The Nation Newspaper

Category: Victor Akande

  • I Stand With 2Face

    THERE has been so much bashing of music artiste, Innocent Idibia, after the singer withdrew from the February 6, 2017 protest. The criticism, jeering and even cussing was so overwhelming that the singer said, “I have read several opinions including being called a coward but I can say that I am glad that I am a coward who spoke up and will continue to speak up.” And in order to make attackers feel better, he said: “I am glad you all lent your voice out when I lost my own, you guys were the true heroes.”

    Nigeria has become a country of highly impulsive people, especially with the heated political atmosphere that span the transition from former President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime and that of successor and the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. This is the situation Idibia, otherwise called 2Face and most recently, 2Baba finds himself when he decided to echo the minds of many, by lending his voice to the current economic situation in Nigeria.

    Then, it dawned on him that what he thought would be a subtle, peaceful protest (by the ordinary man on the street) was going to take the form of a fight (by people who have scores to settle). And seeing people building muscles for a ‘mere show’ in which they were not going to be the bouncers, he decided to bow out. If you ask me, 2Baba is the strategist that knows the right time to withdraw. After all, did a Yoruba proverb not say that a warrior is determined by his ability to fight and run? Is it not better to live to fight another day than to be consumed by one’s first fight?

    Even if 2Face has not got a wife, children and mother who care about him, and could have begged him to live for their sake, common sense should tell anyone that the probability of the security reports he got was high. Perhaps 2Baba chose to listen to his wife, children and mother – I listen to mine too – and just as there are family and family, only 2Baba could determine how dear his family is to him and vice versa.

    In all of these, I see the singer’s maturity and independence of mind; otherwise he could have done the wish of the loud voice at the expense of the inert warning from his heart. I was once a student leader and I know that real activism is not in the cheering crowd. This was what the singer decided to separate himself for. And that voice of his that lowered in the 11th hour was what Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the Federal Government heard loud and clear, not that of the jokers that flooded the street after the General quit.

    2Baba had articulated everything he needed government to know about his ‘One Voice’ protest, and the campaign ran two weeks before the supposed D-Day that was only meant to be ceremonial. And if he chose to leave ceremony out of a serious business, how does that change anything? After all, all the demands have gone unimaginably viral.

    So, who are the artistes? The ones that jumped on the campaign train of politicians during the last elections and were fighting over loots or the ones fighting political opponents on the social media by calling the candidates unprintable names?

    That 2Baba got two SUVs and a sponsored wedding from a politician without jumping on their campaign train showed he is not a bootlicker. And to express his apolitical disposition, he took a ‘Vote No Fight’ campaign around the nation. Who would you say sponsored that, National Orientation Agency?

    For those who thought he must have been sponsored by the opposition to lead a rally, I guess they now know better that if that was the case, the guy was brave to return their ‘fat cheque’. I’m certain that there is bravery in cowardice because being brave or cowardly has got a prize; and like two sides of a coin, the prize could be positive or negative – who knows.

    I have heard people say that 2Baba is not even fit to call himself an artiste because an artiste is supposed to be radical, and I’m wondering how that adds up. Some have said that the singer’s reason for backing off did not hold water, because there were no hijackers on February 6. And I maintained there was no protest on that day. The only way to know if there were hijackers was for 2Baba to lead the protest.

    Isn’t it imaginative that in those two Instagram videos, 2Baba did not put on his dark shade? What you saw in those videos was the countenance of a man who has nothing to hide. Only those who are gifted would see through his mind.

    I stand with 2Baba for not following the crowd, when we made it look like it was the crowd that was to follow him.

  • OF REALITY SHOWS AND KEEPING IT REAL

    THERE are two major things a reality TV show does to participants: it is either the fans like a contestant for their realness or resent them for pretense. Although the organisers will not force the true identity of contestants on the viewers, the power of the show lies with the viewers who are able to decipher how real each contestant has been on the show.

    For example, Bisola has a seven-year-old child which she disclosed at the opening ceremony of the Big Brother Naija show – this way, if being a single mother is of interest to any fan, they are able to identify with Bisola’s actions relatively.

    Two housemates in the ongoing Big Brother Naija, ThinTallTony and Gifty, have somewhat fallen short of expected realness which is the peg of a lifestyle reality TV show such as the BBN. While the case of Tony who failed to disclose his marital status on the show appears milder, Gifty has more fuse against her, not just from other housemates who feel she makes up her British accent and flirts with some of the guys, but also from viewers of the show who have made her a hot topic on social media after learning she was married to an Asaba-based filmmaker whom she abandoned to come seek fame in Lagos.

    Likewise, while TTT’s social media handles clearly maintain records of his wife and kids, Gifty has kept a near zero profile on three Facebook accounts namely Gifty Brian, Gifty Ajumobi and Gifty Brian (Ajumobi). Apart from saying she hails from Obosi and lives in Asaba, there is no relationship to show, no workplace to show, no photos of family, friends or any relationship. The few references to Gifty could only be found on the Facebook page of her purported husband, David Sorochukwu Akumah.

