The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CULTURE

  • Culture, tradition on display as Ikere gets new king

    Culture, tradition on display as Ikere gets new king

    There was excitement  in the air last Friday as the new Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State, Oba Adejimi Adu, formally begins his reign. He entered the palace following the conclusion of all necessary traditional rites of passage to the ancient throne. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

    The atmosphere was ecstatic and the suspense that had hung in the air all this while suddenly gave way to assurance, joy and fulfilment for the people of Ikere-Ekiti.

    They people trooped out enmasse to witness the final rites of passage to the throne of the new Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Samuel Adejimi Adu, who formally assumed the throne as the king of the city.

    Having been installed and presented with the instruments of appointment by Governor Ayo Fayose on July 6 at a colourful ceremony held at the sports field of the Holy Trinity Anglican Primary School, Odo-Oja, the next stage in his road to the throne was the performance of traditional rites.

    •The Ogoga shortly before he left the Iwoye.
    •The Ogoga shortly before he left the Iwoye.

    The new Ogoga’s next port of call was the Iwoye, a traditional place of temporary abode where he would undergo further rites and where he would receive homage from various interest groups in the community until his assumption of the palace.

    It should be noted that the last time such an event was witnessed in the Iwoye was in 1971 when the last Ogoga, the late Oba Samuel Adegoke Adegboye, was installed as the traditional ruler of Ikere.

    An indigene of the community told Southwest Report that it was the same place where the late Oba Adegboye underwent his traditional rites before assuming the throne.

    The late Oba Adegboye, who reigned for 43 years, joined his ancestors on August 22, 2014 which made one of the most sought-after thrones in Ekiti land vacant; sparking a bitter struggle for the royal seat among princes in the eligible royal families.

    At the end of the selection processes, it was Oba Adu that emerged as the Ogoga-elect after many rounds of consultations with the Ifa Oracle and election among the kingmakers.

    A visit to Iwoye revealed a busy day for the new monarch as indigenes of the community streamed to the place on daily basis while the new king was still there. Locating the Iwoye by a first timer might prove a Herculean task as it also fell on an Oja-Oba (King’s Market) day which drew further crowd to the area.

    It should be noted that the Oja-Oba’s original location was the precincts of the Ogoga’s Palace but it had to be moved backwards to the Iwoye area following the death of Oba Adegboye.

    The market is expected to be moved back to its original location with the enthronement of the new Ogoga and the conclusion of his rite of passage to the throne.

    Some came to catch a glimpse of the new Kabiyesi, others came to pay homage either as individuals or groups while others came to offer prayers either in Christian or traditional ways to seek the blessings and favour of the Almighty for a fruitful reign.

    •Traditional praise-singers chanting Oba Adu’s oriki (panegyrics).
    •Traditional praise-singers chanting Oba Adu’s oriki (panegyrics).

    Oba Adu, who took his time to attend to his subjects, waved the irukere (horsetail) in appreciation of their homage and the chanting of his praises.

    He was resplendent in an all-white outfit and intermittently beamed some smiles as each of the interest groups paid their homage.

    A local trumpeter was on ground blowing royal tunes while local drummers added colour and life to the event.

    Palace guards also ensured that there was law and order at the Iwoye as they attended to guests coming to pay visit and homage to the new royal father.

    Friday was a busy day for Oba Adu as it marked the day the traditional rites would be concluded and a huge crowd thronged the Iwoye to accompany the monarch to the palace.

    Oba Adu, who is from the Agirilala Ruling House received homage from traditional chiefs, quarter chiefs, age grade groups, women groups, youths,  interest groups and ethnic nationalities who wished him a peaceful reign on the throne of his forefathers.

    The chants of Kaaaaabiyesiooooooo rent the air as the Ogoga emerged from the inner recesses of the Iwoye; wearing a deep brown agbada with a sprinkling of cream colour. A snowy white crown gleamed on his head.

    Making his way out of the Iwoye was taxing as the enthusiastic crowd of Ikere indigenes came to felicitate with him. Another round of Christian and traditional prayers ensued.

    As the new Ogoga was leaving the Iwoye, the two chambers there were locked and some residents claimed that they won’t be opened again until another Ogoga will be installed.

