The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Opportunity

  • Economic recession is an opportunity to explore agriculture -Landmark varsity V-C Aize Obayan

    Economic recession is an opportunity to explore agriculture -Landmark varsity V-C Aize Obayan

    The Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, clocked 62 penultimate Tuesday.  Landmark University (LMU), Omu Aran, Kawara State, which Oyedepo established in 2011, embarked on the distribution of education materials in schools in Omu Aran neinbouhoods as a sign of the founder’s large heart. In this interview with ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, the Vice Chancellor of LMU, Prof Aize Obayan, speaks extensively on the founder’s vision for LMU and how the university is living the vision in its five years of existence. Excerpts: 

    vc1Despite government’s lack of commitment or regard for agricultural development, what has stoked the fire in the founder’s quest for agrarian revolution through Landmark University?

    I will describe the drive as a visionary thrust in the sense that the black man has for too long been equated with lack, poverty and everything that will place him at the mercy of donor countries. Africa and Nigeria in particular have been blessed with enormous resources, but this has not translated to wealth.

    We have seen it with our (black) gold. We have the crude that we refine and sell abroad, but the price of our black gold is determined outside of us.  We are disempowered.

    Nigeria is blessed with arable land. Anytime I travel around, I see massive sprawling land filled with grass, weed and wild plants. When you travel abroad, it is the opposite. This cannot continue to be so. It is not in line with the vision of Landmark University.

    Going back to 2011 groundbreaking day when Landmark foundation stone was laid, what the Chancellor stated then was that God asked him to drive the pursuit of an agrarian revolution in addition to running various programmes in the university. However, with the natural endowment, it’s about what Landmark is able to do in ensuring that nobody goes hungry. God has endowed us with land, so we do not have to perceive everywhere as bush. So Landmark is able to build capacity through courses, research and product development.

    So how did the founder derive the vision?

    Before he started, he thought of countries that were doing this and Israel came to mind. So some academic board members and the Council that was in place at the inception of LMU were made to visit Israel to see how much land they have despite that it’s a desert area. Interestingly, Israel has been one of the largest food exporters till today.

    A hungry man is not a dignified man. So we cannot talk of a dignified people if their basic needs are not being met. Government is not doing enough in feeding her people well, but we believe no Nigerian should go hungry. With our natural endowment, people should not be seen rummaging dustbin for food

    Could you shed light on the innovations with which Landmark is operating agriculture?

    We are not conservative. It’s not about the way our forefathers tilled the ground. For instance, we look at how a production engineer can conceive developing products that will help us have better yields. How can Agricultural Science laboratories test the soil to know that it will grow well? Are we able to know what are indigenous in our immediate environment? How we can impact this on the local farmers so that mindset and practices also change? Are we able to raise the next generation of leaders who will be agric practitioners? Many of our young persons equate going into agriculture with implements that will make them look like menial workers. It doesn’t have to be so. We are talking about new vistas in agricultural practice.

    Why does Landmark insist both students and workers must own and operate a farmland on the campus?

    Simple! The founder believes that Nigeria is so blessed with land and if everybody should have a small farmland at the back of his house, then you are able to grow your own lettuce, cucumber, vegetables and all that, thereby you don’t even need to rely on what is taken to the market. Once that is achieved, there will be a glut and prices of foodstuff will be forced to come down in the market. We are then able to be sufficient in food and securing the future in such a way that food security is something that is achievable.

    This is also tied to ensuring we have a robust and healthy population which also forms a segment of the Total Man Concept that we inculcate in our students here. Another thing that drives the Founder is that right from here (Landmark) Nigeria is able to grow her own food without waiting for what is important.  The Founder believes God has endowed every nation with what is indigenous to them.

    We don’t need to import turkey and chicken because those things that they need to nurture them are available here. Some of these imported items had been preserved with chemicals and their consumption by us brings in more diseases that are never associated with us in this part of the world. But by the time we produce such things here, based on our understanding of the kind of soil and the ecosystem, makes the value chain a lot easier as we do not need to go into preservation.

    What is the mode of agricultural practice in Landmark?

    Every student in Landmark is involved in agricultural practice regardless of their discipline. Every staff is also involved.  For instance, I have my own farm not very far from where I live. As a leader, I also must show the proof of my engagement with the vision. I grow tomatoes, garden eggs, carrots, vegetables, maize and okra. It might interest you that for about a year, I have not gone to the market to buy okra. The okra I grow is fresh with no chemical fertiliser.

