The Nation Newspaper

Category: Victor Akande

  • A break from music videos and films

    GROWING up, there were days we ran home to see Sesame street, Village Headmaster, Checkmate, Mirror In The Sun, Ripples etc. Today, there’s really no TV programme to run home to see. Even the Mexican soap craze has dwindled. The youths are more addicted to music videos, and foreign films, just as the women are fans of Nollywood home videos. But the world around us is changing, and television viewership is not just about entertainment.

    Taking the children’s mind away from cartoons once in a while is to engender in them other interests in life, thereby completing the circle of education.

    The Nigeria media prioritizes political stories; while perhaps business stories come next, pushing human interest stories to some obscure corner, except in cases of big disasters. There should be a conscious effort to play up inspirational issues of society; it is the only evidence of hope in this period of great oddities, which many call ‘signs of the end time.’

    I was endeared to this subject after watching the second episode of Airtel Touching Lives last Sunday.

    So many stories about life are unfolding that cannot be captured by the conventional media, especially in the absence of government involvement. Filmmakers have captured some of these experiences in true life stories, but an entertainment piece is an entertainment piece. Programmes such as the late Kola Olawuyi’s Nkan Nbe, and Segun Adisa’s Labe Orun are more thought-provoking. They belong to a class of reality TV shows that present life in its bare nakedness. They are grass-root programmes through which the common man finds a voice. The producers are more accessible to the people than their conventional counterparts, and the the programmes use the traditional language of the people.

    We need to bring our society close to us. Oshodi is such a distance from Mushin without the media helping in making the world a global village. But the irony is that our youths are closer to America in their orientation, than their immediate neighbourhood. And as the spectrum gets wider with the planned migration from analog to digital TV, it is pertinent to look in the way of human interest stories; true life stories that could help government and the governed to make better choices.

    Last week, I had the opportunity of seeing Episode 2 of Airtel Touching Lives give a lifeline to a man who battled an unknown, debilitating disease for several years. It also captured how the project sponsors; telecommunications company, Airtel, employed innovative means to help several women and children in a community in my home State of Osun.

    In a preview of the maiden episode of that season, which kicked off two weeks ago, the sponsors also fulfilled their promise to Season 1 beneficiary, Mr. Essien Obong; a mathematician/software writer who became blind after an armed robbery attack. The Telco came to his aid by providing him with a customised laptop, bespoke Braille machine, and other computer software to support him.

    Although Airtel’s aim maybe purely Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it has complemented the role of the conventional media by bringing some of these hidden stories to the fore. I see many more such touching stories finding their way to the front of the sponsor’s camera.

    Also in the flashback, Episode 1 saw a foundation known as ‘Centre for Citizens with Disabilities,’ getting assistance from the Telco. The Foundation was founded by David Anyaele; a social support activist, whose hands were amputated by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in 1999 while on a business trip to Sierra Leone during the Civil War there – the inspiring story of a man trying to change the world in his own little way, despite his disability.

    It was interesting to know that with the aid of prosthesis, and the support of family, and friends, Anyaele recovered quickly to not only carry on the burden of life and living, but also to canvass for the support of the less privileged. He brought quite a few in the audience to tears with his moving story, while expressing utmost appreciation to God for sparing his life, and to Airtel Nigeria, for donating laptops, printers, desks, photocopiers and other office equipment to enable him do his work of mercy and faith.

    Through the Touching Lives platform, Airtel has been promoting the spirit of giving, self-sacrifice, and love among Nigerians. An example like this is needed in these hard times.

    And as the programme enters Season 3 tomorrow, there is reaffirmation by the sponsor to the less privileged members of the society.

    I enjoin you to also make out time to see this life changing experience on Africa Magic Channel 151 from 7.30-8.00pm. A sneak preview of Episode 3 takes viewers to the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, where help came the way of some less privileged kids. I also can’t wait to see details of how a 47 year-old man, Gbenga Adesida, who was born blind was empowered to deal with the situation, and other challenges.

    I want to see more of such programmes going forward and get inspired.

  • AMAA and the Oscar snub

    LAST year, there were concerns over the obvious exclusion of blacks in the acting category of the Academy Awards, otherwise called the Oscar. But there appears to be some determination on the part of the predominantly white organisers to yield to pressure. This year, criticism has grown into boycott threats by notable black celebrities, including Lupita Nyong’o who won a Supporting Actress’ diadem in 2014 for her role in the 2013 film, 12 Years a Slave.

    For about the third time in nearly two decades, the acting nominations went to a group made up entirely of white actors and actresses.

    Last year, one of the notable snubs was David Oyelowo, who received praises for his turn as the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma. In 2011, the 20 nominees also were entirely white. Before that time, one had to go back to 1998 for an all-white acting group.

    “I am disappointed by the lack of inclusion in this year’s Academy Awards nominations. It has me thinking about unconscious prejudice and what merits prestige in our culture. The Awards should not dictate the terms of art in our modern society, but rather be a diverse reflection of the best of what our art has to offer today,” said Lupita, giving support to other celebrities who have expressed similar disappointment.

    “I stand with my peers who are calling for change in expanding the stories that are told and recognition of the people who tell them,” she said, sharing a quote by novelist James Baldwin: “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

    As the show comes up on February 28, one of the celebrities who will not be attending is Oscar-winning actor, George Clooney, who has accused the Academy Awards of “moving in the wrong direction.”