    Most of the youth present were witnessing the traditional spectacle for the first time as they had not been born in 1971 when Oba Adu’s predecessor was installed.

    •The wife of the Ogoga, Olori Olufunmilola Ololade Adu...at the Iwoye.
    •The wife of the Ogoga, Olori Olufunmilola Ololade Adu…at the Iwoye.

    The wife of the new Ogoga, Olufunmilola Ololade, who had her suku hairstyle adorned with beads to mark her new status as Olori was beaming with smiles as she humbly acknowledged greetings from well-wishers.

    Before leaving the Iwoye, a goat was slaughtered and the new king stepped on the blood as one of the rites to be performed for his final passage to the coveted royal stool.

    After the rite was performed, the new Ogoga was taken to Chief Akamuja where another rite was administered on him.

    Akamuja highlighted the dos and don’ts of the occupant of the royal seat and the ritual was to make his reign crisis-free. Kola nuts were tossed and they landed with their faces up which were a good omen for Oba Adu’s reign.

    The development was unique in the history of the Ogogas in the community and this symbolised immense prosperity and splendour.

    He was taken to some shrines and junctions to observe the last round of rites before heading to the palace to commence his reign.

    Following the conclusion of the rites, Oba Adu headed for the palace amid singing, drumming and trumpeting; marking the beginning of a new era in the history of Ikere Kingdom.

    On arrival at the palace and sitting on the palace throne for the first time, Oba Adu received another round of homage from chiefs, age-grade groups and other interest groups in the community.

    One of the high chiefs, the Sao of Ikere, Chief Jide Omotoso, prayed for peace, progress, prosperity and development of the town during the reign of the new king.

    Addressing reporters earlier in the day at Iwoye, Oba Adu called on the indigenes to join hands with him to develop the town.

    According to him, he felt fulfilled and humbled becoming the 27th Ogoga of Ikere; promising to justify the confidence reposed in him by the kingmakers and other stakeholders in the community.

    He explained that he would use his new position to ensure that peace reigns in the town, which, he said, will engender rapid socio-economic development in Ekiti land.

    Oba Adu also used the opportunity to extend a hand of fellowship to other princes who contested the throne with him; promising to carry them along in the day-to-day running of the community.

    While emphasising that development could only take place in an atmosphere of peace, Oba Adu said he has started reaching out to his co-contestants and other people who are aggrieved by his emergence to join hands and lift the town to greater heights.

    He revealed that all the kingmakers have resolved to work with him, even as they are actively involved in the task of reconciling fellow royals.

    Unfolding his development agenda for Ikere during his reign, Oba Adu explained that his dream was to work towards the industrialisation of the community to boost its economy.

    He pledged to enlist the support of his friends within and outside the country to invest in the town and tap its abundant agricultural, forestry, mineral and tourism potential.

    Oba Adu said he was deeply concerned about the high rate of unemployment among the youth of the community, saying it would be given priority attention in his development agenda.

    He said: “I am deeply concerned about our graduate youths who are unemployed. My desire is to reach out to industrialists to set up industries and small-scale businesses to provide jobs for our teeming youths.

    “Ikere has huge potential as investors’ destination and I will work with my people to ensure overall development of our town as the community is strategically located.

    “I feel elated, humbled and proud to be chosen as the Ogoga and this will give me an opportunity to work for the peace, progress and development of Ikere because Ikere is a city that had never been conquered in history.

    “This is a thing of joy, this is a thing of great fulfilment and I am looking forward to a peaceful, fruitful and prosperous reign.”

    Some of the programmes and policies he hopes to execute as the Ogoga of Ikere include the unity of the town and its inhabitants as a whole, better welfare for the chiefs, promotion of environment conducive to business, expansion and extension of Ikere, maximising the population strength of the community and using Ikere Day as a platform of development.

    Oba Adu attended Baptist Primary School, Ikere and also briefly attended L.A. Modern School, Igbara Odo Road Ikere.

    Oba Adu had been involved in community development efforts before becoming the Ogoga as a member of Ikere Development Forum (IDF).

