics, valuers, galleries, gallerists and others.

     

    Benefits of the award

     

    I have exhibited at the Gustav Eiffel Hall and the Louve Gallery and many other galleries along with my fellows and I am still going places. In a nutshell, the award is a career boaster and absolute identity that has given me quantum leap in progress. I am a force to be reckoned with in contemporary art world. It means that African arts have been accepted into the mainstream contemporary art world because until now, most people still believe African art is a tribal art instead of being the basin of modern contemporary arts.

    The best thing I can do to myself is invest in my ability and passion which I have always done and I will do all over again and again and again. To get invited to foreign exposition is the big deal. It’s the dream of every living artist and I thank God that I fall into that category. It gives me the privilege of getting to know the Who is Who and the controllers of the contemporary art world. I also get to meet other fascinating artists from across the globe.

    It has always been advised that ‘use what you have to get what you want, I have no regrets whatsoever in properties I have sold to get to where I am today. I am the best artist in the world for the stylish value and that is authentic.

    I am a self-thought artist with over 30 years as a professional and I have had the privilege of meeting great artists, consultants. I have also visited various museums and galleries across the world, I have viewed the works of several masters from ancient times and I have worked with various local artists in my over three decades of practise.

     

    Artists as role models

    I see artists, such as Massacio, Leonardo Da Vinci, Giotto, Rembrandt, Friday Kalo, Gustav, Salvador Dali, Piccaso, Edvard Munch, Raphael, Sandro Botticelli as some of my favourite artists.  I also appreciate some of our artists, such as the late Aina Onabolu, Erhabor Emokpae, Demas Nwoko, Kolade Oshinowo, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Muthada Lawal, Adisa, Adewoles, Clara Aden, Jimi Solanke and others.

     

    Impact on the local art market

     

    In this part of the world, sponsors are hard to come by and it’s necessary I do things that will improve my standard positively

    The art market scene is nothing to write home about compared to what is available in other world. Firstly, there is no help for the Nigerian artist either from the banks, government, corporations, culture and tourism ministry etc.

    Secondly, not much is done on talent development in this country, from whichever angle you view the prospect.

    Thirdly,  Nigeria has economic/financial crisis and this cannot allow the citizens to think of collecting works of art as they have to struggle to keep body and soul together.

    There is no much collaboration between the artists, the galleries, the museums, arts and culture ministry, art institutions and foundations and art merchandising companies. Museums, art institutions are not properly funded, so they have nothing to offer the developing artist or the true artist.

    There is less of art merchandising companies, foundations, maximum galleries, credible art consultants, curators, critics, collectors and credible galleries and gallerists that can truly propel our art and artists on platforms in the international scenes.

    Aalso, there is less collaborations between art institutions in Nigeria and their foreign counterparts despite the richness of the artworks we produce here. The  market scene is not buoyant enough to support and assist in producing quality artists that can stand the test of time both locally and internationally with exception to a limited few.

     

    Expectation

     

    Things will get better if the government, the banks, financial institutions, corporations and foundations, embassies, arts and culture ministry can review their policies to favour the artist. The  art industry needs  total overhauling to assist our ability to be competitive globally. Hardly can we find a parent organisation whose primary aim is to get the true artist in our mist busy all year round.

    If these issues are properly addressed, the nation will generate adequate revenues from our arts and cultural practice like other developed nations.

  • 2014: Slow, bumpy path to creativity

    2014: Slow, bumpy path to creativity

    But for some private sector operators, the last one year would have been too slow and bumpy for any significant growth in the creative industry, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme.

    THE winner of 2012 ANA Poetry Prize, Mr. Karo Okoko, writes on poetry and drama. At the close of a stint at the Ebedi International Writing Residency at Ebedi, Iseyin in Oyo State, last September, he wrote in Ebedi Review his feelings and experiences. “I have learnt quite a lot from my colleagues. They see me as a loner who is always indoor, which is not strange because that is what people think of me…and that is what I am. But, when we commune, I learn a lot of things from them. Within those weeks, I was able to write and finish a novel from the scratch, title Letter; from Her, and a play title; Pellets of Power.

    In Washington DC, United States, a Nigerian designer, Ms Patience Torlowei was honoured by the Smithsonian Museum of African Arts for winning the Earth Matters Fashion competition in September. Her entry, Lady Esther, a hand painted dress named in memory of designer’s departed mother, is an illustration of the historical situations across Africa, such as apartheid South Africa, oil spillage in Nigeria and diamond mining in Congo. It was exhibited by the museum.

    On November 5, the founder, Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation (BOF), Dr Bruce Onobrakpeya, was also honoured by the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, US in recognition of his significant achievement in the arts over six decades. The institute held its 50th anniversary gala during which Onobrakpeya was special guest.

    These are examples of efforts of by some individuals in the creative industry that shone like stars in their chosen fields despite seemingly lack of government support. But for the significant contributions of  individuals and corporate bodies, such as gallery owners, moviemakers, artists, publishers, writers, musicians, designers among others, the year would have ended on a very sour note for the industry.

    Rainbow Book Club, Port Harcourt, is one of the leading private bodies that shaped the industry in the preceding year with Port Harcourt winning the United National Educational Scientific Cultural Oragansation  (UNESCO) World Book Capital 2014 in April. This was in recognition of the club’s successful hosting of a book festival  yearly since 2008 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The festival has impacted on the reading culture of the people, especially the youth who have been exposed to writing workshops led by renowned writers. It has also attracted great literary scholars from across the globe.

    Other key players include NLNG Nigerian Prize for Literature, Etisalat Prize for Literature, African Movie Academy Awards, (BOF) Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF), Terra Kulture, Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA), Ake Arts and Book Festival, Muson Centre, Plateau International Film Festival, Olu Ajayi Studio, Unilever, Nigerian Breweries Plc, MTN and African Artists Foundation.

    The Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation’s core mandate is to promote culture and tourism as a foreign exchange spinner, income distributor, major employer, a catalyst for rural development /poverty reduction and fostering peace. But, the implementation of these is often hindered by paucity of funds, policy somersault, poor planning, red-tape and corruption.

    Yet, its vision is to position culture and tourism as leverage for economic growth and development.

    How much of these have we witnessed in the sector? How effective are the nine parastatals, departments and agencies charged with implementing of policies of the supervising ministry? How far did they fare in 2014?

    Some of the flagship events, such as Abuja Carnival, Art Expo, ARESUVA, NAFEST, National Visual Art Competition, Nigerian Visual Art World Tour (NIVATOUR), annual distinguished lectures and symposium are either dwindling in terms of regularity, participation and content or gone moribund. The National Theatre, Lagos is still a monument  bedevilled by unclear agenda of outright sale or concession of its landed property.