    This is just as actress Jada Pinkett Smith had canvassed in a video message on Facebook that people of colour should disregard the awards.

    Interestingly, film director, Spike Lee, who was awarded an honorary Oscar in November, is among those boycotting the ceremony, saying on Instagram that he “cannot support” the “lily white” Oscars.

    This controversy continues at a time when Hollywood is fielding criticism for not doing enough to promote diversity in filmmaking. Only last year, Sony Pictures co-chairman, Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin, apologised for leaked emails that appeared to be racially insensitive.

    There are concerns over this trend, which many described as having the racism undertone. Recall that Gene Seymour, a film critic who has written about music, movies and culture for The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly and The Washington Post, was among those who believed that the Selma Oscar snub was about race, considering the difference between Oscar support for 12 Years a Slave and Selma. According to Seymour, while the former is about blacks as victims; the latter is about strong blacks as agents of their own salvation.

    But how quickly can the intervention from Academy president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, help the current situation? She had addressed the organisation’s diversity issue late Monday, saying, “I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year’s nominees… While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation and it’s time for big changes.”

    According to Isaacs, “the Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership. In the coming days and weeks, we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond. As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. But the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more and better and more quickly.

    “In the ’60s and ’70s, it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant. In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We recognise the very real concerns of our community, and I so appreciate all of you who have reached out to me in our effort to move forward together.”

    Though the Academy doesn’t reveal a breakdown of its membership, a 2012 report by the Los Angeles Times found that of the nearly 6,000 members, 94 percent are white, 77 percent are male and 86 percent are age 50 or older.

    I believe that Africa is where these black Hollywood guys belong and perhaps until they find that path of discovery, they might just continue to groan in exile. Donald Trump is a very good example of the changing times. This might just be the gods making them go mad just for the Godly to get their thinking right.

    Could Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)’s rebranding into an award scheme for black people be some sort of divine expansion, just so the blacks in Hollywood could find some room. This sounds like a joke, but the fact is that God does not shout when he speaks to man.

    Who says that Africa cannot be the envy of the world if our long lost brothers return to base?

    AMAA, at the wake of its 11th edition unveiled a series of business and social initiatives which was not only to advance African filmmakers, but evolve a strategic synergy of black creatives all over the world.

    The objective which underscored why the nomination gala took place in Los Angeles, home to leading studios in world cinema, was also to engender co-productions and other forms of partnerships, through interactions between African filmmakers and their Hollywood counterparts.

    I recall how AMAA founder, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, mesmerised the gathering with her eloquent speech about the vision of a united Africa, sharing the thoughts of icons like Mariam Makeba and other visionary African leaders, on the need to achieve one world for the blacks.

    “I don’t want to be apologetic about who I am as a creative. I don’t want you to describe me as a black filmmaker. We have to rewrite our history by ourselves. I don’t want to know if you are black American, I don’t want to know if you are African American, I don’t want to know if you are African Caribbean, I just want you to realise one thing, check your DNA, you are black and we are just one,” she said, spurring the crowd into more applause.

    What more is there to say? Racism will continue in the world, and ironically, black people are their own real enemies. Imagine a synergy between AMAA and BET Awards. Don’t just think it, believe it.

  • DADU AND NFC: A ‘Sabbatical’ too long (2)

    IT was as though I gave stakeholders in the film sector the best Xmas gift last weekend, with the first part of this series. My phone has not stopped ringing ever since. Also, at the different platforms where the issue of Danjuma Dadu, the Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) was being discussed, everybody, including protégés of former President Goodluck Jonathan, agreed to the fact that Dadu’s appointment was a square peg in a round hole.

    The uncoordinated nature of the film industry has given rooms for mediocrity to fester, and Dadu happens to be that proverbial slave who got to the throne while true heirs were yet in battle against themselves.

    While the choice of Dadu by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Pius Anyim Pius had no justification whatsoever, an attempt by erstwhile President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberesima to press for Dadu’s removal was met with criticism by other stakeholders. Not because they believe that Dadu was fit for the position, but because they felt Ibinabo didn’t consult widely enough before paying Jonathan a visit. They also felt that she couldn’t be speaking for the entire film sector let alone conferring the patronship of Nollywood on the former President.

    Today, everyone cannot wait for the table to turn. “NFC is dead!” says a filmmaker curtly.

    Now I know better than to plead for Dadu to be left alone  indeed, the man is not a stakeholder; why should it matter to him if the film sector dies or lives. After all, his only knowledge of film or television is the old Jaguar television series  he said this himself few weeks after assumption of office.

    Not that it matters much to me now that I ever made a case for Dadu, it bothers me why an academic would not set the pace wherever they find themselves. George Lucas, whom I mentioned in my last write-up, is a film graduate of University of Southern California, but he grew his passion for filmmaking as a race-car driver who spent most of his high school years racing on the underground circuit at fairgrounds and hanging out at garages. There is also James Cameron who studied Physics and English, but did several jobs such as truck driving before his landmark successes as a film director, film producer, screenwriter and editor. What about Harrison Ford who was a carpenter, and Sylvester Stallone, who was a lion cage cleaner? Why couldn’t Dadu maximise a rare opportunity? I’m not impressed, and so are many others.