    He established two sawmills in Ikere to create jobs for the people of the community. He also built a big warehouse in his attempt to have Golden Fliyr Mills set up a depot for the supply of flour and cement to Ikere thereby improving the local economy and to create more jobs.

    Oba Adu is also Chairman, Akoda Ventures; Chairman, Dejimi Investment Company; Principal Partner, Dejimi Consulting; Director, Seadol Oil Services Limited; Principal Partner in Sealords Marine Consultants and Director, Inisa Energy Limited.

  • Royal display of culture for worthy Americans

    Royal display of culture for worthy Americans

    The palace drummers in their white attire went into action. The sound fluctuated between high and low beat. They had sekere, gangan and other smaller drums.

    It was a welcome performance by the  drummers at Iga-Idugaran for royal guests of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu 1.

    These particular visitors were not just strangers; they are personal friends of the king and as such received special welcome from the palace.

    This happened recently when the out-going American Consul General Jeffrey Hawkins and his team from the Lagos office visited the palace.

    It was an opportunity for the palace to show the rich history and culture of Lagos. The initial reception was done in the modern palace of the oba. But to show the esteem with which he held the Consul General, Oba Akiolu moved the visit to the old palace.

    A visit  to  Iga-Idugaran without a tour of the old palace of the kings of Lagos is almost like not visiting the palace at all.

    The entrance to the old palace is a structure like an old safe. The king’s court is by the left. Here, there is an old throne  with two stuffed lions on both sides as  guards.

    With the king on the throne, the white cap chiefs who had earlier come in a of procession took time to pay obeisance to the king.

    The traditional custom of kolanut and hot drink presentations to the visitors were also done.

    •The guests dancing
    •The guests dancing

    Jeffrey Hawkins  explained the purpose of the visit, saying he had enjoyed a very close and warm friendship with the king, hence he deemed it necessary to specially visit the king to thank him for the relationship and bid him farewell.

    In his response, the king praised the outgoing consul for his support for the state.

    Oba Akiolu then talked about the old palace which was the venue for the reception. He said the palace was more than 500 years old and was built by the Portuguese. The influence of the Portuguese architecture could be seen in the design of the wall pillars.

    On the outgoing consul, the oba said he was a pride to his country throughout the period of his stay in Nigeria, and he was very supportive of Lagos during his tenure in Nigeria. The oba said he believed Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins would one day return to Nigeria as an ambassador.

    Oba Akiolu also  took time to talk about the old palace.

    “This place is called the old palace. It was erected by the Portuguese. It is over 500 years and very important. Lagos was formerly Eko, but when the Portuguese came, they changed it to Lagoon de Kuramo, land near the water. From that it became Lagos. This palace like I said was built by the Portuguese.

    “The artistic work, you can hardly find anywhere. It was built of red oil and mud. Thanks to the Lagos State government. They have been trying to look for a conservation architect who will put it right.

    “ It is only our close friends and visitors that are allowed to visit this place. Almighty Allah, particularly in this month of Ramadan, hears the prayers of all of us. We still have a lot to learn from your country, the United States of America,”he said.

    He also called for greater support for the present government.

    The consul was later presented with a gift. It was the painting of the iconic cultural festival of Lagos, the Eyo masquerades display.

    Speaking on his visit, the consul said it was imperative for him to pay a visit not only to thank the oba, but also to give the staff of the embassy opportunity to have a taste of the culture and tourism asset of the state.

    He said to really understand the people of Nigeria, a visitor has to understand the traditional institution because  it is the link between the past and the present.

    Outside the palace, there are some very interesting artefacts on display. Among these are old cannons brought by the early Europeans that came to Lagos.

    The outgoing consul and his entourage had a wonderful time enjoying the rich culture of  Lagos.

  • ICT firm to promote culture

    Plans are underway to hold a cultural event for secondary school pupils in Lagos State.

    The event tagged: Culturefest 2015, is being organised by Fountain-3 Technologies, a business planning, Information Communication Technology firm in collaboration with the Lagos State government to raise the cultural consciousness of Nigerian pupils.

    The maiden edition of the event will take place at the main Hall of the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Ikeja, in September.