    Former Deputy Editor, The Guardian, Mr. Ben Tomoloju described the sector in the outgoing year as a bag of mixed blessing. He noted that most of the positive developments were driven by the sheer gut of private sector stakeholders. “The Committee for Relevant Art continued to give a good account of itself in terms of consistency in quality programming. Private production outfits came up with stage hits, such as Kakadu and Saro. The Soyinka and J.P Clark at 80 events filled a huge vacuum for literary scholarship, theatre production and their multifaceted cultural dimension. The Macmillan Literary events remain on course. The Nigerian Prize for Literature sponsored by NNLG and the Wole Soyinlka Prize for Literature in Africa organised by Lumina Foundation sustains a heritage of literary excellence at the national and continental frontiers respectively. Outfits such as the Jos Repertory Theatre, Arojah Productions in Abuja and Crown Troupe in Lagos offered great promise,” he said.

    From the states, he said Cross River, Rivers, Lagos, Osun and Ondo were exemplary in  state-funded carnival, literary and heritage events. According to him, federal cultural agencies are still on the average altogether, though there are a few with a rising profile.

    Proprietor of Terra Kulture Arts Centre, Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters identified theatre as a major boost in the sector with productions such as Saro the Musical 2 creating new audiences and breaking barriers. “The visual arts remained relevant with art auctions and exhibitions organised by the various galleries and auction houses. New auction houses sprung up within the period with younger clientele showing interest in art collection. There was also a significant interest in Nigerian art by foreigners hence an increase in the number of exhibitions of Nigerian art outside the country,” Mrs Austen-Peters said.

     

    Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC)

    Expectedly, the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) held its conferences and colloquiums across the country and the Diaspora during the year under review. As early as January 14 it held the 8th Pan African Congress at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It was collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society, Cape Town, South Africa.  Theme was Mobilizing Global Africans, for Renaissance and Unity: The Social and Economic Conditions of Global Afro-Descendants.

    It also partnered Pan-African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG)and the Nigerian Mission in Washington DC to organise a roundtable in Washington DC, USA on January 17, 2014. The roundtable with the theme: Culture as instrument of the Nigerian Foreign Policy in America and the Americas, was held at the Nigerian Chancery, Washington DC. Other conferences included the Black History Month at Ibadan, discussion and exhibition marking the international women day, CBAAC annual colloquium at Kingston, Jamaica and the festival and colloquium at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State in December.

     

    National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC)

    Apart from the yearly hosting of its  events, National Festival for Arts and Culture NAFEST and African Arts and Crafts (AFAC) Expo, the council led by Mrs. Dayo Keshi completed and inaugurated the National Research Centre on Textiles Traditions Osogbo in Osun State, the National Research Centre for Masquerade Traditions in Enugu, Enugu State, the Crafts Development Centres in Ikare, Ondo State, Kano and Sokoto in August last year. It is glad to know that these centres have been inangurated but the effective utilisation of the facilities remain the concern, especially equipping them for the local craftsmen.

    Eighteen countries and 12 states participated in the AFAC expo while only 18 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) out of 36 also participated in NAFEST last year. This drop in participation is being linked to the ongoing political campaigns towards the general elections in February.

    But the council also held the National Culture Quiz Competition for Secondary Schools at Awka, Anambra State with little or no publicity. The council honoured nine Nigerians, including Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Sir Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, former National President, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) Chartered, Dr. Sally Nkem Adukwu-Bolujoko and Prince Adetokunbo Kayodeat its honours lecture/awards in Abuja.

    Observers say the council should among others overhaul its marketing strategy to make NAFEST and AFAC expo attractive to states and private bodies in the industry.

     

    Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC)

    Mrs Sally Mbanefo-led NTDC kept faith with its three strategic imperative focusing on rebuilding the corporation, growing the tourism value chain for revenue generation and re-inventing the tourism industry through PPP programmes.

    “The National Tourism Policy thrust is to develop sustainable tourism by capitalising on heritage diversity as the basis for promoting domestic and international tourism. This is aimed at competitive sustainable tourism development within the confines of the world tourism market and open up Nigeria as a major tourist destination in Africa,” she said.

    But most importantly, NTDC began campaign for domestic tourism with the authentication of tourist sites in the six geo-political zones and covered 20 states.

    Mrs Mbanefo stressed that Nigeria must put in place mechanisms through which benefits can be derived from all departures and ‘‘we must develop tourism not just for paid travel’’ but leisure infrastructure in various communities for citizens who cannot afford to travel.

    To achieve these, the corporation called for the establishment of a tourism development fund, implementation of the 2007 tourism master plan, inclusion of tourism in concurrent list of the constitution and increase funding.

    NTDC in the last one year collaborated with diplomatic community from Mexico, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Cuba, The Gambia, Turkey, Venezuela and Israel on the need to market Nigeria in their home country. In line with the spirit of PPP, the corporation signed Memory of Order Understanding (MOUs) with VISA, ABC Transport, Arik Air, Redington Hospitals, Heritage Bank, British Airways, Nigeria Turkey Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nigeria Football Federation, Jovago (hotel bookings on NTDC web portal) and the Gambia Tourism Board for best practice exchange.

    Expert say beyond the signing, the corporation must ensure that it translates the collaborations into actions that would engender tourism growth. All the collaborations must be appraised regular to keep with the spirit of the understanding as well as to maximise the benefits.

    Unlike in the past, the corporation scaled its participation in travel markets to when necessary and affordable. It maintained international profile at major travel markets such as World Travel Market, London, ITB Berlin, World Travel Market, Cape Town, South Africa as well as the hosting of Nigeria Fans Village at the FIFA World cup in Brasil.

     

    National Gallery of Art (NGA)

    Going by records, the outgoing year was not particularly eventful for the National Gallery of Art (NGA) as it could not hold some of its major programmes such as Art Expo, Nigerian Visual Art World Tour (NIVATOUR), ARESUVA, annual distinguished lecture and symposium. In its place were new programmes such as Art of Friendship, Nupe Art Conference/Exhibition held at Bida, Niger State. It featured traditional artists from the old Nupe kingdom exhibiting different works ranging from paintings, sculptures and textiles.

    This was followed by the annual NGA Children’s Day Art Competition, which drew pupils and students from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to the Women Development Centre. Then came Art of Friendship initiated in 2012 as a platform for Nigerian artists to cross-fertilise ideas with their counterparts from other nations through their embassies in Nigeria. The Art of Friendship 2 featured artists from Nigeria and four countries- Republic of Czech, France, Italy and Korea showcasing about 40 works of art comprising paintings, mix-media, drawing, sculpture and printmaking. Is Art of Friendship a replacement of NIVATOUR?