    There is no gainsaying that the NFC honcho has no passion for the film industry, but to warm the seat of power as though it is the birthright of the Plateau.

    Filmmakers keep complaining that he does not attend their sessions. Why should he? What would he be saying there? If the NFC boss is willing to learn, he could have, at least, started off by attending students’ film festivals. That way, he may learn the ropes. But something tells me his intent is political and personal. And that is why, despite the rules of his engagement; the one that clearly eschew his position from politics, he has brazenly immersed himself in politics as PDP agent for both the last gubernatorial and presidential polls on the Plateau.

    This is an unfortunate deviation, because the NFC before Dadu had been playing the politics of film festivals, only for Dadu to set the film industry back by three years: three years of disinterest for the prestigious Festival de Cannes, France; Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), Germany; Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Canada; Pan African Film Festival (FESPACO) and Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) among others. However, we hear he was recently at a film festival in India. Which African film screened at that festival, Oga Dadu, let alone Nigerian film? Why the choice of an ‘unpopular’ Hindi film festival over the traditional Festival de Cannes and others that have been favoured by past Ministers of Information and MDs before you. Isn’t something about your style sinister, Mr. Lecturer?

    I cannot remember seeing Engineer Dadu at any Nollywood event in the last three years. Why would a serious minded leader decline invitations from members of his constituency? This year alone, Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) took place without Dadu or a representative; Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) held without Dadu; Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) held without Dadu; Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) where several Nigerian films were screened also held without Dadu, whereas film agencies from South Africa, Rwanda etc were in Nigeria for the last AFRIFF in the spirit of continental collaboration. Of what good is Dadu to the Nigerian motion picture sector, I ask?

    The NFC Lagos office has been reduced to venue for wedding and other events. This is an edifice many thought could be utilised as an annex of the NFI, irrespective of the number of film schools in Lagos. But how could this fester when students at the NFI, Jos still go out of their way to rent cameras which the school should have provided.

    It is instructive to note that the NFC used to be the champion of the Quartet involving it, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC). There is no gainsaying that Dadu, with a manifest of cluelessness couldn’t fit in that shoe.

    Dadu must be reminded that he is a public officer, and only responsible to the Federal Government and the filmmakers, and not the people of Plateau. He cannot afford to sit in a position that begs for action, especially now that the Federal Government is serious about diversification of the economy. The entertainment sector is a goldmine; the NFC under Dadu must prove its worth in this new dispensation.

     

    …To be continued

  • DADU AND NFC: A ‘Sabbatical’ too long (1)

    IN spite of some notable projects that confirmed former President Goodluck Jonathan’s interest in the Nigerian film industry, the choice of Danjuma Dadu, a building engineer, as head of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) is one of the greatest errors of the erstwhile administration  No thanks to Anyim Pius Anyim.

    I was attending the 2013 edition of Festival de Cannes, France, when Dadu was announced as new head honcho of NFC. Echoes from home and abroad raged with unpleasant sound  murmuring, curses and outright rejection from a large section of the film industry  reason; Anyim, the then Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), snubbed the basic recommendation in the Film Act that stipulates that only a film practitioner is eligible to head the film corporation, and appointed a total stranger to man that sensitive space. While criticism on the choice of Dadu was raging, I chose to look the other way  after all, my friend, Ayeni Adekunle Samuel, CEO of Black House Media (BHM) studied Microbiology in school. Not only did he leave a remarkable imprint as a practicing journalist, he is today setting the agenda for the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN)  I was wrong to think that old Dadu, also an academic, could spring intelligent surprises like Ayeni  indeed, I was wrong; Ayeni is a rare breed.

    Without fear of contradiction, Dadu’s tenure as Managing Director of the apex film agency is witnessing the worst retrogression in the history of the Corporation  evidences abound.

    If there was someone who thought that people should give Dadu a chance, I was that person. But two and half years are enough for me to change gear, knowing the man has ‘eaten it all’, according to a popular Yoruba phrase.

    I reminded filmmakers of the story of George Lucas, a revered name in the film industry today and creator of Star Wars movies who started out as a race-car driver and others like him, just to give the university teacher a chance. If they ever gave him that chance, he has made a mockery of that opportunity.

    Everything around Dadu’s appointment was unusual. And to the SGF, it didn’t matter that the then Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, under whose ministry the film industry falls, liked the idea or not. For a fact, Labaran Maku didn’t like the idea, but this was a matter of interest to the Presidency and who was Maku where Anyim was talking. Dadu resumed, and if he developed spidery legs, knowing his appointment was largely criticised, it did not show in his battle-ready face.

    Dadu was a risk we shouldn’t have taken at a time when the creative sector is seeking the next fame as a viable non-oil sector of the Nigerian economy, and indeed a bad product of the unfortunate national cake mentality. I am not indisposed to prayers of miracle, but Dadu did not merit this unmerited favour.

    I became suspicious when two people from Plateau State were appointed to head two major agencies in the film sector; Dadu for NFC and Patricia Bala for National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). Bala’s case was understandable as she was the most senior civil servant at the NFVCB, but Dadu’s was so much of an undue influence which many attributed to the former governor of the state, Jonah Jang.