    Business Planning Manager, Fountain- 3 Technologies, Mr Francis Martins, said over 1,000 pupils from the six education districts of the state would participate in the event, which would feature cultural competitions, dramas, songs, dances, art and craft exhibitions and display of Nigeria’s rich multi-ethnic native attires.

    The event would also feature presentation of special recognition prizes to select organisations that have distinguished themselves as “Cultural Education Role Models” in Lagos this year.

    Martins said of the essence of the event: “The project is conceived as our quota towards the goal of protecting Nigeria’s culture through education, fun and practical display of skills. Fountain-3 Technologies is motivated by the belief that our local cultural heritage should not go into extinction but should rather evolve with the advent of globalisation as a mixture, retaining salient values for posterity.

    “Our roots and heritage must be preserved from extinction. Our younger generation also must be taught about her background, her culture, her heritage, to love her first language, to learn about our food, our distinct music, our most modest dressing and our ethical values.”

     

  • School celebrates culture with Bini play

    ChildVille Schools, Ogudu, Lagos reenacted history during its drama day programme held at the MUSON Centre.

    The school’s drama group acted out the play, Agho Obaseki, written by Don Pedro.

    The stage play, which was directed by Gboyega Jerome, was about Agho Obaseki, the ambitious man of Benin kingdom who had power dumped at his doorstep by the British after the fall of Benin and exile of Oba Ovonramwen N’ogbaisi to Calabar in 1897. The emergence of Obaseki was in total disregard for the seniority placement of the Edo traditional hierarchy.

    Administrator of the school, Mrs. Ajijola Alokolaro, said the play was staged to deepen the children’s appreciation for Nigeria’s history and culture.

    She explained that with many Nigerian children oblivious to the history of their motherland, staging a play rich in Nigerian history and culture was part of the school’s strategy of reversing the ugly trend.

    “History and culture of a people are too important elements to be handled with levity or else such a people will lack a direction. The present generation of Nigerian children knows much about history and culture of the western world but have a very shallow knowledge of the history and cultures of their motherland, which is a misnomer.

    “Beyond equipping our students with acting and stage skills, staging of the play is also directed at ensuring that students of Childville School have a deep sense of Nigeria history and diverse culture,” she said.

    Mrs. Alokolaro urged schools to embark on similar programmes.

    “No nation or a people can preserve its culture without a deliberate action.  Schools must take active part in this direction. ChildVille School is really excited at this privilege of advancing and preserving the nation’s historical and cultural heritage,” she said.

  • Students promote culture

    Memories of the cultural fiesta organised by students of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State as part of the maiden Students’ Week would linger for a while.

    The event featured cultural dance competition, inter-ethnic cooking competition and showcasing of traditional setting, the entire university community was entertained as students let viewers into their unique culture.

    In the dance competition, Ibo and Yoruba tribes came first. Dressed in traditional attires, the two tribes showed their dancing steps, rhythm and composure to the satisfaction of the judges. Edo/Delta/Rivers came second with Akwa Ibom group coming fourth.

    Cooking competition brought a change in fortune to Edo/Delta/Rivers group, which prepared four varieties of delicious dishes. Yoruba and Akwa Ibom came second with Ibo coming third.

    In the exhibition of tradition of setting, it was difficult choosing a winner. Yoruba students built their palace with their King gorgeously dressed on the throne of his forefathers with his “irukere” in his hand and surrounded by his three Oloris (wives).

    The Ibo students constructed their palace in a unique way that assigned a strategic portion for their Igwe who sat on the throne with his wife beside him.

  • Sustaining storytelling culture

    Sustaining storytelling culture

    At the close of activities marking the reign of Port Harcourt as UNESCO World Book Capital 2014 last month, the task of finding a balance between the written and oral forms of the African story was the highpoint of Oladipo Agboluaje’s drama piece, Obele and the Storyteller. It was performed at the Atlantic Hall of Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt Rivers State capital, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME. 

    The influence of written word over oral tradition in Africa and the dwindling capacity to sustain the storytelling tradition are among the challenges of Obele and the Storyteller and other story tellers.  Also of concern is how can Africans transit from the oral tradition to the written word and be able to master the new one and challenge European narratives about her.