    The National Visual Arts Competition/Awards, NGA in-house exhibition, tagged, Together Again, and the unveiling of the Abuja Biennial logo were the other programmes NGA executed in the preceding year.

    Observers wondered what has become of the old programmes that have been abandoned for new ones. If it is difficult for NGA to improve on Art Expo, Aresuva and NIVATOUR, distinguished lecture and symposium what guarantees the success of the new ones such as Art of Friendship, Abuja Biennial? Or is it a problem of name or location of event? And if poor funding is the bane of the old programmes, NGA must look beyond the box to source funds for the success of these new programmes otherwise high turnover of events may not give the gallery a good image.  In the year under review, apart from NCMM, other culture agencies seemed to be less concern in executing capital projects that will provide the enabling environment for the thriving of the artist s and the arts.

    Specifically, museum and gallery deserve befitting national edifice that should serve as a home for the display of their collections. Nigeria has priceless works of art that

     

     

  • Whose Centenary?

    Whose Centenary?

    For two days, some artists converged on the ancient city of Benin, the Edo State capital, using their works to interrogate the centenary celebration titled Whose Centenary? From King’s Quarters on Akenzua Street through Airport Road to Ring Road and the Oba’s Palace, the artists used the project to redefine the boundaries of museological spaces in Africa. It also provide an avenue for interaction between the community and the artists as Igun Street assumed a living museum.
    The Head, Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos and coordinator of the project Dr. Peju Layiwola, speaks to Prof Mabel Evwierhoma on the collaborative public art project held in Benin last December.

    We all know that  year 2014 was the Centenary commemoration of the amalgamation of Nigeria.  Why are you not categorical about the commemoration?

    Whose centenary? opens with a rhetorical question because in actual fact the project questions the commemoration of the 1914 amalgamation that formed what is now known as Nigeria. There had been various activities to mark the amalgamation. A centennial song was composed; awards were given to various people an act that was heavily criticised in the press; and throughout the entire year there were several events across Nigeria tied to the centenary.

    It should be noted that the amalgamation was a structure put in place by the British imperialists to unite both the northern and Southern protectorates without any input from the people who later became known as Nigerians.  It was an arrangement done to ease British colonial administration of the country.  Why celebrate an event given first of all that the motive behind the merger was anti-one nation, and also for the fact that when viewed against contemporary events in Nigeria, the amalgamation was not, and still is not, synonymous with unity, even in diversity.  How unified are we as a nation today?  The 1914 amalgamation was not the only amalgamation that took place in Nigeria.  The 1906 amalgamation of the Lagos colonies with the southern protectorate did not warrant any sort of commemoration in 2006. Therefore the projecttakes a different approach at reviewing and commemorating 1914. It also marks the centennial year of the passing of great Oba Ovonramwen, the King of Benin, exiled to Calabar who died in 1914. So, this date becomes the entry into celebrating and commemorating the life of a king who fought to protect his territories against foreign incursion.  We believe that Nigeria should not be defined by the colonial period alone because there is a rich pre-colonial history of the Benin people.  There are certain structures in pre-colonial Nigeria that should be celebrated and sustained. One such structure is the establishment of Artists’ Guild for which Benin was known. It was a way of keeping the art alive and vibrant so it can be sustained even centuries after.

    So, as artists, we decided to celebrate the rich cultural traditions of Nigeria in general, but of the Edo people in particular. In going to Benin, we identified with the fact that the great name Nigeria has in the arts derives from the several works from Benin and other cultural areas of Nigeria, that reside in foreign museums. Nigeria is a great nation with a peculiar kind of national history and great artistic traditions worthy of celebration.

    Through multi-series exhibitions in Benin, the project comprised performance art, poetry reading, songs/choreography, dance, installation art, painting, costumes, photography, and video art.  It was also collaboration between the academically-trained artists, traditional Edo bronze casters and their protégés in a series of community-based projects in Benin City. This ground-breaking art intervention began with a procession on the December 6 at 11am, from the King’s quarters at AkenzuaStreet through Airport Road, Ring Road, the Oba’s palace and culminated at Igun Street.  The street is a world heritage site and the home of traditional bronze casters in Benin City who for centuries produced the bronze works the city and country are renowned for. At Igun Street there were several art exhibitions and performances.

    What I consider the most intriguing part of this project is the redefinition of boundaries of museological spaces in Africa.  In using Igun Street and other public spaces in Benin it takes the museum to the people and provides an avenue for better interaction between the community and the artists.  Igun Street, conceived as a living museum, becomes an ideal space for this intervention.

    Although this is the underlying theme of the project we are liberal enough to accommodate other views and are comfortable with interventions that may differ from this position.

     This project had several dimensions to it, songs, performances, procession, exhibitions and poetry. What was the essence of making this multilayered?

     To start with the multi-dimensional quality of this project follows a similar path of Benin art which is multi facetted.  The diversity of Benin art had to be reflected in the performative and visual components of the project.  The praise songs were of the kings of Benin. I had collected them over a period of four years. Yes, the major reference was to Oba Ovonramwen but there is a sense in which commemorating kings in Benin is done collectively. It was therefore necessary to sing as many songs that celebrated the kings and royalties during the performances at home as well as on the streets. Songs about Oba Ovonramwen that emanated from the period during and after the 1897 event were mainly dirges but they give insight into what transpired at the time. A common adage goes ‘it is on the street that a king is popular’.  The praise songs also glorified the artists and the art for which Benin is known. Processions are commonplace in Benin and to have one which was so colourful with an array of beautifully designed traditional costumes drew attention to the depth of Edo culture.

     This is huge artist collaboration. How did this come about?  Who initiated the project?

     Well, this is a two-year long artist- led research and collaborative project. The layout and conceptualisation of the project was mine. This idea had been playing in my mind for about three years until its actual realisation this year. In a sense it springs up directly from an earlier project titled: Benin1897.com but differs a bit in its content given the various artist’s interpretation of the theme which in a sense, every artist could connect with.   I had been thinking of how best to bring my solo exhibition, Benin1897.com exhibition to Benin, my maternal side, which held in Lagos and Ibadan.  But because of the monumentality of the installations in that show and the lack of adequate funding I thought of another way of showing the works through new media- video, photography and film. For me it was important that the people of Benin, where the event of the plundering of works and dethronement of a king actually took place in 1897 viewed this contemporary attempt at reenacting history even after a century.   Each time I thought about showing my works in Benin I kept visualizing the works particularly, the 1000 terracotta heads installation in front of a mud wall, the same way they appeared in the king’s palace in 1897. The ‘Whose Centenary?’ project made this dream possible!