    Today, the man who has spent the last two and half years trying to know what the film industry is all about is taking too long on this sabbatical. Not only has he killed some of the ideas like Shoot! Workshop, Zuma Film Festival and the Script Writing Competition among other initiatives of the agency that were still begging for growth, the university teacher continues to rule the Corporation like a local government chairman, only good at renting out cameras and tripods. Yes! Even the Motion Picture Practitioners Council of Nigeria (MOPPICON) bill, has received more of lip service under Dadu, as there is no clear evidence of his dedication to that course.

    Whereby an individual like Chioma Ude, founder of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), has contributed to young filmmakers’ development through collaborations with developmental agencies and scholarships for young filmmakers, Dadu has been so immobile to similar progress, and not a single development in the film industry in recent times could be attributed to his tenure.

    I had pleaded with stakeholders in the film industry to live with the choice of Dadu, and urged them to pray that God should make him a fast and smart learner, a listening leader and a charismatic person, who will be good at steering the ship of existing technocrats. Unfortunately, a committee of filmmakers he put together is now long dead. It may be pertinent to ask the likes of Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Victor Okhai etc why things fell apart.

    Dadu’s ‘Sabbatical’ is indeed dragging. And since we can establish that he is not smart and young enough to play the game like Ayeni Adekunle Samuel of BHM and George Lucas of the Star Wars movies, he should be forced out of the stage, as this performance he neither can act nor sing to.

  • ‘Queen Amina’ as gauge of today’s girl child

    IT is unfortunate that up till the 21s century, the need to free the female folk from several forms of deprivations continue to hit the front burner of campaigns by social activists, religious bodies, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Such gender imbalance in a male-dominated world are painfully being fired by certain cultures and religions, and there is no gainsaying the fact that these values are detrimental to the breakthrough that today’s world needs in the areas of politics, business , and technology.

    I grew up hearing the cliché that when you educate the girl-child, you have educated the world… and it gets clearer to me each time, because indeed, the family unit which is largely ‘managed’ by the woman is the most viable tool of measuring the society. Therefore, it defies logic why any society which desires the best would relegate the girl child.

    At the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), in Canada, last September, I saw a documentary entitled ‘He Named Me Malala’, and was thrilled by a ‘little’ girl’s determination to change the world. And I said to myself, if the historic warrior Queen Aminatu was an old story, here is a current true life account of a girl who defied all odds, battled religious idiosyncrasies, and risked her life for the right of the girl child to education.

    ‘He Named Me Malala’ is an intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted by the Taliban, and severely wounded by a gunshot when returning home on her school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. The then 15-year-old was singled out, along with her father, for advocating for girls’ education, and the attack on her sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. She miraculously survived and is now a leading campaigner for girls’ education globally as co-founder of the Malala Fund.

    “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world,” is the statement that resonates from the campaign of this young girl who was also in Nigeria to see former President Goodluck Jonathan over the abducted Chibok girls by the dreaded Boko Haram. And it is heart-warming that not only is this campaign accepted by discerning minds around the world, the documentary, shot by Davis Guggenheim has received an Oscar nomination for 2016.

    In Nigeria, the partnership between Bank of Industry (BOI) and Nollywood, through a single-digit interest loan scheme known as BOI NollyFund, BNF is using the story of the legendary Queen Amina of Zazzau to re-enact this crusade. This is expected to be a double-dose for the Nigerian film industry, with the campaign for the rights, equality of the girl child in every sphere of the society on one hand, and the production of a film that would bring the story to filmic reality, and a product of international standard.

    History may repeat itself in this case, because the man whose project is Queen Amina is the same man who in 1992 produced the acclaimed Nollywood first film, Living in Bondage. This man, Okey Ogunjiofor, is deploying the best hands to this project, including Izu Ojukwu, a notable epic movie filmmaker to direct Queen Amina.

    As Nigerian as the origin of this story may be, it remains one of the highly recorded global stories about women who ruled their kingdoms with the strength likened to that of men, if not stronger. And Ogunjiofor, who is obviously learned in this area, having researched the Queen Amina story for 20 years, enumerated the significance of this African story to the global audience.

    “In the history of the world, there are five notable queens that have held their own, and Queen Amina of Zaria was one of them. The second is Queen Cleopatra, and Queen Nefertiti of Egypt, and then we have Queen Izenga of Namibia, and Queen of Sheba from Ethiopia, from the days of Solomon. They were all African queens and most of them have been celebrated. Queen of Sheba is still in the history books because it’s in the Bible, Nefertiti and Cleopatra are there… But today we don’t talk about our own queen Amina,” said Ogunjiofor.

    It is heart-warming to know that in today’s world where exuberance has been given as an excuse not to relinquish power to the youths, the story of Amina comes handy, telling us that not only are the young capable of taking up leadership positions, the female child, often perceived as the weaker vessel can perform wonders.

    Ogunjiofor likened this to parenting when he said, “Forget what some other people who didn’t do research are telling you. I have done research on this subject for 20 years. Barkwa Turunku did not have a male child, and although he was considering the traditions and the culture of the people which he didn’t want to subvert, yet he trained the girls to ride horses, how to wield weapons, and fight their way through. Also, he never told them one day to come and sit on the throne. When you give children the type of equipment, natural skills and training, the values will be there for all to see when they grow up. We need to train our children to say no to certain things so that when they grow old, they will say no to what they have to say no to.”