    How can they find a balance between the written and oral forms of the African story? How can the effect of the dominant, negative narrative of the westerner be countered for the true African story to emerge in its purity to ennoble the African heritage? How to tell the continent’s story to mask the lie and untruth of the European narrative? Who will bell the cat?

    Again, this is the dilemma Obele and his succeeding lines of storytellers faced before the turn of the century.

    But, it is the story of the book on Africa as narrated by Obele and the Storyteller at the closing ceremony of UNESCO Port Harcourt World Book Capital 2014 in the Rivers State capital recently. It was a production of Bikiya Graham-Douglas-led Betta Universal Arts

    Foundation, written by Oladipo Agboluaje and directed by Israel Eboh.

    One wrong turn and Obele’s story grows wings in a completely different direction that negates the virtues of the clan and upturns common lore. In a post-haste manner that Africans seek commercial gains at the expense of commonsense and morality and why they sold their own kith and kin into slavery centuries back, Obele’s story finds a ready hand that documents it in a book, but the logic has been corrupted. Rather than uphold the values that the oral tale spells out, a corrupted version is woven to make Obele a liar. Armed with this twisted tale that is at variance with Obele’s, the white man arrives just after the Berlin Conference of 1884 where the European powers shared out the continent among themselves, and begins to draw arbitrary boundaries that separate a people that once lived as one.

    When they protest, the white man holds up Obele’s book, as fact and oracle for his self-appointed mandate of adjudicating for the people and the land and carving them up into convenient portions for his selfish use.

    Even Obele’s protest to the contrary falls on deaf ears; her own people feel betrayed and blame her for their woes. They drive her out of town for betraying her heritage and selling out. And so Obele embarks on the journey of recovering her story so it could be written in the light in which she told it originally. But this proves an arduous task, as she wanders from one civilization to another, from one country to another to find the man who upturned her tale for a wrong one to emerge.

    When she finds him at last close to a university town, things take a different dimension. The fraudster of historical patrimony had grown rich on his subversion of the African story. How to retrieve Obele’s tale and restore it to its original form? This becomes a hard task; the fraudster would not oblige her. But her encounter with a student who is determined to write a counter-narrative to the ones the likes of Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness) and Joyce Carry (Mr. Johnson) had written about Africans revives her spirit; she sees a chance to restore her tale and dignity. Conrad and Carry had written these tales to suite and sustain European bias against the continent still unable to write about herself.

    But things soon change with the education the colonial government introduces that educates the first young crop of Africans who soon catch up with the lies and false narratives of the west against Africa. They also begin conscious revisionist efforts to rewrite accurately both the historical and fictional accounts of their beloved continent that had been so maligned and marginalized by dominant western narratives.

    This is the crux of Obele and the Storyteller, the conscious, accurate retelling of the African story by her sons and daughters. And the story is told from back to front from the past unto modern times, especially the fictional tales, which are, in a sense, the old oral tales retold with modern, European tongues of the written texts, for a wider audience and education of the entire world.

    Obele and the Storyteller is a fascinating performance that reenacts a continent’s battered tale and retelling aright by her own children, who use the modern, written tool of the white man. It’s a dance drama also, which greatly endeared it to its audience, with its energetic dances and moving songs and use of folk narrative elements like animals that communicate with humans and all. Obele is Africa’s story of encounter with the west and the emergence book and how African storytellers have since appropriated the book to tell the continent’s tales to a world audience the correct way.

  • ‘How to promote Nigerian culture’

    Parents must expose their children to indigenous culture and languages to promote Nigerian cultural heritage, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture Director Mrs Saidat Otulana, has said

    Mrs Otulana told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that parents were neglecting local culture for western language and culture.

    Parents, she said, were the first contact for a child, stressing that they have the responsibility of exposing the child to their indigenous languages before English. The director noted that acculturation enables an individual to adopt the attitudes, values, customs, beliefs and behaviours of a new culture.

    She said: “The wisdom of every clan is embedded in their language, culture and tradition.

    “An Igbo woman who is married to a Yoruba man can put their children through the two languages and culture, while such children are exposed to English in schools.