      Why did you decide to make this project a collaboration and what were the challenges you faced while planning it?

     I have always worked as a very individualistic artist professionally except when I carry out huge community projects in specific places within and outside Nigeria. This would be my first time of having this sort of collaboration and on this scale too.  Foreign participation in this project also meant that it would have the much-needed exposure that it deserved and also provide the possibility of showing the works outside of Nigeria.  Working with artists, and indeed, a large number of artists is not always an easy task but somehow given the expertise of the project coordinator, Jude Anogwih, we were able to pull this through without much difficulty.   Names of participating artists were suggested given the body of work they had been inclined to produce.  The artists in this first part of the project include Andrew Eseibo, George Osodi, Jelili Atiku, Elizabeth Olowu (my mother), Wura-Natasha Ogunji, Taiye Idahor, Victor Ehikhamenor, Jumoke Verisimmo, Ines Valle and I. Princess Elizabeth Olowu was also a good conduit between Lagos and Benin.  Her intervention helped to sort out plans and negotiations in Benin whilst majority of us lived outside Benin.  We had to make series of field trips to Benin. Jelili, Jude and I chose the sites of the various performances and exhibitions and also procured materials from Igun Street.

    The major challenge was that of funding- such collaboration requires huge funding which artists find difficult to attract.  Since this is a research-based project, the University of Lagos research grant would cover part of the expenses of fieldwork and archival studies.  We still require funds for the other part of the two-year project which would include roundtable sessions, video streaming, a documentary production and exhibitions. A major part of the funding would be for a long term community intervention in training girls and wards of the casters in various arts.  This we hope to make an annual event.

     

    What was the main thrust of the various artistic projects?

    The concept for this project is a celebration of a very unique nature. It begins with the adornment of Wura-Natasha Ogunji, one of the artists in Benin traditional regalia. Wura is African American. Even though her father is Nigerian, she never met him. She grew up with her mother and other siblings in the US and only came to Nigeria on receiving the prestigious Guggenheim grant for artists a few years ago.  As a performance artist, she has become very well-known in the art circles in Lagos. In her splendour, Wura appears like a Benin Princess dressed velvet cloth and adorned in coral beads. This performance by both Wura and Elizabeth Olowu becomes a means of welcoming Wura, as many other artists of the African Diaspora, back home to Nigeria. There is a sense of connectivity to the energies lost during the transatlantic trade and the middle passage with the carting away of several Africans.  Through this performance, Olowu reenacts a regular duty she performs presently in dressing several brides and grooms of Benin extraction based in the West who return to connect with Benin through the dress culture.  Wura adorned by the Oba Akenzua’s daughter endorses her as a member of the clan- ‘Omosowa’ (a child as come back home).  This return is also celebrated with songs and dances.

    The procession kicks off from the king’s quarters at Akenzua Street through Airport road and berths briefly at the front of the Oba’s palace before finally culminating at Igun Street. Throughout the procession praise songs of various kings are sung. The stop at the palace is in recognition of the Centre from which this culture emanates. Wura’s performance evolves into another which she titles Queen Sweep.  She sweeps the Street at Igun and this opens up discussions on politics.  The APC- led government in the state uses the broom as symbol for the party.  Wura metaphorically cleans the streets of detritus left over by colonialism.  The close of her performance heralds Jelili’s chants, beckoning on the public to attend the church service in his ‘Holy Ovonramwen Cathedral’. Jelili cuts an outlandish image, like Brother Jero, in Soyinka’s scripting of a false prophet, he is dressed in an all gold costume.  He rings a church bell frantically handing church flyers to people as they walk and drive along the streets. In another hour the service begins.  Jelili’s performance draws attention to the syncretic nature of most of Edo society.  Held in an open filed beside a church, it draws attention to the once vibrant Street of Igun known for the art, which is now gradually replaced by pentecostal churches.

    The well-known iconography of Christian worship such as the cross is replaced with bronze memorial heads which once served as shrines objects. Elizabeth Olowu through her project journeying makes a return to Igun in a grandiose style.  Her songs and dances are celebratory of the inroad she made into the art of bronze casting learnt under the tutelage of late chief Osa of  Igun in the 1970s. She therefore became the first female bronze caster in Benin and Nigeria today. Victor Ehikhamenor, in his usual style depicts chalk iconographic drawing in Benin shrines. His installation, My Bits are not your Pieces at the palace of the Inneh of Igun mounted right next to a bronzecasting studio and shrine with similar drawings, presents two sides of a coin-one as reality and the other as representation.  This way art reinforces reality.  My installation titled Face/off represents a thousand terracotta heads as a reference to the pillage of the Benin palace in 1897 by British soldiers.  A number of terracotta tiles with inscriptions on them drawn from archival records by the British soldiers as they made their way into Benin are as revealing as they are shocking. In relating these historical facts in my handwriting, there is an attempt to bring closer and more assessable history tucked away in the recesses of the archives.   The colour of the terracotta heads and tiles, complemented by the walls of the palace speaks to the appropriateness of the siting of this installation in the house of the head of the guilds of casters whose predecessors produced the plundered bronze heads that adorn several foreign museums today. Face/off creates a platform for bringing together works by several casters displayed along my terracotta pieces in a collaboration that represents social change and the blurring of hierarchies in traditional societies.  Andrew Eseibo and Ines Valle reach out for old photographs of the 1970s of Igun Street.

    By superimposing images taken in 2014 with those from the archives, they come across a living artist who featured in the 1970 photograph. The placement of both sets of photographs registers these changes both with the physical structure of Igun Street as well as its morphing to meet with the realities of the 21st century and the passage of time. Jumoke Verissimo, the only poet in the group, renders her poem titled No Answer as a reference to the silence to numerous requests for the return of Benin Cultural objects kept in Western Museums. Burns Effiom captivated by the event arrive from Calabar to present a self-sponsored and captivating performance.  Standing under an umbrella, he suspends photographs of the houses in which Oba Ovonramwen lived while in Calabar. The umbrella becomes a metaphor for both shelter and nurture.  His piece is autobiographical.  Effiom’s extended family placed host to the exiled king while in Calabar.  Taiye Idahor does a series of drawings representative of hairstyles in Benin. Derived from her recent exploration of hair as vehicle of cultural expression, she explores the various hairstyles and the coded meanings inherent in them. Jude Anogwih shows a video of his work titled Emittere meaning waiting. His shot video interrogates the concept of movement, mobility, migration and borders. Anogwih reverses a flow of water revealing that the sea could take away as much as bring back was had been lost.  The video shown in the studio of Mr Eric Ogbemudia, Secretary to the caster’s guild, transforms this unusual space and breaks the barrier and inhibitions of searching/paying for a white cube as exhibition space.  Art can therefore be found in unusual spaces as well as appreciated therein.