    The beauty of being with nature and of planting things and being able to grow can sometimes be awesome. When tomatoes were expensive, I was harvesting the ones in my farm and it could sustain me. The Fadama rice that we planted in September last year, we began to harvest it by November and we sold a lot during the Yuletide. And from one hectare, which initially is a project from teaching and research farm, we have expanded across the university gate to two hectares. The Commercial Farm, which is quite a large area, has also taken off.

    This year, we are sure we will have a lot of rice. This year is very encouraging as we embark on our Marketgelism project. This simply means marketing products from Landmark, and it is not just left to chance. We are looking to see how our students understand that beyond planting and harvesting, the marketing and packaging are also there. So we are talking about the entire value chain in agricultural entrepreneurs.

    In another instance, we have a cassava processing plant. It is not about planting cassava, but how you process it. How do you conduct research to know which of the varieties has more starch, quick yielding or do well around here? And how do we bring in out grower to sustain it? With that, we are also impacting on the rural development. So the Agric Extension and Rural Development programme in the College of Agricultural Science of LMU is already reaching out to local farmers who will be trained. We will get our cuttings and that way, they sell back to us because we are in control of the varieties that we want.

    We are also encouraging faculties as well if they can farm on the faculty’s expanse of land. Acquisition of land by Landmark is still ongoing. We have a massive long term plan beyond here. We have a large expanse of land at Eleyin just as you drive out of Omu-Aran. Landmark has also acquired another land in Agbonda. But beyond that, we are also focusing on skill acquisition for local farmers and training is part of it.

    What are some of the contributions Landmark is making to the development of its host community?

    There is this research project on chicken genetics. It’s an African project and one of our faculties won an award to be involved in that. They will get special breed of chicken and find a local community to distribute these chickens to. That way, they are able to engage the communities in raising chickens that are indigenous to this environment. That way, they are able to raise their own and we let them know what to feed them so they can get returns from whatever they have invested.

    The Agbonda project is to be able to look at history of farm settlement. The Eleyin Project is to see how farm settlement can evolve so that when  these farm settlements evolve, they can keep these persons on the farm, so that community health centres and schools for children of these farmers, including other facilities, will come up and automatically make those areas self sufficient.

    There have been infiltrations of Fulani herdsmen in farmlands across certain areas. What is the university doing to guard against this?

    It is simple. We make them (Fulani herdsmen) see themselves as stakeholders by involving them. When you know that someone could be a part of a problem, you bring him in and make him a part of the solutions. So rather than moaning that they are a challenge, we have taken them as a part of the entire work. We are also looking at how to bring them on board so they can look beyond the grazing to having a ranch.

    Cows that do well in terms of dairy are the ones fed fat. We don’t have to rear cattle that are grazing and going several kilometres. That does not really lead to quantity, yield and care that you expect from these animals when compared to the very robust ones from Australia. If they get them (herdsmen) a ranch fortified with hay and straw fortified with vitamins, that might be a new beginning.

    It’s about intentional effort in terms of doing it differently. It’s about letting these people see that more can be got in terms of what they have always had, and getting them to understand that nobody is taking what they have from them; and ensuring that you secure their trust. So far, we have ensured a peaceful co-existence among these people.

    Landmark University had its third convocation in August. So far what are the feedbacks from past graduates?

    The feedbacks have been quite encouraging. A good number of them have created their own jobs. Some have started their own farms. We have a number of them willing to take up appointments here, particularly those with first class degrees.

    We heard that the director Aerospace institute National Space Research and Development Agency (NASDRA) recently visited Landmark, and how joyful and validating it is to see that one of our students is really doing well there. Besides, NASDRA is looking at how they can open up the place for more of our graduates who we fondly call pathfinders.

    As at today, we have graduated up to 1,555, and it appears that many of them have been able to get into paid employment. Some of them wish to come back for their post graduate programmes, even though we have not yet started. But we are in touch with the National Universities Commission over that.

    We are also in touch with employers. The alumni body of Landmark has just been instituted, even though we have only had three sets of graduates. They are very much involved in what is happening here. Some of them were here during the last convocation. Management has also worked out regular meetings with the alumni base. Management also plans to set up alumni office so as to engage and keep them abreast of what is happening here. The management engaged some of them during the 62nd birthday of the founder.  They were part of all the things we did.