    If Gifty had any credibility problems before now, this discovery has made her matter worse as the circumstances surrounding her marriage (or previous marriage) remains unclear and it looks as though her supposed husband is still pained by the separation- he would not utter a word about the controversial marriage and Gifty’s activities in the BBN house to those who have been bombarding him with questions on his Facebook page. However, it is clear he loves (or once loved) the fair-skin actress whose career he helped by featuring her in flicks like “Illiterate Queens” and “Nkoli Nwa Nsukka” among others.

    On the other hand, it is not impossible that the guy could have been responsible for the hiccup in the marriage which many say didn’t last more than five months. This thought is being fueled by the guy’s silence on the matter. If this is true, then Gifty may not be doing herself any good by not telling this important part of her life story to attract sympathy, if that’s what it takes to win the N25 million.

    But what do we make of Gifty’s desperation for fame, having been romantically linked with two other singers; Flavour and Mr 2Kay, after falling out with the filmmaker.

    A supposed friend of the filmmaker who confirmed she was actually married to David said she walked out of the marriage because she didn’t want to get pregnant for the guy and as it were that the films in which her husband featured her didn’t give her the kind of Genevieve Nnaji’s popularity.

    We hear she left a note for him after moving out of the house with a warning that the guy should not bother to look for her. This is enough to poison the mind of the viewers who have the key to unlock the N25 million BBN prize money in her favour.

    In the BBN house, Gifty is seen trying to snatch TBoss’ Bae, Miyonce, while at the same time infatuated with Bally and caught kissing Soma. Among the other housemates, she is a bad topic, either for her accent or philandering act. Little wonder she was originally nominated for possible eviction this Sunday only for then Head of House, CocoIce to replace her with Efe.

    Although some argue that a contestant’s marital status, if revealed, could smear their chances of winning the N25 million, others are of the opinion that saying they are married with kids couldn’t make them less appealing to viewers, rather it may have even helped as a winning or endearing factor.

    “Gifty can’t still be married with the way she flirts and conducts herself with those two guys, she’s perhaps divorced. Bisola came saying she’s a single mom of a 7yr old daughter, I like the fact that she showcased her daughter as part of who she is,” said an observer.

    With such army of in-house and on-TV critics around her, it is obvious Gifty is only few weeks away from being ejected from the Big Brother house. That done, she will come to the realisation that BBN has done more to expose her dirty secrets than make her the star she has always craved.

  • BBNAIJA: WHAT A GOOFY OUTCRY

    SENTIMENT and sense-of-reason both begin with an ‘S’, but they are miles apart in objective; more so that the latter is a double barrel positives with a suffix that gives sense a better place of pride: “’Reason’ is the capacity for consciously making sense of things, applying logic, establishing and verifying facts, and changing or justifying practices, institutions, and beliefs based on new or existing information.” – Wikipedia.

    The outcry has been so much on the choice location of the ongoing big Brother Naija by Multichoice that many have lost their sense of reason. Why? It is Multichoice, a South African company and so, we must be careful so they don’t take too much of our money back to their country. On the other hand, we must protect our national psyche by making sure that the organisers compromise standard just to assuage our sulking persona.

    It is a pity how we put the cart before the horse in our agitation for a Proudly Nigeria that has further reduced our pride in this seeming naked public dance.

    There is a Yoruba proverb that says, “Until a child gets a firm grip of the sword, he dares not investigate his father’s killers.”

    In the midst of the hullabaloo, I’m glad to observe that some individuals, despite their grouse with Multichoice over some unfavourable business partnership, have remained objective in this debate over the recording of the reality show in Johannesburg, South Africa. There are others too who understand the nitty gritty of such productions and have been speaking from experience and professional point of view. To worrywarts, BBN and perhaps any show for that matter is less Nigerian if it is not recorded in Nigeria. And I wonder how The Gambian Adama Barrow’s presidency is being perceived for being sworn-in in Dakar, Senegal.

    I have not heard of any such boisterous uproar over the obvious stalemate of media institutions in Nigeria like this one that concerns 12 young Nigerians who are contesting for N25 million in a lifestyle reality show.

    The Nigerian Film Corporation, Nigerian Film Institute, National Film and Video Censors Board, Nigerian Television Authority, NTA College and other media and entertainment enmeshed in one form of regressive state or another, have sold themselves to politics that has consequently stifled the growth of showbiz in the country, and no one seems to care. Rather, a foreign company which has impacted the entertainment space remarkably for over a decade becomes easy target for our deficiency.

    NTA is as good as its heydays with productions like ‘Jaguar Half Hour’, ‘New Masquerade’, ‘Cockcrow at Dawn’, ‘Second Chance’, ‘Mirror in the Sun’, ‘Behind the Clouds’, ‘Basi and Company’ etc. Today, Mnet has created too many channels too numerous to mention and commissioned Nigerians on Nigerian sitcoms and soaps while also serving as the only remitting media platform for Nollywood films which most local TV stations have been showing without the consent of the producers.