    “A little child could cope with learning three languages at a go, therefore parents should speak to their children in their indigenous languages.

    “Children learn better through what they hear and see, this makes it easier for them to pick the language which is spoken and attitude which is exhibited,’’ she said.

    Mrs Otulana emphasised the value of Nigerian culture, adding that foreigners were so much in love with the culture that they practise it.

    She said: “You will find some white wearing Iro and Buba as opposed to their jeans and top.

    “Most of them prefer African cuisine to the western ones, as the Igbo are known to be good cooks that have various soup ingredients.

    “They have equally taken after our usual hairstyles – braids and African weaving pattern.

    “Whoever travels abroad and can braid, will become rich in few days, because they love braids more than the weave-on,’’ she said.

    The director said the culture of respect could not be undermined as the Yoruba genuflect to greet elders.

    “They ascribe ‘aunty’, ‘brother’ to an individual’s name, depending on the gender, this the white also envy in us.”

    Parents, teachers and individuals, she said, have roles to play in enhancing indigenous culture.

  • Arresting declining reading culture

    Reading, whether for pleasure or for academic purpose, is an essential habit that forms the bedrock of human greatness, regardless of age, gender or status. This fact is hardly disputed. A popular saying describes readers as leaders. However, imbibing the culture of reading and accepting its importance seem uncommon among the youth.

    The habit of reading among students and even adults is gradually declining. Some stakeholders in education sector have attributed the drop in reading culture to the lack of adequate awareness on it importance, inadequate library facilities, poor access to books and other reading materials, among other factors.

    Added to this are the distractive and wrong application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) device and the high cost of books.

    As good as ICT is, many observers say it has also caused some measure of negative effect on Nigerians, especially on their reading habit. This is more so, as internet obsession is making many students to waste valuable times surfing the web for wrong reasons.

    The introduction of the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) in Nigeria has been viewed as one progress that has come with certain negatives tendencies that are detrimental to the culture of reading.

    The Executive Director of Institute of Media and Society, Mr Akin Akingbulu, describes reading in two dimensions. To one end, he says reading is for self-development, and to the other, he thinks of it as a means to passing examinations. He said another factor that contributes to poor reading culture is the prices of books, which are on the high side.

    Nigerian environment has also contributed to the decline in reading culture among youths. Young people have been exposed to culture of materialism, given their exposure to high-profile corruption by leaders, who embezzle public funds to expend on inconsequential things. The youth take the habit becoming indolent and resent hard work. They will say: “Let me just look at a short cut to make money and feel good.”

    The youth now have time for foreign football leagues and spend their precious time at football viewing centres. Some play computer games for hours, with little or no time for reading.

    A senior lecturer at the Department of Science and Laboratory Technology of the Federal Polytechnic in Bida (BIDA POLY), Niger State, Mr Demola Sadiq, said his experience as a teacher made him to discover that there is a decline in study and reading habit of students.

    He further explained that there is a sharp difference between reading culture in the 90’s and what is obtainable now. He noted that there has been a drastic drop in time which students have to study their books and the urge to study, he said, is no longer strong unlike before.

    These days, students prefer to spend time on irrelevant things like partying, watching movies, sleeping and watching soccer.

    There is no cutting corner about success. If one is going to be successful, he has to work hard for it. Students should know that the primary reason they are in school is to study; every other thing is secondary.

    The government and the school management also need to embark on value orientation. They must equip library and provide materials that will help students improve their reading culture. It is not out of place to organise symposium and talk show to encourage students on reading and we should adopt method where students will be encourage to participate in debates, competition and get good reward. This way, they can be encouraged.

    An attempt to arrest the decline in reading habit made President Goodluck Jonathan to launch the “Bring Back the Book” campaign in 2011, with the aim to re-awaken students’ spirit and open their eyes on the importance of reading. A reading nation is an informed nation.