    Recently, we recruited some of them. One of our first class graduates, Esan, is returning to his Civil Engineering as an Assistant Lecturer.

    Your sister institution, Covenant University, places priority on leadership training of its students. Is the tradition replicated here?

    That will always be with any arm of education mandate of the Living Faith Church Commission. There is this mindset of going out to take charge. So whatever you have seen in Covenant University is being replicated here and is very much entrenched in the overall curriculum.

    For example, it is embedded in our Total Man Concept, ditto for the expectations we have of every student. We see every student as being raised to go out and be a global leader, and not only in the Nigerian context. We also have regular charges from the Chancellor and management investing heavily in regular orientation programmes and ensuring that beyond certificates, students understand how to apply that which they have learned.

    From a spiritual perspective, we charge them to be the light of the world and salt of the earth. It is about raising men and women of impact and being clear about the purpose of their lives and what calling they are responding to. Interestingly, just like CU, the Landmark curriculum is to engage you towards what God is calling you to do.

    When you talk, you hardly mention challenges. Does it mean that there are no encumbrances at all?

    We set our goals and this is part of our being able to drive the vision. As part of that programme, one is in touch with regards to what one calls first feels. I do believe that challenges are part and parcel of the entire package. Challenges are meant to be overcome, and the mindset of a leader is the ability to discover problems and solve them rather than bemoan them. With that mindset, you have the overcomer mentality. Such challenges therefore become a springboard.

    As challenges come, we identify and address them immediately. At the end of the day, you find out they are simply not there anymore.

    We anticipate and second guess largely what could be challenges. For instance, it is obvious many youths today hardly express interest in agriculture because of who will employ them when they graduate? Many are waiting for government jobs but nobody thinks that they can go out there, get their own products and be a part of the value chain in terms of the entire process.

    So what did we do? We sat down and rolled out 50 per cent rebate from the proprietor base and recently 100 per cent full scholarship for the very best that meets certain grade points. That way, we get the very serious ones going into a sector that is not highly subscribed; and then you are also helping to cover up tracks in terms of shortfall in persons.

    Besides, there is a lot the private investors can do because government cannot do everything. We all know that at present, the economic is in recession. But to us, recession is an opportunity to see what we can learn and fast track. So I believe as we talk of recession and oil failing us, our strength is embedded in the massive land God has endowed us with, only If we can do it from a research mindset, be frugal and look for indigenous practices that can be scientific.

    Can we have an example of this indigenous practice blended with research?

    For instance, during mango season here (Nigeria), we see a lot of mangoes wasted. South Africa, for example, does not grow as much mangoes as we do, but they sun or freeze dry so that when there is no mango anymore, the sundried mangoes arrive. They don’t have to use chemicals to preserve them. By the time you put them back in water, it swells up. These are indigenous ideas. Our forefathers did that (sun drying) with okra and vegetables and the values therein are not lost.

  • Recession as opportunity to reverse resource curse

    And, sadly, it came to pass. It is well predicted that most countries blessed with natural resources, even in the best of times, perform worse economically than countries not so endowed; and that, when times are tough, countries that are dependent on natural resources come to an assured grief. There is a popular name for this strange but common condition: resource curse. It sounds metaphysical, it seems counter-intuitive even, but it is a position supported by enough evidence. And there can’t be better evidence than this: a Nigeria that is in the choke-hold of economic recession right after 15 years of consistently high oil prices and over N70 trillion of oil revenues earned by the federation.

    A recession might be a dramatic inflection point, but the brutal fact is that our country has never really been in sound economic health. A long spell of rising oil prices in much of our over four-decade addiction to oil had put us on a permanent high, masked the hollowness of our economic well-being, blind-sighted us to the dangers dancing in plain sight, and induced a costly work-avoidance in our leaders. Now that we are at this terrible pass, it will be tempting to just focus all our energy at getting growth back to positive zone. Without a doubt, getting out of recession should be the first order business. But doing only that will show us up, again, as a people eternally incapable of learning. This should be the time to finally wean ourselves of the unhealthy dependence on crude oil for most of our exports and government revenues; a time to reset the foundations of our economy and even of our politics; a time to get a permanent cure for what deeply ails us.