    The annual AMVCA award that involves Multichoice’s over 45 countries of broadcast holds in Nigeria and I just wonder if Nigerians were not the most winners of the now rested Big Brother Africa, our people could have cried sabotage.

    Why must BBN be recorded in Nigeria if it is far cheaper for the organisers to record it in South Africa that has a purpose-built studio for the show? Why would Multichoice choose the ‘alternative fact’ by buying/renting power generating sets and spending so much on diesel when there is ‘absolute power’ in South Africa? Why must the organisers of BBN take the risk of producing a show that must not blink for 11 weeks in the face of the perennial fuel scarcity in Nigeria? Like Obi Asika said, “This is economies of scale. Mnet has a permanent BB House rigged in Jòzi and just need to re-work the set for the new show.”

    For a show like BBN and others like it, is it out of place if the several NTA studios across the country is up-scaled alongside its much touted largest TV network in Africa? What about the Tinapa Studio; how much concerns have been shown by stakeholders in the entertainment industry as to leveraging on such facility?

    I hear that the maiden edition of BBN in 2006 had problems of power supply despite being sponsored by a ‘generator’ company. And I wonder why anyone would, within the short time that organisers decided to stage the BBN show, expect Multichoice to build another BB House with like 64 cameras, 20km of cable, full master control room and extra three million dollars on production.

    Rather than shouting blue murder, let us build our own media industry and understand that Mnet is in business to make money. And as long as they fulfil their obligation to government, your sentiment does not count.

  • MUSING: WILL BBN HOUSEMATES MARKET NIGERIA?

    WITHIN 11 weeks that the show will last, how much of Nigeria will housemates sell to the world?

    How much of our foods, fabrics, actors and singers will housemates discuss? How much of our cities and tourism sites do housemates know?

    Will they talk politics and fight over preferred leaders? Will they talk about Boko Haram and kidnapping; oil pipe bombing and the Niger Delta agitation. Will they be talking about the massacre in Southern Kaduna and ethnic and religious dichotomy? Will they wash our dirty linen in the public?

    Isn’t it time for the world to know we are conquering Boko Haram? Shouldn’t we tell the world that indeed, President Muhammadu Buhari is tackling corruption?

    What message will the housemates be passing to the over 8 million DStv subscribers that cut across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi?

    How much of our music will the housemates rock while in the house? What will the discussion be about Nigerian celebrities, our music and movies?

    If you ask me, it is time to dazzle the continent and indeed the world with our Nigerian stories – positive and inspiring stories of the things that bind us together rather than the ones that divide us.

    Thus, will they let the world know that the same way that our music has long trumped American songs in clubs and other parties, our films are coming for Hollywood’s jugular?

    Will the housemates tell the world that right now in Nigerian cinemas; Nollywood films are taking their place? Shouldn’t the world know that even though Nollywood is yet to catch up with Hollywood in Sound, Picture and other technical areas, we have been able to understand the marketing of our films, enough to give the audience what they want? Shouldn’t they know that The Wedding Party and A Trip to Jamaica beat Hollywood’s Batman v Superman at the box office?

    Does any one of the housemates have this record to share, as presented by Filmone Distribution as at last December?

    1. The Wedding Party – N203 million
    2. A Trip to Jamaica – N178.5 million
    3. Batman v Superman – N140 million
    4. Captain America – N119 million
    5. Suicide Squad – N116 million
    6. London Has Fallen – N90 million
    7. Doctor Strange – N85 million
    8. Gods of Egypt – N80 million
    9. Mechanic Resurrection – N75 million
    10. ’76 – N72 million

    About Big Brother Nigeria 2017

    Let us see how the 12 Nigerians maximize the opportunity within 11 weeks to show the world what stuff we are made of, as each man or woman vies to be the last person standing so that they can win the N25 million and a brand new Kia Sorento the organisers have to offer.

    Housemates are closely monitored 24/7 on cameras through their various trials and tribulations, which is why Biggie’s eye is used in the logo: he is always watching. We are watching too, and so is the world.

  • MORE TALENTS TO UNEARTH AS BBN RETURNS

    FROM Timi Dakolo of West African Idol to Chidinma Ekile of MTN Project Fame; Uti Nwachukwu of Big Brother Africa (BBA); O.C. Ukeje of Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) and Katung Aduwak of Big Brother Nigeria (BBN) among several other celebrities who came to prominence through Reality TV platforms, there are strong indications of process of talent unearthing, skill development and social reinforcement that have confirmed the ‘obscurity to prominence’ phenomenon.

    With the return of BBN this month after a decade of hiatus, there is no gain saying that the Nigerian entertainment space has opened its door to more talent discoveries and a potential millionaire – underscoring the viability of entertainment business in the face of the general outcry of recession.

    An offshoot of BBA which has been criticized in some quarters on moral grounds, it is obvious that the solely Nigerian version of this show tends to avoid such distractions by removing the controversial ‘Shower Hour’ from its outline.

    From a more objective point of view, many see in the sociological-inclined reality show, the inherent lesson in human endurance. On the side of morality and discipline, the house-confining show speaks volume about the level of self-denial by participants, given such ‘private enclosure’.