     

    • Adaeze, HND II Mass Comm., BIDA POLY

     

  • Imperatives in the Nigerian culture, tourism, broadcasting and entertainment sectors

    THIS is an unsolicited input into the public policy on the Nigerian Culture, Tourism, Broadcasting and Entertainment sectors for the incoming governments at all levels. It gives useful insight into the humongous potentials in all the aforementioned sectors to assist the governments in overcoming our many economic, social and value-perception challenges. If accepted and taken seriously, it will lead to sustainable alternative source of foreign revenue-earner.

    Executive summary and problem statement; The country’s arts, culture, broadcasting and culture sectors in the absence of well-articulated governmental administrative policies and procedures have for long and till now been operating as a huge jungle in which whatever works for the privileged few, either with access to the powers that be or public information platforms are invariably and mistakenly taken as norms, and in most cases supersede even various extant legislations. There are already enough laws which if backed up with necessary administrative strategies have the capacity to lead us out of our present woes; reposition the sectors for our governments to maximize their huge potentials to resolve most of our economic, social and value-perception challenges. There is absolutely no need for the incoming administrations to waste further time on new legislations, or setting up committees because the right pathways are clear enough.

    Culture and Tourism

    NIGERIA today has 774 constitutionally-recognized local government areas. On the average, every local government has 10 communities and in each community is at least a cultural monument or site presentable as a tourist attraction. The inhabitants of each community also produce goods, services and have lifestyles which to their unsophisticated minds do not have any economic value but in the hands of experts to package for the global market will command considerable appeal. Taken together, Nigeria at a glance and for a cursory economic evaluation has 7740 tourist sites and same no of communities whose daily lives and output could constitute our sustainable national cultural tourism programme; serving also as our own unique cultural products for exports. Every week, the country has about 150 locations staging different kinds of cultural events and different cultural monuments that tourists could choose from. It is therefore possible to immediately develop a national cultural tourism index without new legislations, budgets, or setting up committees. All we need do is charge the relevant agencies to immediately chart their implementable time-table to actualize it. A useful incentive to start off is to put all arts and cultural agencies on a 2-year notice of zero budgets with achievable internally-generated revenue for their governments. Our arts and culture administrators currently have a wrong mindset that needs re-programming! Their appalling belief is that lack of or inadequate capital budgets hinder them to properly develop and structure our culture for tourism but pray, what do they require capital budgets for? Yes, a little initial seed money is required for preliminary activities but this could be easily sourced either as a bank loan or grants from various commercial enterprises that will also benefit from a structured cultural tourism programme. Most if not all the various ancient sacred temples forming the bulk of India cultural and spiritual tourism sites remain in the inner recesses of the country and accessible only through the same footpaths of many hundreds, if not thousands of years! In the Alps frozen with ice all year round; Switzerland and other countries of the world that mountain-climbers and skiers frequent, their locals are gainfully engaged as guide and trainers. In Italy and Spain, the ruins of their former emperors’ castles are their tourists’ sites. Conversely in Nigeria, our cultural administrators want capital budgets to recruit “experts”, erect 5-star hotels and modern highways in their misguided notion that targets only the holiday-makers for tourism but leaves out the core tourists; students, researchers, archaeologists and explorers. We must stop using government money to build hotels around tourist locations or to construct highways because it is wrong! First it detracts from the real cultural value of the locations, which from what obtains in India, Italy, Spain should be in-sittu. Beyond this, hotels and roads constructions are commercial ventures, which with the necessary traffic of tourists will naturally rouse entrepreneurs to do the needful.

    Advertisements and Broadcasting

    A former Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission engaged me on a strategy to reposition the broadcasting industry as a veritable source of employments for mainly our youths and veterans of the creative industry. Unfortunately since his unplanned exit, subsequent leaders have been focusing more on the technicalities of frequency allocations which in today’s world is practically useless. What restriction is there on a station given the authority to cover a particular region but is available on the net for anyone across the globe to access? The huge social/economic potentials in the area of modeling, products and public advertisements are conveniently ignored. Today companies freely recruit foreign models or produce their advertisements abroad. The cost of a TV programme parading mainly foreign cast and crew with few locals in the name of local content is higher than what many stations grudgingly give 10 Nigerian producers yet we have NBC! Rather our local cuisines and fashions, the foreigners are calling the shots! Now we have a problem of value-perception emulating alien culture and avoidable medical problems emanating from the consumption of foreign products?