     What would be the attraction to Benin given that you are a Yoruba artist.

    Well… Nigeria has very vibrant art traditions that speak to you each time. Every artist or researcher usually focuses on whatever interests him or her and often times one draws from a familiar culture and environment.    Although my research work has covered several aspects of the visual culture of Nigeria, I seem to have defined my research area as Benin studies.  I am a product of a mixed marriage- my father, Babatunde Olatokunbo Olowu is Yoruba and my mother, Princess Elizabeth Olowu (nee Akenzua) is Benin.  Some of my works are influenced by my Yoruba heritage. I see myself oscillating between both cultures.  Both are complementary. Indeed, both Yoruba and Benin cultures are linked by historical traditions and I see myself in that unique position of having the benefit of drawing from the rich repository of both cultures.

     

     

     

  • ‘Prizes are no determinants of great literature’

    United States-based Nigerian scholar and columnist Okey Ndibe has urged young  writers to write books if there are stories they believe must be told instead of writing to win prizes. He said prizes are important impetus to writers as part of literary competitions, but are not determinants of great literature.

    “Prizes are part of literary competitions, prizes are important and they have their place but prizes are not determinants of great literature. It is a big mistake for someone to write because you want to win the Etisalat Prize or the Caine Prize, you should write because there is a story you believe must be told  and this story will not forgive you if you don’t write it and when you write it, that is its own reward,” he added.

    Ndibe, who spoke at the last Ake Arts and Book Festival in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said Nigeria should support the young writers because they have great stories to tell. He said there is a lot of information for the young writers to work with and be part of the conversation on the nation.

    But he identified passion and commitment as major ingredients that make a writer adding that good structure of editing and enterprising publishers would help bring the works of younger writers to a wider audience.

    “Thematically, in all the genres, there are great opportunities and great stories to tell. What we need in Nigeria now is good structure of editing. So, we need more editors to help young writers shape their work. We also need more enterprising publishers to bring the work of these younger writers to a wide audience. What it takes to be a writer is passion and commitment. I tell young writers not to fall into the trap of wanting to write to make money, wanting to write to win prizes because sometimes prizes come from your writing. But you must write because you are committed to the craft,” he said.

    On Nigeria’s democratic journey, the author of Foreign Gods said politicians have been reckless in the practice of democracy, saying most of the leaders are after their pockets. “We have been reckless. I mean our politicians have been reckless in their so called practice of democracy that the majority of those who presume to be leaders are there for their pocket. So, they are almost bandits who set out to seize the resources of the public. There is no ideological content to what they do and one finds it really disturbing that too much of our country’s vast resources are wasted in payment to so-called democratic structures, which are not productive. They take too much of our country’s resources both as remuneration as well as money that they steal.  So, I doubt if this can be sustained. It is either Nigerians rise up and sanitise the system or the politicians should exercise self-restraint in the way they squander the resources of this country,” Ndibe said.

    A year ago, Ndibe published his latest book, Foreign Gods, a story of Ike who decides to steal the deity in his hometown to sell to a gallery in New York, US and his simple motivation is money. He wants lot of money from selling a deity to enable him have a different life.

    Asked the challenges facing book publishing in US, he said rather than look  at the challenges, he looked at the prospects.

    Continuing, he said: “When I finished the novel the major challenge was finding an agent. I had an agent when I was writing the novel but when I finished it, she read it and said that she had decided not to sell fiction anymore but to sell non-fiction. So, she asked me to look for another agent. For a few months, I wrote to about 10 agents, about half of them ignored me and the other half wrote, praised the novel and recognised its power. But they were not interested because some had enough writers on their list while the others gave other reasons.

    “But in the end, I was lucky to find a publisher Soho Press in New York, who buys manuscripts directly from writers. So, they bought the manuscript from me and they published it and it became their big book of the year. I am very pleased that my book is the biggest book they have published this year.”

  • Niger Delta Peace pageant gets new winner

    Niger Delta Peace pageant gets new winner

    Deborah Ibeinmo Alfred defeated 21 other contestants to emerge winner of the keenly contested crown for the Miss Niger Delta Peace Cultural Pageant.

    The event, which is in its 14th edition, was one of the highlights of the holiday season at the Dr Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    She went home with a brand new car and an undisclosed amount of money. Miss Alfred who was all smiles at the event, said she is determined to use her reign to positively affect lives in the region. “I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to win the competition. God-helping me, during my reign I will use my position to touch the lives of people in the region.

    Other awards included Model for Change won by Idahosa Ucharia. The Face of Beauty award went to Chidinma Ucharia; Oreke Regina Ijeoma won the Symbol of Talent award. Emese Nichole Emuvoke bagged the Pride of Niger Delta award, while Oreke Regina Ijeoma got the symbol of Talent award.

    Guests were thrilled to diverse songs and comedy from musicians and comedians from within and outside the state, such as Harrysong, Jaywon, Sound Force band, Mr Idea, Fortune, Gordons Arinze Baba, Miss J, Daniel West, Double J and Wonder Boy.

    The pageant, according to Chief Executive Officer, Miss Niger Delta Organisation, Prince Sodin, is not just about funfair and crowning of beauty queens, but one aimed at empowering young women from the region. Sodin said it is high time young women in the region began to live up to their roles as young ambassadors for peace and development in the country. He added that since its inception in 1999, the show had produced 13 beauty queens and titles such as “Ambassador for Peace” and “Development, Symbol of Talent”, “Model for Change”, “Face of Beauty”, “Pride of Niger Delta” and “Miss Niger Delta in Diaspora”.

    “The show and post event projects are centred on re-orientation of values, socio-cultural integration, peace promotion, talent and skills development, capacity building for self-reliance, self-employment and empowerment of young women of the region. These beauty queens have used their positions and offices to add positive values to life as well as promote change and transformation in the region as role models,” he said.

    While urging both government, corporate organisations and stakeholders in the region to support the initiative, he said, it is complementary to various projects and programmes aimed at transforming the region as expected.

    A representative from Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) promised that they will continue to support the Miss Niger Delta Organisation because it is a laudable project that has brought peace in the region.