    Viewers have witnessed contestants who had displayed the most decent character in the House – there are evidences of Housemates who neither display nudity nor drink nor smoke (if those define decency).

    The strength of the show is about that split-of-a-second when a contestant is carried away and gives up his or her pretentious disposition. Experts say it is not possible for you to be in that House and not forget for a moment that you are on television. Thus, many see the tolerance of other people’s attitude in the House as a great virtue, because voters see through the character of the housemates, which invariably influences their votes.

    The daily tasks open contestants’ brain, just as the in-house politics and intrigues pose makes a viewer’s delight as housemates try to outshine one another for the ultimate prize.

    The return of BBN, sponsored by PayPorte, Nigeria’s online store could be another easy entry point for the housemates to make easy inroads into Nollywood.

    Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, said the show has been repackaged to meet the current socio-economic realities, following the success of the past seasons of BBA. “BBA was popular for its entertainment value and ability to showcase ordinary Africans from different walks of life in extra-ordinary ways. We decided to re-invent the reality show by bringing back the Nigerian version, which we are confident, will draw a pan African audience.”

    Reality TV shows continue to be a conduit for creating stars for Nollywood, world’s second largest movie industry by volume, according to a report published in The Voices Magazine of The British Council, in addition to other entertainment genres. The shows did not only identify talent, but also position the youth for greater opportunities.

    The BBN auditions took place simultaneously in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja with thousands of youth besieging the audition venues to have a chance of being selected to compete for the star prize worth N25 million and a KIA Sorento car.

    Organisers say 12 housemates will slug it out by showcasing their best selves, while also avoiding possible eviction by voters. The show will be broadcast live on dedicated event channels on all DStv packages and on GOtv Plus from January 22, 2017.

  • A MANSION FOR PLAYING BUFFOONERY

    REMINISCENCE of late Wasiu Ayinde Barrister’s inference of the so-called madman whose meal of pounded yam is enriched with the yummy arm of a goat, and his meal of yam flour ‘proteined’ with the chunky lap of the ram; Funke Akindele adds to the list of comics whose ludicrous but amusing drama characters have earned them a fortune.

    Last Monday, the Jenifa branded actress threw a lavish house-warming party at her newly acquired home in AMEN Estate in the Lekki axis of Lagos. I tried to inquire how much the mansion tagged ‘Afin’ goes for, but the AMEN Estate agent told me I must register on their website with One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000), a standard procedure before being availed with any information on the property). However, with the features of the property, I guess it is easy to know how much it is worth.

    The ‘Afin’ is a 7-bedroom detached mansion inspired by ancient design. It is a classic example of the Amen Estate collection that successfully blends the graceful architecture of past with present day technology. It features airy terraces and casement windows to ensure maximum comfort within the home. It is finished with the finest porcelain and granite floor tiles, elegant POP ceilings, fully fitted kitchen with granite worktops, fitted wardrobes, Jacuzzi steam bath with shower in the elegant master bedroom bath, and various other luxuries. In addition to the 7 en-suite bedrooms is a Study, 5 receptions/lounges, 7.5 bathrooms, 4 balconies/terraces and 2 Room Self-contained BQ.

    Although the actress started off playing a serious character in the UNFPA-sponsored Nigerian family-oriented television series on adolescent reproductive health titled ‘I Need to Know’, following which she featured in several Nollywood films, some of which she produced herself. However, Akindele’s commercial break only happened when she produced the 2008 comic drama, Jenifa – the success of which gave birth to the sequel, The Return of Jenifa (2012) and now the ongoing Jenifa’s Diary, a star-studded television series which has branched into DVD form of distribution across the globe.

    When Akindele, who also runs a drama school called Scene One, decided to reproduce the TV series in DVD at a time when the format is an easy prey for pirates, not many knew that her resolve was to satisfy her fans who are spread beyond Lagos and indeed the shores of Nigeria. This underscores some of the business initiatives which stand the thespian out.

    Abuja-based filmmaker and media personality, Charles Novia, captured the verve of Jenifa’s Diary when he said, “The series is such a huge hit. In the North, the bourgeois kids and adults are crazy about it, apart from Southern Nigeria. And in the UK and America, it has a huge followership especially with the British-born kids and teens.”

    Corroborating Novia’s position, another filmmaker, Uzodinma Okpechi posited: “Charles, I have been a student of Jenifa and I feel the same way you do. But I have been asking questions and all the answers have been the way she talks and murders English in a way that makes people laugh. Funke now has a lingo.”

    Many have agreed that Jenifa falls under that category of entertainment powered by franchise, thus Novia thinks that Jenifa came at a time pop culture in Nigeria was ready to embrace the social media phenomenon in the acceptance of viral characters. “Funke was smart to recognise this and carried on with the franchise,” he submitted.

    Few months back, my piece in this space explored why Funke Akinde is huge in London and I recall saying that the Nigerian actress and comedian, though now married to London-based singer, Abdulrasheed Bello, aka JJC, had long ‘possessed’ London as her second home outside of Lagos.