    To understand the import of this project is to see it as an African film, telling a global story through universal sounds. “There is no woman anywhere in the world that will not resonate with this story,” said Ogunjiofor, who relates the Amina experience to what is happening with the Chibok girls.

    “With the incident of the Chibok girls, this Amina movie is also another platform to present to the girl children the fact that no one is actually holding you down; cultures and traditions cannot. There has always been conspiracy against either male child or female child, but the thing is that when you are well-parented and you decide where you are going, you will always get there. So, they need to rise and begin to take their destinies in their hands because the time is now. What Amina suffered 500 years ago is what the Chibok girls just suffered and people think it’s new. But Amina broke the Jinx. And irrespective of what tradition and culture was saying, she sat on the throne. She was the world general, and she ruled 13 emirates. I don’t know how many men can do that these days.”

    Queen Amina lived in the age of man in a man’s world. In an ancient world of brutal conflicts, ferocious animal passions, suppressive timeless customs, and reckless, heroic exploits, she must have resolutely carved out a part for her life in the face of scandalized tradition and antagonistic male dominance. To grasp her destiny, she must have proved herself not just as able, but infinitely more capable than any man alive. This is also Ogunjiofor’s story for every girl child in Nigeria, and by extension, Africa, where sometimes, culture is seen as an end rather than means to an end.

  • Ayade, Cross Riverians and the Climate Change carnival

    FOR some time now, there have been serious concerns about climate change around the world. Interestingly, Nigeria is not lagging behind in the pro-active measures to protect humanity from environmental hazards and natural disasters.

    Let me quickly emphasise that I don’t know how much work has been done by the National Orientation Agency, NOA, on matters that affect the ordinary Nigerians. But it is obvious that the days of intriguing radio jingles as well as subtle and dramatic presentations on television that condemned social vices and appraised good virtues are gone! Indeed, one still remembers with glee such enticing and attention-grabbing commercials such as the ”I’m Checking Out” advert popularised by ‘Andrew’.

    No doubt, times were when we experienced great political and economic awareness in this country, a situation that reminds one of the halcyon days of the MAMSER campaign. However, it appears that issues of human interests and socio-economic concerns have been ceded to NGOs and individual state government nowadays.

    But in the midst of this seeming un-inspiring experience, the recent announcement of ‘Climate Change’ by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, as the theme of this year’s Calabar carnival is a pointer to the fact that the state government is responsive to the yearnings of the citizenry. In other words, it is not enough for a government to manage crises such as deaths and sicknesses, but it is more important to prevent them so as to reduce mortality rate.

    Quoting a popular American saying, Ayade said: “The only essence of life is enjoyment and once you take away happiness from a man, you have taken away the reason to live,” while giving reasons for the world to join him and his people in Calabar to celebrate another yuletide offering and tourism preserve of Cross River State government.

    He spoke glowingly about the annual carnival touted as the ‘Biggest Street Party in Africa”, saying, “As Cross Riverians, we are great dreamers. We don’t believe that there is any challenge that cannot be overcome. This is because at any time you put your soul above your problem, your body will surely follow.”

    Interestingly, while Ayade showed style through his eloquent marketing of the significance of the carnival, I was swayed by the caveat in his speech that suggested that life in all its glory is for man to take dominion of. Besides, I was also impressed by the fact that there is an underlining message in the entire glitz and razzmatazz planned around the carnival – Climate Change – a phenomenon that has the power to define the success or failure of man’s socio-economic and political being.

    Ayade further explained that the theme was carefully selected to reflect current global realities with a view to drawing attention to the needed action against climate change and its negative impacts. “We present a theme that represents the true challenge of the world today as we celebrate this year’s event,” he said, disclosing that Cross River State is the fifth Biodiversity hotspot in the world.

    It will be recalled that former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, launched a climate change summit in 2009, hinging on the need for humanity to reflect on the threat posed by the increasing world population and attendant use of natural resources. This has helped in shaping actions and policies regarding the Lagos environment such as the Eko Atlantic City project, a measure against sea level rise; tree planting campaign; creation of gardens and improved waste management system, among others.

    Perhaps, it is germane to state why I am enamoured of technocrats rather than the typical Nigerian politicians. The reason, to put it mildly, was couched in his statement on the occasion: “We have the second largest rain forest next to the Amazon. We also have the largest forest cover in Nigeria. It is the only state with Green Police governed by a Professor of Environmental Science. So, we cannot but promote environmental best practices to save the world from collapse.”

    Suffice to say that the carnival brings to revellers a strong story of humanity in the most subtle ways possible. This is what art and entertainment represent. In my view, this is another reason our governments and Corporate Nigeria must see dance/drama beyond the ‘play’ factor.

    The creative sector is a multibillion naira industry. So, except we see it as the mirror that reflects who we truly are, we may lose those ingredients that underscore art, culture, fashion, entertainment and whatever name we deem as viable non-oil income earners or tools of cultural exportation and international diplomacy.

    The carnival, according to the Professor Governor, is not just an opportunity to come and dance and make friends, but it is also an opportunity for business. ”This is because geographically, Cross River remains a business hub for Africa; so, there must be a calibration of business and pleasure,” he explained.

    He added that the state plans to set up ‘the biggest garment factory’ in Nigeria on December 15, and localise the production of costumes used during the event as a business angle to the festival.