    Dignitaries at the event included Solomon Diepriye of the Bayelsa Tourism Board; Rector Bayelsa Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Prof Efere and Mr Francis O. Francis.

  • Monarch’s menu for politicians

    As political campaigns hit feverish pitch, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, the Osile Oke-Ona Egba has enjoined politicians to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship as they contest at the forthcoming general elections. His pamphlet, Handling victory or defeat in elections, which contains some advice is a must-read for politicians, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME. 

    Never judge a book by its cover”, is a common phrase among literati. But, for Handling victory or defeat in elections-(A gift to Nigeria, Africa and the World) the appropriate phraseis ‘never judge a pamphlet by its size’.

    The 16-page pamphlet written by Oba Dr. Adedapo Adewale Tejuoso, Karunwi (111) Oranmiyan, Osile Oke-Ona Egba, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, is a collection of timely and essential pieces of advice for everyone especially politicians seeking elective positions. It is a rare antidote for this season when bombs of political hatred and violence are looming over the country.

    The opening page titled:  Welcome, a five-paragraph statement, is a clarion call to Nigerians that ‘we all have duties to carry out beyond prayers  to have a stable society during the period of electioneering.’ He assures that however hard and tough the road may be, ‘surely God has earmarked victory for us because we are on a righteous cause.’

    To reach a wider audience, it is published and distributed free to government official and people across the world whose heart cry is for peace.

    Every page is dedicated to selected messages for the readers who may find some of the messages refreshing and others reassuring on how to handle the outcome of an election. Some are very pungent and brief to the extent that the message is less than 20 words on a page. For instance, on Page three, in colourful lettering in caps, the monarch says: “Leave something behind as you move along in live- A good name – it’s the greatest asset for your family.”

    Using the famous story of two bees struggling to get through a passage into a small hole as an illustration, the author enjoins politicians not to be distracted by running down their opponents. “The error of your opponent does not make you a success. It’s what you intend to do for your electorate that counts. So concentrate on what you will do,” he says.

    Messages on other pages centre on why politicians must first run the election race in his mind before running it on the field, why there should be no blood shedding, imbibing the spirit of forgiveness and winning of election should be to lift the peoples’ standard of living.

    In The Desperate politician on Page 8, the author draws readers’ attention to the character of a desperate politician as illustrated by the story of two women who are claiming the ownership of a child in the Holy Bible. According to Oba Tejuoso, politicians who mean well for the people will never allow themselves or their supporters to engage in anydestructive act, particularly the destruction of properties and more seriously killings.

    He also enjoined politicians never to lose their mind when they lose election, instead they should learn from it. Beyond politics, the author differentiates between heroes and celebrities saying, heroes are people with integrity who use proper means to achieve their goals while celebrities are people that suddenly appear on the scene with or without proper explanations for their success.

    Tips to get more votes on page 14, is one of the pages that is very instructive to every reader including politicians and the electorate.

    The monarch sums up his counsel: “So, we should sow the right seeds in our political pursuit if our desire is to build our nation.” Though very brief messages, the pamphlet is truly designed to help politicians think deep in all their pursuits.

    Handling victory or defect in elections is a well produced pamphlet with varied fonts pleasant to the eyes. The glossy paper and graphic layout also added quality to the design.

  • Nollywood as money spinner

    The search for an alternative to oil as the mainstay of the economy has become even more crucial with the prevailing falling price of oil in the international market. Of all the options available to Nigeria, the Nollywood industry, one the most active of Nigeria’s creative industries holds the greatest promise. The United Nations (UN) has identified world trade in the creative industries sector to be 3.4 per cent with an yearly growth rate of 8.7 per cent. This gives the industry the fastest growth rate globally. In 2012, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) rated Nollywood as the world’s second largest film industry with its potential yearly revenue of N522 billion; over 2000 movies produced per year and a captive viewing audience of over 200 million across Africa and beyond.

    A recent British Council funded creative industries pilot survey in Lagos, which I had the rare privilege of superintending, showed that combined, Nollywood, fashion, and music contributed N2,547,300,490.26 during the reviewed period with 61 per cent of the total Gross Value Added (GVA) derived from the Nollywood industry alone; the fashion and music industries contributed 26 and 13 per cent, respectively. The survey also indicated a steady rise in Nollywood’s contribution to the GVA from 2010 to date. This first and perhaps, for now, the only empirical evidence on the economic performance of Nollywood moves the argument from the idea of mere economic ‘potential’ of Nollywood to more concrete, measurable economic contributions.

    However, one major challenge that has threatened the rapid development of the Nollywood industry in Nigeria over the years has been the mismatch between scholarship and practice. Whereas there is an appreciable improvement in the quality of productions from 1992 to date, scholarship appears to be lagging behind. The results of the few serious studies conducted on the industry so far are inaccessible, hence hardly inform subsequent works of Nollywood professionals. The inaccessibility is either because the studies are published abroad or tucked away gathering dust on library shelves of many universities in Nigeria. Herein lies the significance of the contributions of this enriching publication by Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, titled, Trends in Nollywood: A Study of Selected Genres

    I am convinced that the scholar and critic, through his/her critical writings, extend the life span of an artistic product. History has shown that creative works or indeed any remarkable human activity for that matter, which is not documented or interrogated by critics who are knowledgeable in the subject matter, will be forgotten sooner than later. I therefore commend the author of Trends in Nollywood and urge more scholars to help Nollywood live longer by interrogating its products and activities of its players in scholarly publications like this.

    Ayakoroma’s book x-rays the evolution, development and thematic preoccupation of Nollywood movies, particularly in the first 15 years of the industry. The author’s choice of very accessible style, lucid language, full colour illustrations, in-depth analyses, and bold prints on cream bond paper, makes his book a reader’s delight any day.

    The book is broken into five parts. Part One provides the context of the evolution and development of Cinema in Nigeria. Part Two,  titled, Studies in Genres in Nollywood establishes the theoretical framework. Parts Three, Four and Five give the author’s taxonomy and critical evaluation of the diverse genres in Nollywood, using relevant case studies.

    The author begins with a historical perspective of Nollywood. The reader learns from the opening chapters that Nollywood is a child of circumstance, having emerged from the unfavourable economic and social climate that saw the decline of locally produced television soap opera and prohibitive cost of producing Nigerian movies on celluloid. The author recalls that the harsh policies of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in the 80s also provided Nollywood its first crop of ‘discontented’ experienced independent television producers and directors, who saw in the video format, a viable alternative which emboldened them to call off the bluff of the then NTA management with its stifling policies. The marriage between these television producers/directors and some adventurous traders gave birth to Nollywood, which has  become a commercial success. The industry offers Nigeria’s teeming youth alternative employment, either as actors, crew members or distribution and marketing players and has become the country’s accidental cultural diplomatic tool.