    “It is not clear how the Glo ambassador and crossover thespian got to this point in her life, but recent events show that just as Genevieve Nnaji was practically living in Ghana in her heydays, Jenifa, as Funke Akindele is otherwise called, enjoys a fan base that endears her to London than any other city in the world.”

    That article was prompted by three back-to-back premieres of a two-hour cut of Jenifa’s Diary in London, a feat never attained by any of the Nigerian films which have so far enjoyed premieres in the UK.

    Promoters say Funke Akindele’s shows despite being staged in series; happen to be the most sold-out of Nigerian film shows in the United Kingdom.

    Popular show promoter in the UK, DJ Abbas, when asked to comment on the actress’ popularity in London, said: “It is huge… Very huge o… We have sold out Friday which is a 600 capacity venue and there are indications that we will do the same for Sunday in London. Manchester is a 500 capacity venue and it is almost sold out as well.”

    How the actress is able to carve a niche for herself in this market has to do with a business and social aura that is aided by today’s media. And it is doubtful that any other Nollywood figure can pull this kind of stuff right now in the U.K.

    I tried to figure out if this is just about Jenifa’s Diary or the actress’ personality. I asked questions too, and it is amazing that there is something about her personality that suffices, despite odds.

    Reports have it that in July when she launched her new season, she had a deal with iRoko TV where she had a Meet & Greet session in a 380 capacity venue and it was sold out in no time. Indeed, the attraction is Funke, whose rise may have been induced by the Jenifa brand. This much I witnessed of her in Toronto in 2008 where she took her art, when a huge number of the Nigerian community gave her a rousing welcome at the Toronto Pearson International Airport.

    Needless to dig deep, looking for where her fortune came from: It is simply in playing the buffoonery. And I like to say that the actress has done so well for herself to earn this feat, because despite the ‘parallel’ line that exists between the Yoruba and English language sectors in Nollywood, Funke has been able to crisscross from television to mainstream Yoruba sector and the hub of today’s Nollywood quantum productions which is in Asaba, Delta State.

  • WORTHY AMBUSH ON DADU AND COHORTS

    WHEN you place a politician in the position of a technocrat, you simply make a mess of the polity. The appointment of Danjuma Dadu as Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was a mess that has lasted more than four years and planning to spread.

    For some of us, we took his appointment with some level of optimism in the belief that even a child with a clean mind, obedient mien and listening hear could lead a society with remarkable reign let alone a university teacher. On the other hand, and perhaps worse, is that the film industry was, as usual, divided along political, ethnic and egocentric line that the protest against Dadu’s appointment was neither here nor there.

    Today, the man is using the same politics that brought him to power to sustain his hold on filmmakers and the film industry, having ‘secretly’ spearheaded a bill to repeal the NFC ACT 2004 and  re-enact the Nigerian Film Commission ACT, 2016, to regulate the film industry in Nigeria.

    It is indeed untoward how Dadu treated the issue of transforming the NFC into a Film Commission like a matter for politicians alone, without carrying the stakeholders (who are the reason the NFC was created in the first place) along. The move for that supposed public hearing of December 6, 2016 by the House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation, ethics and Value was indeed questionable, as the event was somewhat ambushed by industry practitioners who disclosed that invitations were not extended to the heads of their guilds and associations or key players in the motion picture industry.

    Among those who had foreknowledge of the meeting at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja were the external sponsor of the bill, including Mr. Brendan Shehu, Mr. Afolabi Adesanya (both former Chief Executives of the Corporation), Alhaji Aldulkarim Mohammed and a large retinue of NFC staff. The National Film & Video Censors Board (NFVCB) was also there with some its key staff, led by its Director General, Patricia Bala.

    Just so we are clear on how secretive that public hearing was intended, when Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Chief Odebunmi O. Dokun, called for those that submitted memoranda, it was gathered that only the NFC and NFVCB represented by their helmsmen could submit written memoranda before the December 1, 2016 deadline given by the House Committee. Grace however came the way of the filmmakers when Hon. Dokun gave room for verbal presentations, to which the likes of Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Madu Chikwendu and Charles Novia rose to the occasion.

    Dadu and his team might have been surprised at the presence of the Nollywood group, including President of Association of Movie Producer (AMP), Ralph Nwadike, President of Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Fred Amata, former President of DGN, Andy Amenechi, Creative Designers’ Guild strong lady Iyen Agbonifo-Obaseki, notable actor Mr. Ramsey Nouah, former president of ITPAN Femi Odugbemi, AMAA boss and Chairperson of Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) Review Committee, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, who obviously were a group to abort the sinister move.

    Suffice to say that while the issue of transforming the NFC to a film commission is a development which discerning minds have been clamouring for, some of the clauses injected by Dadu and co were the issues in contention.

    Shedding light on the issue, internal sponsor of the bill, Hon. Umar Buba Jibril, Deputy House Leader who also represented the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara at the hearing, informed the gathering that he actually sponsored and pushed the bill forward when he was Chairman of the House Committee on Information in the 7th Assembly. He urged all to see the bill, which had gone through second reading as the next step in moving the film industry forward.