    Also, in his remark, the Chairman, Cross River State Carnival Commission, Mr. Gabe Onah, said: “The strong desire and fervent wish of the Governor is that we begin to look inward and turn the carnival into a veritable ground to better the lots of the common man and elevate the land from poverty to prosperity.”

    Before delving into the new additions to this year’s show, I also took note of the Band’s challenge in bringing the subject of climate change alive. Leader of the notable Seagull Band, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, shed light on this when she said, contrary to the notion in some quarters that the festival is all about dancing, that it is capital-intensive and intellectually challenging.

    ”The challenges of interpreting the theme is difficult than running for an election. Once the theme is released, the band leaders begin to have sleepless nights. Each time we are having our rehearsals, I remember the comedian called Mr. Bean. And I can tell you that there is nothing as difficult as creating expressions without voicing.  Band leaders tear themselves apart during rehearsals and to imagine that we manage about a thousand people,” she said.

    There are more to look out for in this year’s Carnival Calabar, as Bands from 16 countries will do the 12-kilometre street parade. Memories of old car models will also be brought back through living-legend automobiles. Power bikers from across the country will also be on the loose with what is called the Bikers’ Parade. The best of Nigerian tunes, otherwise called African drums, will also make up what is called the Disco Fiesta, while the popular Children Carnival takes the form of family funfair.

    Indeed, there is no better place to be this December!

  • With Lai, Mohammed has just moved to the mountain

    FOR decades, stakeholders in the film sector have been pained by the edgy screwing of a square peg in a round hole, lamenting their unclear fate under the Information Ministry.

    For several reasons, mostly on real identity, they found the Ministry of Information as a surrogate parent who does not have that biological connect that helps to advance the child along a selfless path of greatness – one that is devoid of those lowly moments that make the caretakers think they are growing another man’s child.

    This is much so because cinema has since shifted focus from its colonial days’ upbringing as a propaganda tool for government programmes. Today, it is considered a highly lucrative business, capable of rescuing the nation’s economy from the unfortunate mess caused by over dependent on oil.

    The cinema has since moved away from the role of the traditional town crier. It is entertainment, art and culture. The nations that understand this and treat film and television business as such have made significant headways through policies that have shaped their business model along the line of co-production treaties, distribution frameworks, tax incentives and legislations that frown seriously at vice such as piracy.

    I am tempted to believe that when you steal and disseminate information, you have merely helped the transfer process as a voluntary vendor. It doesn’t matter if you make money from it; you are simply seen from the social responsibility and patriotic point of view. But when you steal a people’s culture, you have robbed them of their identity; their art and craft. Therefore, it makes sense to say that while the film industry remains under Information Ministry, pirates are considered by the policy as unlicensed or voluntary couriers of the necessary piece of information who perhaps help the National Orientation Agency to do its job. But a Culture Ministry sees film, and other creative works much more than some palatable information.

    With the current administration’s merger of the Information and Culture Ministries, it becomes easy for filmmakers to play by the rules of the game and speak to the policies governing culture without an ‘interpreter’.

    There are high hopes for this marriage, and information is expected to give power to the people’s culture through the visual and performing arts. The onus now rests with Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, as that leader who has come to lead the revolution which I believe could change the narrative of the entertainment industry in Nigeria.

    In 2012, Russia’s Ministry of Culture took over film funding, when the government observed that the initial administrators of that fund were not cultured along the line of the economic and social benefits of co-productions.

    No doubt, the functions of the Russian Cinema Fund with an annual budget of around $170 million, to channel government support to a key group of major production companies, increase opportunities for international co-production and promote Russian films overseas – but later became too big for the agency to handle, thus the need to draft the Ministry of Culture into the show.

    This is the reality of a serious film business country and a conscious government that knows what it means to develop the creative non-oil sector.

    Nigeria needs to develop the export culture, and film is just another veritable product. Nollywood has done its best around Africa and the Diaspora, what a willing government needs to do is to reenergize the process and create wider opportunities for creatives to enjoy a new lease of life.

    Beyond co-production treaties, domestic circulation of film can only help minimize piracy. The cinema chain is growing with the intervention of the Bank of Industry, but more still has to be done to increase the momentum and shoot filmmakers into their fortune as soon as possible, even as the nation’s economy grow through jobs for more people and tax for government.

    So much for the new Minister to do in this area. Welcome to Nollywood, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

  • AFRIFF: One festival too many

    EVER since the Nollywood phenomenon attained brand status, Nigeria has evolved ideas meant to provide a rallying point for filmmakers; the most potentially viable being a film festival. Aside from the glamour that resonates with the stars whose films are being shown at these festivals, the initiative provides a platform for thought-provoking discourses, select screenings, master classes and collaborations.

    Although there are so many film events in Nigeria pretending to be film festivals, AFRIFF, in just five years, has given that realistic demeanour. And with consistency, it could match and surpass the present status of age-long Pan African Film Festival (FESPACO) in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso and Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), South Africa.

    As AFRIFF returns with a prospective fifth edition from November 8 to 15, showcasing about 180 films at three notable cinemas – Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Genesis Duluxe Cinema, Lekki, and City Mall Cinema, Onikan – it is another opportunity for film professionals to keep a date with progress. Film journalists too, for the first time will share in the experience, not just as spectators and reporters, but as participants in a series of workshops that will improve their reportorial skills, and launch them into the world of international film critics.