    Clearly, natural resources do not come embedded with supernatural curses, as the positive experiences of Norway, UAE, Malaysia and Botswana have shown. But it is also clear how natural resources end up as blights, and not blessings, just as it is clear what to do to reverse the curse. So the problem is not lack of knowledge. The problem is that resource-endowed countries either do not do enough to prevent the sad prophecy from fulfilling itself or do not do enough to ‘cure the curse’ after it has manifested. And these countries fail to take both preventive and curative measures because countries blessed with natural resources are prone to certain risks and disposed to certain choices that create delusions, dependencies and distortions, which inexorably turn natural resources to impeders, rather than enablers, of development.

    One known risk is that the prices of natural resources fluctuate. This creates revenue instability for countries that depend on resource rents to fund their budgets. Since this is known, the sensible thing would be for such countries to save enough when the prices are up as insurance against when the prices are down, and to use the windfall to create other more stable streams of income and to invest in the productive capacities of their people. But most resource-dependent countries rarely do that, as a surge of easy money induces the delusion of everlasting riches. Such countries get unreasonably high when prices of their natural resources are high and set themselves up for an inevitable fall when prices inevitably tumble.

    Three episodes in four decades of our history provide good illustration. In 1972, a barrel of crude oil sold for a yearly average of $1.82. By 1974, oil price leapt to $11 per barrel, then to $29.19 in 1979, and then to $35.52 in 1980. But by the time the price of oil marginally dropped to $29.04 in 1983, our economy was already in trouble. It is important to look at the figures again: we were not in trouble when oil was $1.82 in 1972, but we were in a deep mess 11 years later when oil was $29.04.

    A second episode: at the outset of democracy in 1999, oil sold for less than $20 per barrel (in actual fact, our Brent sold for a monthly average of $15.23 in May 1999). In the 15 years between 1999 and 2014, oil prices rose steadily (except for 2008/2009), soaring to almost $150 per barrel at a point. However, by the time oil prices fell just below $100 in September 2014, we were on the way to distress district, close to the dark place we were just 30 years earlier. It is important to underscore this again: when oil was selling for $20 per barrel we got by but when it started selling for a little below $100, it was another season for weeping and gnashing of teeth, with most states and even the federal government struggling to pay salaries. What happened with the two episodes is that we got deluded into thinking high prices would last forever, we stretched public finances to breaking point, and we saved little for the rainy day.

    But there is a third episode: oil prices tumbled from a high of $147 in June 2008 to $38 in December 2008. Yes, the dip was short. But we survived that slump largely because we had reserves in excess of $60 billion, which tied us over that bust time. Interestingly, the savings were largely accumulated at a period when oil never rose above $70 per barrel, when our oil supply was constrained on account of militancy in the Niger Delta and when $12 billion was paid to get debt forgiveness. But crude oil per barrel sold for an average of $77.38 in 2010, $107.46 in 2011, $109.45 in 2012, and $105.87 in 2013. However, by the time oil prices slipped to yearly average of $96.29 in 2014 and $49.49 in 2015, we did not have the kind of cover we had six years earlier not just because we didn’t save enough but also because we had also over exposed ourselves, as will be illustrated shortly. If the time between the first and the third episodes is long enough to induce amnesia, the space between 2008 and the onset of the current slide in oil prices is short enough to remind us of the risk we are constantly exposed to. But we failed to learn.

    Another known risk that turns natural resources to curses is that resource-rich countries are prone to corruption, low levels of accountability, and high incidence of profligacy. Because of the nature of resource rents, it is easier for those in authority in extractive economies (as opposed to tax economies) to corner and capture public resources and expend them anyhow. Beyond the predisposition to graft and the wastefulness, resource rents concentrate and consolidate public resources in a few hands, nurture a ruling elite more interested in private gains than the common good, foster a rentier, patronage, and predatory political ethos, fuel intense competition for power, conflicts, poverty and inequality, inverse the relations between citizens (the principals) and those in authority (the agents), and distort the interaction between state and society. All these conduce to opaque and unaccountable management of the revenues from natural resources. Even before the ongoing revelations and probes, reports by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) had provided more than ample evidence of the mind-boggling mismanagement of Nigeria’s main source of revenue.