    After Dadu, the originator of the bill talked about the amendments therein, the NFVCB reportedly picked holes in the proposed bill, saying the proposed Commission intends to take on the duties of the Censors Board yet requiring the Board to remit a percentage of its earnings to it when established.

    Bala had nominated the NFVCB’s legal adviser, Iwang Effiong, to do her presentation which elicited some banter between the latter and some committee members.

    Ali-Balogun, after promising, on behalf of Nollywood that a memoranda will be forwarded to the committee at a later date, made it clear that indeed, a film commission will be most appropriate for the motion picture industry in Nigeria but opposed the current draft which said contained clauses that will stifle the development and growth of the industry if not reviewed.

    Ali-Balogun who is the Deputy Chairman of the MOPICON Review Committee echoed the provisions in its current state whereby among other things, it seeks to  handle production and exhibition of films; set up production and post-production facilities; to establish the commission as the sole producer of all government video productions; to establish cinemas/theatres and exhibit films commercially and more importantly, regulate motion picture practice through guilds and association – as in the current MOPICON bill. This, he said contradicts the industry position.

    He told the House Committee that the guilds and associations as a unified industry body through a review committee set up by the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had already submitted a Motion Picture Council Of Nigeria (MOPICON) Draft Bill barely three weeks before the hearing; and that the NFC was part of the committee as its secretariat, adding that the bill is to get to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill.

    It is laughable that while a film commission should serve as a developmental agency, it is being proposed by Dadu as a competitor to players in the industry. Another position of the whistle blowers which I quite agree with is that the head of the film commission should be a person with proven pedigree in motion picture practice contrary to what obtained presently, whereby Dadu, an engineer was made head of the Film Corporation.

    Thankfully, the bill will be reviewed and the chaff removed from the wheat because Dokun, on hearing the position of the practitioners, magnanimously gave the draft bill to the industry players to go and review. In about two weeks from today, real players in film business will present a final document to the House Committee for another hearing, beating Dadu and cohorts to their ‘game of thrones’.

  • YEAR OF NIGERIA’S BOX OFFICE EARNINGS

    THERE was a resurgence of the cinema going culture in Nigeria in May 2004 with the establishment of Silverbird Cinema at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos, but at the time, Hollywood films dominated the exhibition space largely because Nollywood had maintained a direct-to-home production through the sales of CDs and DVDs, and a last distribution chain being Africa Magic on DStv.

    While the home video business held sway, another factor that made Nigerian films somewhat unfit for the cinemas was the low quality of production which produces hazy pictures on the big screen, until ‘Through the Glass’ a project by Stephanie Okereke-Linus who just return from the New York Film Academy in 2007 opened the floodgate for other filmmakers who began to use upgraded equipment in order for their films to be accepted by cinema owners.

    Although ‘Through the Glass’ did not achieve much commercial success, having made about N13 million in three weeks of exhibition, the next remarkable Nigerian production, ‘The Figurine’ (2009), by Kunle Afolayan endeared more people to the cinemas, thus the film made about N25million. There was a notable progression in box office earnings, as a project, ‘Ije-The Journey’ (2010) by another Nigerian filmmaker, Chineze Anyaene, who also attended the New York Film Academy recorded N59 million, showcasing in five cinemas across three Nigerian cities. It was the first time a Nigerian movie was making such earning. And this brought hope to many who began to see the cinema as a way of outsmarting pirates who are known to feast on DVDs even before their original owners released them to the market. For a long time, ‘Ije’ became a reference point for possibility. And the producer, among other things harped on robust publicity budget as her success factor.

    When in 2012, the first Filmhouse Cinema was opened in Surulere, Lagos, hope for more earnings rose. But for a while, none was able to beat the record of ‘Ije’. However, Kunle Afolayan’s ‘Phone Swap’ (2012) was an improvement on ‘The Figurine’, having made about N30million in the cinemas. Again, Afolayan’s ‘October 1’ ( 2014) was an improvement on his previous work with more than N35million box office sales apart from about N60million it clinched through the filmmaker’s private screening initiative. In the same year, there was another unprecedented bumper earning by first-time feature film producer, Ayo Makun, whose film made N100million. By this time, Filmhouse’s strategic development plan to roll-out 25 cinemas over a six-year period had yielded about 60 percent, added to the likes of Viva Cinema in Ibadan and Ilorin, Kada Cinema in Benin, Dews Cinema in FESTAC Town, Royal Cinema in Alimosho, 5D Cinema 9Ja in Port-Harcourt and Genesis Deluxe Owerri among a few others.

    Interestingly, the exploits of Nigerian films in the cinemas this year have been particularly remarkable. While ‘The CEO’ by Kunle Afolayan has so far made N60million and ‘Wives on Strike’ by Omoni Oboli raking about N71million, ‘A Trip to Jamaica by Ayo Makun was said to have made N160million. And while promoters were still celebrating that as the highest grossing film in Nigeria, ‘The Wedding Party’ directed by Kemi Adetiba grossed N36million in its opening weekend alone, while ”76′, a film on the Nigerian military coup and directed by Izu Ojukwu and ‘Three Wise Men’ by Opa Williams have had their cinema figures kept under wraps.