    Interestingly, Chioma Ude, the festival’s Founder/CEO is into collaborations that work. And that to me means a lot for the future of a non-commercial venture of this nature. Having just sponsored several young African talents to different film schools in the United States through strategic partnerships, the festival returns with support from social responsibility-inclined organisations and developmental agencies such as Africa Magic, Ford Foundation, Desicon and Afrinolly.

    For the weeklong event, delegates will be exposed to updated knowledge in the art of cinematography, screenwriting, acting, film critiquing, piracy, co-productions, and production designs among others.

    With about 139 films in competition, the actors and filmmakers will share in the spotlight of a closing ceremony that rewards excellence. The glory of the night will not just be about the plaques and prize money, but a testament of the best from the year in review, coming from high profile jurors such as Pedro Pimenta, the new festival director of Durban International Film Festival (DIFF); Serge-Armand Kouami Noukoue, co-founder and Executive Director of NollywoodWeek Paris; Soheir Abdel Kader, director of the Cairo International Film Festival; Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi, a Professor of Broadcasting and Film, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan; Asha Lovelace, one of the Caribbean’s most significant voices in the development of film production and lecturer of Film Production and Film Studies at the University of the West Indies; Teddy Mattera, a Film and Television Producer in South Africa, CEO of Dungamanzi Films and Carnegie Fellow at Wits University; Dr  Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika; an Associate Professor and currently heads the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos.

    If there is a best way to start and end a film festival, the choice of opening and closing films is a factor. AFRIFF’s highlights this year include Jonas Carpignano’s Mediterranea, as the opening film, while Road To Yesterday, the highly anticipated feature film debut by Nollywood diva, Genevieve Nnaji, will close the festival. Among other top films from Africa and the Diaspora will be Ayanda, a South African film featuring our own OC Ukeje, with a special screening during the South African Day at the festival.

    Bank of Industry (BoI), which today is most disposed to the business of Nollywood and the creative industry in general will also make itself available to interact with filmmakers on how best they can partner the bank through single digit loans. The informal session with the bank’s officials, I am told, will be in form of Meet and Greet.

    Now, there is what is called the AFRIFF massage after each day of panel discussions, workshops and film screenings: the is the AFRIFF Party with Jean Claude Havyarimana, the master planner and AFRIFF’s Head, Special Events. That organisers of DIFF had invited AFRIFF to South Africa, asking its team to help with a Nigerian party recently, says a lot about that desirable level of networking which filmmakers need in a more relax atmosphere.

    With the coming event, some of the wonderful Lagos sights at night will bring the fun memories of the AFRIFF Village Hangouts, music, foods and drinks in Calabar, Cross River State and other private parties being sponsored by corporate organisations.

    AFRIFF prides itself with man and material resources that give it the structure lacking in other film festivals in Nigeria. And I think that every state in Nigeria needs the festival as part of their tourism drive. Through AFRIFF, Africa and the outside world have come to know about oil city Port Harcourt, pomp and historical splendour of Calabar and Nigeria’s commercial nerve and entertainment centre, Lagos.

    Victoria Island, Marina and Lekki will be lighted again with the glitz of an early Christmas this November, as AFRIFF’s fifth edition inches close.

  • Musing over Fifty

    I haven’t seen Mo Abudu’s highly publicised Fifty, but if its first review by a British tabloid is anything to go by, it is yet another unfortunate death sentence of a Nigerian motion picture offering of high budget, plenty noise and undue showmanship.

    This sadly reminds one of the ‘failure’ of Half of a Yellow Sun to deliver on both artistic and commercial grounds, such that I pray, even now, that Charlie Bury was merely high on overdose of all dangerous drugs combined, to have described Fifty as lacking in structure and authenticity, and worse still, reducing the latest Nigerian effort to an acting class project. Indeed, Bury must be more intoxicated than the inventor of ‘Shoki’, to have warranted his pen running the race of an imbecile.

    But perhaps Bury was merely angered; the kind of anger that turns your bowels when you find charlatans insulting creativity, all in the name of an all-comers affair. I too would be angered by such, and perhaps get more abusive of this landmark effort than the British reporter.

    My fury would be for several reasons; one being that the director of Fifty is the same man, Biyi Bandele, who was responsible for the jaundiced Half of a Yellow Sun. How could a film director be said to have failed on two projects back-to-back? No! Bury must be wrong to have likened Fifty to a “TV drama set for release on a channel facing liquidation.”

    This is not fair to Abudu’s EbonyLife TV which is fast expanding on content, prepared to match bourgeois spectrum with robust programming when Nigeria eventually switch over to digital television broadcasting. For heaven’s sake, Fifty is supposed to be a film, not some TV soaps, and to say this project even falls short of the standard of a TV drama is like mangling a corpse (Sobs).

    “Biyi Bandele is the director in charge of pulling together these sunken sequences,” he says, “the montage and acting both inundated with fever. Performances are consistently colourless, even if the palette and multitude of locations have more to offer. There is some energy to be found in this film, the soundtrack relentless in its pop offerings and offbeat approach to the content, and the premature humour no doubt a joy for a few. There will be an audience for this film, just like there is for many frowzy shows, but this is not something for cinema.” Kai, I need to see this film, gani yafi ji (Seeing is believing).

