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.