    The record booster for ‘The Wedding Party’, which critics have rated low in some quarters, is such that it opened on the same weekend with Hollywood Sci-Fi, ‘Rogue One – a Star Wars story, and edged it off the way.

    With the current development, it is safe to say that Nigerian films, in the last two years, have improved tremendously in box office performances, lending credence to the 2015 report by leading audit firm, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) which put the worth of Nigerian entertainment and media industry at more than US$4 billion annually, with the prediction that by 2019, the market will be more than twice as big, with estimated total revenue of US$8.1 billion.

  • 20 YEARS AFTER, VETERAN FILMMAKERS, OTHERS STORM NATIONAL THEATRE FOR ADE LOVE MEMORIAL

    20 YEARS AFTER, VETERAN FILMMAKERS, OTHERS STORM NATIONAL THEATRE FOR ADE LOVE MEMORIAL

    AS the family of late veteran filmmaker, Adeyemi Afolayan, aka Ade Love marks the 20th anniversary of his demise, it was another opportunity for movie buffs to experience the early days of filmmaking in Nigeria and how Nollywood evolved from the Yoruba travelling theatre.

    The event, which held at the National Theatre yesterday, celebrated among other things, the place of the late veteran in the history of the Nigerian film industry, harping on the fact that he (Ade Love), it was, who introduced the likes of Hubert Ogunde and Moses Olaiya, aka Baba Sala to filmmaking, despite having served under the latter as a stage and travelling theatre actor.

    In celebrating the legendary filmmaker, his family is showcasing  how his style of story-telling attracted a wide range of fan base, who cherished how romance and music were woven into folktales, political satires, family centric and other forms of drama that appealed to the young and the young at heart.

    Offspring of the legend, most of whom are also making waves in the entertainment industry have put together a week-event tagged Ade Love Week, during which films of the celebrant will be screened in cinemas across the country.

    During the star-studded event, a documentary on the life and times of the legend was screened to the guests, revealing even more about the personality of Ade Love from his contemporaries and others who knew him personally.

    Among those who aired their thoughts in the visual biography are, Moses Olaiya, aka Baba Sala, Lere Paimo, aka Eda Onile Ola, Mr. Jimoh Aliu, Mr. Olu Omojola, Moremi Duro Ladipo, Chief Eddie Ugboma, Dr. Ola Balogun, Professor Adebayo Faleti, Prince Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami, aka Oga Bello, Kareem Adepoju, aka Baba Wande, Wole Olowo Moju Ore, aka Baba Gebu, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, Tunde Kelani, Prof. Ekwasi, Mr. Brandah Shehu and Mr. Victor Ashaolu.  Most of them were also at the event.

    Anchored by notable comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka, the event was also used to premiere some of the works of Ade Love, including Kadara (Destiny) after 36 years of its initial release.

    The films sparked new debate among the attendees on the old and new ways of storytelling.

    Other dignitaries at the event are: Former Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Mr. Afolabi Adesanya; Commercial Manager, Air France, Arthur Dieffenthaler; Founder of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Chioma Ude; Founder of Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austen-Peters; veteran actor Dele Odule, filmmaker Mahmood Ali-Balogun and former Editor of Sunday Guardian, Jahman Anikulapo.

    At the forefront of the event was Kunle Afolayan, who is regarded as the poster boy of today’s Nigerian film industry called Nollywood.

    The young Afolayan disclosed that with Ade Love Week, he and his siblings intend to make this Yuletide season more memorable with the daily screenings of ‘Kadara’, ‘Taxi Driver’ 1 and 2 at the National, Lagos Airport Hotel, Silverbird Cinemas, Film House, Genesis Deluxe, Kada, Viva and other cinemas across the country.

    Described as an uncompromising titan of theatre and Nigerian cinema, Ade Love’s movies provided a homely alternative in the Southwest, to the then popular Indian films in the country. A fan of Indian films himself; the filmmaker remixed some Indian movie songs in Yoruba language, giving them some creative and communicative appeal.

    Like King Sunny Ade (K.S.A), Ade Love had a stint with versatile entertainer, Moses Olaiya, during his early days as a stage performer.

    A visionary entertainer, Ade Love first saw the opportunities in filmmaking when he acted in Dr. Ola Balogun’s film, ‘Ajani Ogun’ in 1976, also featuring Duro Ladipo, as a lead actor. Two years after, he shot his first film, ‘Ija Ominira’, directed by Ola Balogun. Indeed, it was Ade Love’s incursion into filmmaking that inspired his former master, Baba Sala to up his act as a stage performer to a filmmaker.

    Ade Love who started filmmaking before Hubert Ogunde and Baba Sala recorded the highest number of celluloid films in Yoruba. He was also the most travelled Yoruba filmmaker whose films represented Nigeria at major film festivals in the world.