    The other well known risk that resource-rich countries are exposed to is a dependency condition called the Dutch Disease. It manifests this way: massive inflows of foreign exchange on account of the high price of a natural resource raise the comparative value of the local currency and turn the economy into a high-cost one. This means that other sectors, like manufacturing and services that the country can earn foreign exchange from become uncompetitive and are crowded out; and imports also become cheaper, eventually knocking off local industry. A double but dangerous dependency is thus created: the country depends solely on the natural resource for foreign exchange; and depends on imports for almost all its needs. While consistently high prices will mask the trouble, onset of low prices will burst the bubble. This is where, sadly, Nigeria has found itself today. The 1,851% increase in the price of oil between 1972 and 1980 infected us with the Dutch Disease, so much so that we depend on crude oil for 85% of government revenues and about 95% of exports. And we import almost everything, including, shamefully, refined petroleum products (which constitute about 40% of forex demands.)

    This composite picture should show why Nigeria is in trouble today: little savings from a long boom time, and a 75% plunge in the price of a product that accounts for more than 80% of government revenues and foreign exchange in a country where so much revolves around government and in an import-dependent economy; fall in monthly forex earnings from $3.2 billion to about $400m sometime this year; decline in oil production from 2.2 million bpd to a little over one million bpd; and the growth in monthly import bill from N148.3 billion in 2005 to N917.6 billion in 2015 (519% increase). While it can be validly argued that recession could still have been averted, the oil and dollar dependence created a downward spiral: fall in the value of the Naira, cost-push inflation (since most things including industrial inputs are imported), drop in disposable incomes, which is compounded by the fact that most states are owing salaries, and the resultant negative impact on demand and ultimately on production. True, oil and gas sector now accounts for only 9% of our GDP, but our unhealthy dependence on it for government revenues and foreign exchange imbues the sector with a disproportionate heft. This we need to fix in a systematic and sustainable way.

    We can easily spend our way out of this recession or bump up production in high growth areas. Oil prices and production may even rise again, making the get-out-of-recession task easier. But all these will not cure us of the oil curse. Hopefully, the present pain will permanently bury doubts about the need for a robust stabilization fund and the imperative of strengthening transparency and accountability mechanisms like NEITI. But we also need to permanently puncture the lie that we are a rich country just because we have oil. It is a trite fact that the wealth of nations is not buried under the soil. Countries become rich when their people and their companies produce value-adding, highly-sought, cutting-edge goods and services. But beyond fixing the defective structure of our economy, we also need to reinvent our politics. A governance model that is defined by extraction, sharing and consumption surely cannot lead to development. And by the way, development doesn’t happen: it is created. Rahm’s Rule should thus be our article of faith: “you never want to let a serious crisis to go to waste.” The crisis of this recession has thrown a massive opportunity our way, the opportunity for a total reset. It will be a shame if, again, we fail to seize this chance to heal our country.

     

    • Adio is Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI)

     

  • OPPORTUNITY LOST

    IN the aftermath of the announcement of Lagos filmmakers as the focus of this year’s segment of the City-to-City programme at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), I’d listed some films with the potential of being selected for this once-in-a-life-time opportunity for Nollywood films. Unfortunately, most of them didn’t make the final list.

    Forobvious reasons, some of the films couldn’t be selected due to the rule of the game which was clear to all. One of them is Kunle Afolayan’s most celebrated new film, The CEO.

    Jealousy is the lot of every big film festival. Therefore, for any film to be accepted, they are not expected to have been premiered on any international platform. Thus, when The CEO held a glamorous in-flight premiere on Air France enroute Paris, it breeched that rule.  However, on the strength of the filmmaker’s work and personality, not only was The CEO difficult to ignore by TIFF, as the festival has prepared an aside screening for the film on September 12, Afolayan himself as been hugely advertised to enjoy a special focus alongside sultry actress, Genevieve Nnaji on September 11, in a session tagged “In Conversation With…” , an onstage conversation which will explore Nnaji and Afolayan’s inspiring stories, illuminating the complex dynamics behind Nollywood’s rise to prominence at home and all over the world.

    Asides the clear reason why Afolayan’s The CEO not eligible for the selection of 8,a couple of other films such as Fifty by Biyi Bandele, Gidi Blues by Femi Odugbemi, Road to Yesterday by Ishaya Bako, as well as the likes of Hoodrush, Journey to Self, Dazzling Mirage, Flower Girl, The Meeting, Surulere, When Love Happens and Heroes and Zeros could have been shunned by TIFF for several other reasons ranging from year of production and the kind of dynamism, daringness and experimentations that are expected of the new Nollywood. Hence, there is need for filmmakers to understand and play according to the interest of each festival in order to gain access to a global platform such as TIFF.