    Being a product of his doctoral research, Dr. Ayakoroma seeks to establish in this book the symbiosis between the production context of any movie industry and its different film movements or genres. The author’s analysis goes beyond the superficial chronicle of stylistic and formal qualities of the selected movies. In addition, he offers the average reader easily digestible information on prevailing political, socio-economic, technological and ideological contexts within which the movies were produced. The book analyses the factors that drive the mutations of genres in Nollywood, from its early preoccupation with ritual to its more profound exploration of burning social issues and its recent drift towards more research-driven historical themes.                     The major trends in the industry highlighted by the author include, the phenomenon of cross-over television directors/producers; the metamorphoses of some executive producers into producers/directors to cut costs, lopsided gender representation, the dominance of piracy, stereotyping and type-casting, bandwagon effect in terms of production approaches and its concomitant cultural misrepresentations, weak ideological foundation of the industry, and the overwhelming influence of the Igbo traders turned executive producers on the creative freedom of the movie directors, the impact of the crave for quick profit on the choice of some genres considered more cost effective as against the epic genre, which requires more financial investments, inter alia.

    The beauty of this critical publication is the invaluable insight it offers the reader into the social and political history of Nigeria. From the authors analysis of Igodo: Land of the Living and Egg of Life,1 & 2 produced by Ojiofor Ezeanyaechi and directed by Andy Amenechi, the reader is educated on the sharp contrast between the concept of leadership in the traditional Nigerian societies and modern political leaders. Whereas the traditional concept of servant-leaders is fast becoming extinct in contemporary Nigerian polity, the reader is guided to understanding the extent to which this age-long traditional value of personal sacrifices for the common good of society has been supplanted with politics of greed and self-aggrandizement. The exemplary sacrificial leadership qualities of the two major characters: Egbuna (Igodo) and Buchi (Egg of Life), are projected as models the reader can take away from reading of Nigerian history through the two movies.

    Similarly, through Ayakoroma’s analysis of the Issakaba Series produced by Chukwuka Emelionwu & Moses Nnam, directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, the reader can understand the root of the prevailing poor governance in Africa and the near collapse of the state apparatus; its failure to protect the lives and property of its citizens in the face of rising crime rates; and the resort to self-help by most communities either as vigilante groups or civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) as we now know them. The taste of the reader, who needs to understand the intrigues in the Nigerian political terrain will surely be quenched on reading through Ayakoroma’s discourse of The Senator and MasterStroke movies.

    Indeed, the cluelessness of any casual reader, who has neither watched most of the movies analyzed in the book or understood the socio-political happenings in Nigeria in the last three decades will be replaced with informed perspective on going through the pages of this book. The author argues that for Nigeria to break away from its doldrums of development, Nigerian films ought to move towards greater functionality than entertainment. Sadly, the mercantile focus of the Nollywood industry as at today has made this option rather unattractive to the average producers. The role of the traders turned producers/directors in the Nollywood industry has become akin to the stifling role of the NTA management of the 1980s. The time has come for practitioners to seek a break from their strangulation. This is important, as the industry has now grown beyond the capacity of these untrained interlopers.

    However, who will ‘bell the cat’ in the face of the persisting monopoly of the marketing and distribution component of Nollywood? How will the relatively low availability of film exhibition centres in Nigeria be addressed? How do we better the entry points for fresh graduates of theatre and film? These and many more are some of the teasers Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma’s Trends in Nollywood presents to film lovers, professionals, corporate Nigeria and the public policy drivers.

    As refreshing as reading this book is, the critical reader might demand  more in terms of wanting to see actual screen shots that ‘speak’ key actions in the various movies analysed in the book in addition to the portraits of Nollywood stars generously printed in full colour.

    My reading of this book also agitates my mind further about the urgent need for comprehensive mapping of the Nollywood industry in order to establish its actual composition, character, size and net contributions to the Nigerian economy, which has today been adjudged the largest in Africa with one of the highest global annual growth rate of 7 per centt. Such a study will correct the current disconnect between this sector, and the organized private sector (OPS). The later is not able to evaluate, in statistical terms, the net potentials of Nollywood; thus, any investment in the sector is classified as high risk; thereby denying Nollywood the needed support from the major capital markets or the organised private sector. The involvement of these major financiers is one way to free the industry from the strangulation it faces in the hands of the electrical/electronic traders who are its core investors to date.

    Surely, on the strength of my thorough reading of this book and deep consideration of its contents, I have no reservation recommending this book to all who seek to understand the full value of Nollywood. The organisation and style of the book makes for interesting reading. As a critical scholarly work, the hypothesis was well framed and properly investigated; the analysis thorough, comprehensive, and academically enriching. The work is anchored on relevant theoretical frames; its method of enquiry is sound, factual, objective, and intellectually provocative. The language used by the author is lucid, engaging, effective, resounding, meaningful and refreshing. The book deserves the attention of all Nollywood professionals, who desire to break fresh grounds. It is a valuable asset to film scholars, Nollywood fans and even casual lay readers. The taste of the food they say is “in the eating;” so I urge you to get your copy today.

     

  • Troupe to perform in conflict zones

    Troupe to perform in conflict zones

    With his appointment as the Director of National Troupe of Nigeria, Akin Adejuwon has decided to infuse new life into the Troupe. Having been assured by the Nigerian Army that the Troupe will be performing for peace keeping purposes across Africa and more, he told Edozie Udeze in this interview that he and the Troupe are ready for the tasks ahead

    You assumed office as the new director of the National Troupe of Nigeria with the creation of Ajoyo, a dance pattern with which you’ve been touring the country. What is Ajoyo and why the tour?

    Ajoyo means celebration and it came up because immediately I received my letter of appointment, I realised I would be holding the position in trust for a lot of people. Until I got my letter, I wasn’t really told which portfolio to hold, even though I was interviewed by the Minister of Culture, Chief Edem Duke. I sent text messages and I did all kinds of things for him to tell me what office I’d hold. But he didn’t.

    It was on the last day that I realised it was the National Troupe of Nigeria. I was actually expecting something in the line of visual art which is my own area of training. When I got the letter I was thrown aback a bit. But after a while, it just occurred to me that I have experienced and I have organised series of programmes in the performing arts virtually all my adult life. Like I mentioned earlier on, I spent most of my life during my holidays while at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with Uncle Demas Nwoko. That was in his studios in Ibadan.