    Creative Arts and Entertainment

    CREATIVE writings and audio-visual productions are intertwined with the constitutionally-guaranteed freedom of expression. Sensible countries therefore steer clear of legislating on those that can or cannot engage in them. Enforceable control and regulation are two-fold; first by the various practioners’ guilds that disallow non-members from operating; like in journalism for journalists only. Second is through the licensed distributors as the business arm. They decide what is produced; how and when it gets to the public. The National Film & Video Censors Board is the agency with the legal mandate to regulate distribution. It developed a New Distribution and Exhibition Framework, NDEF for that purpose.

    Unfortunately, its present leadership believes that the best way to solve a problem is to pretend it doesn’t exist! It has therefore tactically abandoned the NDEF, focusing instead on classification and censorship, ignoring the reality that without an operational NDEF, all its decisions on censorship and classifications are of no effect. That is why despite yearly budgetary allocations in billions, our public space is still awash with offensive movies and music! To effectively contain all the challenges in the industry, full implementation of NDEF is a must, better to be championed by the Board already legally-empowered but now wholly funded by NEXIM which by its exclusive mandate is responsible for developing and funding Nigerian entertainment products for exports. New anti-piracy law is needless because Nigeria already has one of the best in the world. Absence of licensed operators of the distribution system to administer and simplify its enforcement is the issue. The NFVCB and the rudderless Film Corporation must immediately be excised from government funding.

    –‘Yinka Ogundaisi is a writer, filmmaker and marketer

  • Taste of Edo culture

    Taste of Edo culture

    Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, was agog last weekend, as students of Edo State marked their cultural day. EVERISTUS ONWUZURIKE (Mass Communication, Lagos State University) reports.

    They adorned colourful wrappers, with brown beads on their necks and heads. They entertained members of the audience with their choreographed dance steps, which were in tune with beats from the traditional talking drum. The audience cheered excitedly.

    This was the scene at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) last weekend when students from Edo State held their cultural day. According to the students, who gathered under the aegis of the National Association of Edo Students (NAES), the event was to redefine their culture and connect them to their roots.

    The students moved round the campus to create awareness for the event. Their elegant traditional attires attracted attention. They invited their colleagues to feel the touch of Edo culture at an open ground near the Bursary Unit – the venue for the event.

    The event was graced by the association’s Grand Patron, Mr Osunde Ogieriakhi, NAES past president Samuel Igiebor and Oghenerume Opni, a member of the South South Students’ Forum.

    Declaring the event open,  NAES president, Ohenhen Osayamen presented nut to Ogieriakhi, who  chaired the occasion. Ogieriakhi’s breaking of the kolanut signalled the beginning of the ceremony.

    Ogieriakhi hailed the students for coming together to promote their culture. He said such event would make Edo youths living outside the state to be conscious of their roots and heritage.

    He said: “It is interesting that you are holding this event annually to celebrate our culture, even as many forget because of the many challenges we face in the nation. This will rekindle the enthusiasm of many youths to identify with their origin and learn the culture.”

    Ohenhen said the event unified all ethnic nationalities in Edo State. “Whether you are Bini, Esan or Afemai, we can come together to achieve one goal. We want to be united by our culture and tell people that unity can be achieved through respect for one another’s culture and belief,” he said.

    He urged members to identify with their culture, noting that the Edo heritage would be preserved if the students showed interest in their culture. He pleaded with the government to support the association’s drive to keep the Edo culture alive.

    The Vice President, Moses Edosa, said the ceremony was celebrated with “Ema” in line with the tradition of using pounded yam to promote culture. He highlighted the group’s achievements, which he said, included education and website design training.

    The highlight of the event was the performance of traditional dances of some ethnic groups in Edo State by the association’s troupe. This excited the audience, with guests showering the dancers with money. Members of the association’s executive were also presented with certificates of service by the patron.

    A student, Oni Osazeme, praised the association for keeping the event going, saying he felt a sense of belonging during the event. He said: “I feel as if I am in my village being in the midst of my people I share heritage with. It connects me to my root and makes me feel a sense of belonging.”