    A very busy filmmaker, Ade Love, at the peak of his career had embraced commercial filmmaking and festival routing which kept him away from his family most of the times, traveling around Africa and beyond. Some of those festivals that featured his films include Rotterdam Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.

    Apart from his great works, Ade Love’s legacy has also been kept aglow by some of his children who now embrace different genres of entertainment such as acting, music and filmmaking. Among them is Kunle, an award-winning filmmaker, Gabriel, an actor and singer, Moji, a notable actress and Aremu, an actor and producer. The late Afolayan’s sister, Toyin has also been relevant on the scene.

    Ade Love passed on December 30, 1996 at the age of 56.

  • TIME TO ESCHEW POLITICS IN TOURISM SECTOR

    THERE is no doubt that at the moment, we are in search of our lost glory (if we’d had any at all) in the area of culture and tourism. And with the recent sack of Sally Mbanefo as Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Nigerian government must prove to us that it has turned a new leaf from playing politics with our national heritage. I dare say that the years of Sally Mbanefo as D.G of NTDC was a colossal waste, in the same way that the film industry has been thrown into total darkness in the hands of its current Managing Director, Danjuma Dadu.

    There is no doubt that the bane of art, culture and tourism in Nigeria is having the wrong people in the right places. And unless the government of Muhammadu Buhari is paying lip service to its much touted diversification of the Nigerian economy, the time is now to guard entertainment and tourism jealously, as the hen with the potential to lay the golden egg.

    My thoughts on how astern culture and tourism in Nigeria has been was rekindled by the opening in NTDC, and just as I once posited that filmmaker Kunle Afolayan is a cultural man to the core, another man who is tourism personified, is Ikechi Uko. For Mr. Uko, Founder of the world famous Akwaaba Expo and 2015 Africa’s Tourism Ambassador by America-based African Sun Times, I stand in the gap for history, and do hope that the powers that be will consider merit and not sentiment in their choice of a new D.G for the NTDC.

    Before I go briefly into the profile of Uko, let me open our minds to what culture and tourism can do to the economy of Nigeria, using the indices of a small country called The Gambia.

    The first time I visited The Gambia, I was stunned by the number of immigrants trooping in and out of that country. It was not for the long bread and tea which appears to be the only thing produced in that country, but for holidaying. Indeed, the country is said to import such surpluses that we have in Nigeria like eggs, garri, yam and rice among other food stuff.

    The Gambian economy is predominantly dependent on tourism. And what does the country sell other than beach resorts that thrive on a serene environment, clean waters, scorching sun and adequate security for revelers. Lagos, for example, has more, with potential even for more of these qualities, when you consider its entertainment centers, historical sites, cultural events, natural landscape and topography traversed by sea and lagoon waters, enormous beaches and waterfronts, sea foods and other numerous delicacies that define a true metropolitan city. The missing gap has been the inability of leaders to harness these beauties for the all-important social and economic benefits. Apart from The Gambia, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania are also making a kill from culture and tourism. But how do we market our made in Nigerian goods when we have refused to brand them for marketing? How do we market the Erin Ijesha Water Falls, Gurara Water Falls, the Oguta Water Confluence when we have not thought of developing them? How do we market the Argungu Fishing Festival in the North; Calabar Carnival in the South-South and Osun Osogbo Festival in the South-West when we don’t see the national importance in them? While thinking of bailouts for the current recession, it is only wise to consider the fact that culture and tourism alone is capable of feeding Nigeria.

    One State in Nigeria that is taking the lead in tourism is Cross River, and only this year, its Governor, Ben Ayade, was named Tourism Man of the Year for Nigeria and West Africa, beating contenders which include the Minister of Tourism for Ghana, the Minister of Tourism for the Gambia and Obinna Ekezie, MD of Wakanow.

    It is pertinent to state here that one of the people instrumental to Ayade’s feat is Uko, who only last year was reappointed by the governor as consultant for the international aspect of the carnival in which 11 countries participated.

    Uko, a Nigerian travel business consultant, travel promoter, tourism development expert, media consultant, journalist and author, comes across to me as the man with the right exposure and connection. He is the organiser of Abuja Bantaba and Akwaaba African Travel Market; the only international travel fair in West Africa; Project Director of Seven Wonders of Nigeria (Naija7Wonders), and CEO of Jedidah Promotions (an international media and tourism marketing firm for airlines, hotels and destinations across Africa) and publisher of Africa Travel Quarterly Magazine and atqnews.com.

    Wikipedia describes Uko as a very well-traveled person, traveling close to 200 days in a year.

    In 2008, he was appointed a member of the tourism committee for Nigeria Vision 2020 by the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

    Ikechi Uko is presently pushing his proposal to build an aviation museum for Nigeria, using abandoned aircraft as exhibits. He said that the project would promote Nigeria’s tourism; empower and educate a new generation of aviators; draw international investors in the aviation industry to Nigeria and serve as an “eye-opener” to look and work for a brighter future in the aviation industry.