    Also, I spent some of my spare time with Oba Sonuga who was then an artistic director. I was also close to Adeniran who was once the director of OAU’s Institute of Cultural Studies in Ife. And so performing arts has not been new to me. I have been involved, I have been with it most of my adult life as both an organiser of events and a promoter of cultures across states and climes. There had been command performances I had participated in over the years. I have done children theatre workshops at several times in different places through cartoons and so on. So, I have been into performing art.

    When I came to that realisation, I quickly began to write down my plan of activities; what I will do to put the Troupe on the right track to perform and be fully useful and engaged. This was what I did send to the minister, even though I also added some research which I conducted. By the time I was defending my plan of action, he was really impressed. He asked: where did you get all these from? Three of the points I raised were already in his action plan for the Troupe. So, when I got that kind of approval from him, I hit the road running. When I was at the Institute of Cultural Studies I had little to run and maintain the place. So, I am used to no money situation. In other words, I am used to a Spartan kind of situation. I was not afraid to go into it all even though I inherited a debt of N26million when I got to the National Troupe of Nigeria.

     

    Even then overhead had not been released for three months. And the office that was given to me was a bit uncomfortable compared to what I had in Ife. But this is a federal parastatal and it was like I had that blank cheque for me to do the job I was appointed to do. That was why I had to quickly put in place the stakeholders parley so as to have the input of those people with whom I have had those contacts professionally. From there, ideas came up which are really in synchronization with what I have for the Troupe. It was in the process of that I said, ah, we cannot do this without having a production, an artistic performance to usher in the people.

    This was how Ajoyo was finally created with ideas and dances from here and there. Quickly, the experienced directors I inherited swung into action and in the end we have Ajoyo. It was a mosaic of repertoire which comprised of all aspects of the art. And so within a few days the ideas were fused into stage with different dance patterns to have Ajoyo. That Ajoyo was completely put together by the core artistes themselves. That was how it came up.

     

    So how do you evaluate the nation-wide tour so far?

    I had evaluated it before we took it out to the states. I saw it as the best dances for the road-show. I had put it out before for peer review and the response was good. But we know we’ll get better as the road-show goes on. The plan is that as more shows that we have the more we see the need to do more to get the attention of the people.

    We took references from the reactions we got from people. We worked on those ideas that today we’ve got better and bigger. The idea of Ajoyo is to truly get the people involved in the dance patterns, indeed the ideas which are meant to appeal to the public. Let the people see the Troupe as it really is. It is their own Troupe and they have to really identify with it. Also, I feel it is a work in progress. I will tell you that from my experience of organising festivals, you can see that this is a festival of sort; it is a noble festival. I didn’t want to let the Troupe know exactly what I wanted them to do. This has not been done and they are not used to it.

    This is the European-type of theatre when you take the dances and performances to the people for them to feel it. You should know that Africans are known to take theatre to the streets; to the palaces of kings and market squares. And most of them are paraded in town before they are performed. This is what we’ve been able to do in the states where we performed and the reactions were very impressive. So, our work is to discover new talents; is to see how we can lure the young ones into art as a profession and as a career. We have opened a website and the responses have been encouraging. The awareness createdby the road-show is beginning to permeate the society. We wouldn’t find all these in a static theatre and so we had to move. Even the artistes, by the time we started, they said oga, let us try and see if it will work.

     

    What next for the National Troupe?

    Today, just after one week of performances, I am talking to you from the University of Ilorin, where a few minutes ago the vice-chancellor, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali, volunteered to partner with us to package a festival for Nigerian universities. It is to take off from the University of Ilorin and from there to other universities. I told you before that I wanted a festival of domestic arts and this conforms with that idea. We’ve just done week and you can see what we’ve attracted to the Troupe. I have work in progress. Yes, this is why we need to perform in the 36 states of the federation. I even intend to go and perform at the Sambisa forest next year.

    But before we go into that, we need to have proper meetings with the armed forces of the federation. We all have to agree on the modalities and all that. The soldiers welcome the idea, in fact they are more enthusiastic than most people are. No matter how good I am as a dance director, I can’t just jump into performance in such a place. The soldiers have to be involved in terms of security and other assurances. So, I consulted and they said, okay, let us start from the peace keeping zones and a few other places like that. This involves The Democratic Republic of Congo and others. Yes, I’ve agreed and they have offered us an opportunity of performing at the presidential villa too.

    Our performance at the conflict zones is to help douse tension and resolve conflicts. As it is today, the armed forces of Nigeria is constituting a schedule that will engage us for a year. They have all said that this is a good concept and it will go a long way to bring back peace in the minds of the people.

    However, I discovered that only a few of my people are the core artistes. The issue has to be looked into soon. What I have decided to do is to bring in some of the workers who are artistes but do not perform to be part of it. My predecessor in office, Professor Ahmed Yerima tried it and it worked. I’ve started talking to them about this, that we would draw them into performances. At least 70% of the staffs need to be engaged in the area of artistic performances. They should be ready to go troupe, because that is what we do; that is why we are here. We will also go into the society to engage other artistes and encourage them to be part of what we do. Even some were part of this first stage of states tours and we’ll do more.

     

    The fear is that in the next one year or so some of these artistes may not be able to perform. What are you doing to ensure continuity and safeguard their future?

    To me, the first thing was to look at the artistes I have on ground. The artistes have been suffering in this profession, without being well remunerated. Just like we had in football in the past. But today the story is different. Football gives money and players are well taken care of with their future well planned. People like Thunder Balogun and others had no booth when they played. Today, you see footballers earn big in pounds sterling, in dollars. I also feel what these artistes are feeling right now.

    They used their youth and virile period to perform and elevate the nation and now it is time to ensure that they go home with something in their pockets for their future. So, what I did was to interface with some of my friends in the private sector to get some insurance in place for these artistes. This is in form of one million naira insurance in case of accident or accidental death. This is already in place as I am talking to you now.

    I proposed this to the National Theatre also, so that this can be expanded and captured on the website. This is much better than nothing at all. Each artiste will be making an input of three thousand naira to be able to make it work. We also have another plan; for those who are in-charge we will endow them. In this case, we’ll interface with the producers of Coca cola so that they can get it when they are about to leave. When more money comes in, we will expand the endowments. I can assure you of that. We will never know where we can go from there. But that’s the widow’s might we have.

    Everything we do now is work in progress. If we have come this far, we hope to do more to ensure that this Troupe goes further than this. In one week of road travelling theatre, we have received this kind of accolade, that means we are on the right track and we will do more. The only way to go and keep going is to continue to try to keep the Troupe on its toes.