    Musing, this is not the best for Abudu, a hardworking woman who thrives to enrich black Africans through her far-reaching broadcast network. This film, if it is what it is, will only make the west to laugh at us the more.

    Bandele, known as a playwright and stage director dabbled into feature film directing with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun which was promoted as a British film at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2013. Notwithstanding, it fell flat before 12 Years a Slave, another movie featuring the same British-Nigerian, Chiwetel Ejiofor, as lead actor. With the same razzmatazz, Fifty, his second feature film was first premiered outside Nigeria.

    This time, at the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival, showcasing some of the best of Nigerian actors, whose acting, as directed by Bandele, has also been poorly rated. And talking about Nigeria/British film partnership, Destiny Ekaragha and Bola Agbaje’s film, Gone Too Far, a simple film with OC Ukeje as perhaps the only popular actor, could not be said to have disappointed their funders. Those young girls were simply unassuming.

    Perhaps it is too early in the day to ask Biyi Bandele to go back to the stage. When we get the clear picture of Fifty, it will no longer be a musing matter, it will be a straight, frank advice to a brother, just to save us this recurring embarrassment.

  • Now that EMCOAN is willing to help

    WHEN stakeholders really have a stake in a business, there are high hopes of success.

    I dare say that what happened on June 17, 2015 will reoccur if government or its agencies do not carry along private players in every sector of the economy.

    Now, you are scared, and seem to be asking; “Please, what happened on June 17, 2015 ooo.” Well, something terrible happened… Hmmm, on that day, which was the digital migration deadline set by the ITU for switchover from analogue to digital television broadcasting; Nigeria failed to comply… (Laughs). Now, you are relieved, but angry. Well, jokes apart; the fact that Nigeria, which prides itself as the giant of Africa could not meet a deadline on an agreement it was a party to in 2006 says a lot about the richest country in West Africa, especially when a small East African country like Tanzania surpassed all expectations on the project.

    I believe we should move towards a phase where everything should not be centred on government. That way, government agencies would not see themselves as Lords over the industry they regulate, but as partners in progress. Sometimes too, as a pressure group in expediting what government bureaucracy would ordinarily not let them achieve easily.

    When I learnt that the Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN), has decided to join hands with the National Broadcasting Commission, to seek ways of realising another possible date, I considered it a beautiful development.

    Perhaps another reason for our shoddy preparation is because we continue to treat the Showbiz potential of Nigeria with kid gloves. If we know how Nigerian music, and movies ‘rule’ the continent, then, we shouldn’t be the country found wanting in this scheme- but it is not surprising because our policies and disposition to the non-oil sector are quite short-sighted.

    Tanzania started its digital migration process in December 2012, completing it on 30 April 2015.

    It is heart warming that President of EMCOAN, Debbie Odutayo, believes that a better and deeper collaboration with major stakeholders such as her association (which is responsible for over 85% of media content in Nigeria) would largely contribute to a successful actualization of the new date. I feel so too.

    Like Odutayo, I like the willingness of the NBC to partner with her association in a move towards a successful digitisation of the broadcast industry in Nigeria.

    Odutayo stated that the NBC is now taking the bull by the horns, with the facilitation of EMCOAN’s participation in international events such as MIPCOM, which holds in France next month.   This is a good step in the right direction, as there can be no effective switch-over if the content owners are not carried along in the process.

    According to her, digitization worldwide demonstrates that industry, and political considerations prevail in the discussions concerning the planning, and implementation of the digital switchover policies.  Regulators in Nigeria hitherto failed to recognize the inherent opportunities of using readily available expertise at its disposal, just as consultations across board were not wide enough.

    She particularly lamented the manner in which members of EMCOAN were left out of the entire process, even with its strategic position as a body of TV, and radio program producers.

    In the next eighteen months as extended by NBC, Nigeria can join the likes of Ghana, which appears to have gone ahead, and readily serves as benchmarkwhere a simulcast service is run by TV stations such that a set-up box could easily receive more than 20 DTT channels; as well as Tanzania, which has also made significant progress in the African television industry since it migrated to digital in December 2012, fully establishing it in April 2015.

    “EMCOAN is open to working with the NBC, if approached, to throw our heavy weight behind the regulatory body by deploying our viable platform, and resources to sensitizing the generality of Nigerians on the massive change of switching from analogue to digital broadcasting,” she said.

    With influential figures such as Wale Adenuga (MFR), Opa Williams, Agatha Amata, and Adeoye Roluga on the Board of EMCOAN, and an executive committee that has the likes of Debbie Odutayo, as President; Asiwaju Benson Akindeju -1st Vice President; Jibe Ologeh-2nd Vice President; Ganee Adewuyi-General Secretary; Kingsley Omoefe-Ass. General Secretary; Otunba Sesan Rufai-Financial Secretary; Obinna Okeke-Ass. Financial Secretary; Jerry Isichie-Treasurer; Toyin Ohio-Alegbe-PRO; Anita Agarry-Oke-Chief Whip; Seyi Adebanjo-Auditor; and Ariyike Oladipo -Welfare Secretary, let’s just give the digitalisation process another attempt, and see how far we can go.