    However, if there is a set of films that might qualify but have greatly missed this opportunity, they are the huge budget films from the Bank of Industry’s NollyFund, of which The CEO is one. Others such as Amina by OkeyOgunjiofor, Three Wise Men by Opa Williams, Anyama by EmemIsong and When

    Love Happens Again by SeyiBabatopeare films with high potentials. Unfortunately, these films are in post-production and couldn’t meet the City-to-City focus deadline.

    Unlike Cannes, TIFF’s aspiration for new discoveries in the world of filmmaking has led to the City-to-City initiative. Thus, ambitious film destinations in the world that could have been lost in the crowd are given a chance by a team of curators who have identified Lagos, the entertainment hub of Nigeria, as the next-in-line.

    The eight selected films are touted to have come from Nollywood’s most popular filmmakers, together with new voices who are introducing an alternative, indie spirit to Nigerian cinema. They include 76 by Izu Ojukwu; 93 Days by Steve Gukas; Green White Green by Abba Makama; Just Not Married by Uduak-Obong Patrick; Okafor’s Law by OmoniOboli; Oko Ashewo (Taxi Driver) by Daniel Emeke Oriahi and The Wedding by Party by Kemi Adetiba.

    Interestingly, the programme has also identified two fast-rising actors from Nigeria who are breaking the barriers of international collaborations. They are Lagos-born actor, singer and winner of the 2006 Amstel Malta Box Office reality TV show, OC Ukeje and Lagos-based actor, model and fashion executive, Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama.

    While it is painful that some have missed this chance, there is no doubt that the new exposure will soften the grounds for other films from Nigeria that may aspire for the contemporary world cinema segment of TIFF in the future.

    Indeed, those who have been curious about the Nollywood phenomenon will get to know how the 1,000 low-budget features ‘Nollywood’ products generate about $1 billion in box office returns each year, and how a new generation of filmmakers is emerging to both advance and challenge Nollywood with bigger budgets, greater artistic ambition.

    Opportunity lost notwithstanding, the show must go on for Nollywood.

  • Opportunity Lost

    IN the aftermath of the announcement of Lagos filmmakers as the focus of this year’s segment of the City-to-City programme at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), I’d listed some films with the potential of being selected for this once-in-a-life-time opportunity for Nollywood films. Unfortunately, most of them didn’t make the final list.

    Forobvious reasons, some of the films couldn’t be selected due to the rule of the game which was clear to all. One of them is Kunle Afolayan’s most celebrated new film, The CEO.

    Jealousy is the lot of every big film festival. Therefore, for any film to be accepted, they are not expected to have been premiered on any international platform. Thus, when The CEO held a glamorous in-flight premiere on Air France enroute Paris, it breeched that rule.  However, on the strength of the filmmaker’s work and personality, not only was The CEO difficult to ignore by TIFF, as the festival has prepared an aside screening for the film on September 12, Afolayan himself as been hugely advertised to enjoy a special focus alongside sultry actress, Genevieve Nnaji on September 11, in a session tagged “In Conversation With…” , an onstage conversation which will explore Nnaji and Afolayan’s inspiring stories, illuminating the complex dynamics behind Nollywood’s rise to prominence at home and all over the world.

    Asides the clear reason why Afolayan’s The CEO not eligible for the selection of 8,a couple of other films such as Fifty by Biyi Bandele, Gidi Blues by Femi Odugbemi, Road to Yesterday by Ishaya Bako, as well as the likes of Hoodrush, Journey to Self, Dazzling Mirage, Flower Girl, The Meeting, Surulere, When Love Happens and Heroes and Zeros could have been shunned by TIFF for several other reasons ranging from year of production and the kind of dynamism, daringness and experimentations that are expected of the new Nollywood. Hence, there is need for filmmakers to understand and play according to the interest of each festival in order to gain access to a global platform such as TIFF.

    However, if there is a set of films that might qualify but have greatly missed this opportunity, they are the huge budget films from the Bank of Industry’s NollyFund, of which The CEO is one. Others such as Amina by OkeyOgunjiofor, Three Wise Men by Opa Williams, Anyama by EmemIsong and When Love Happens Again by SeyiBabatopeare films with high potentials. Unfortunately, these films are in post-production and couldn’t meet the City-to-City focus deadline.

    Unlike Cannes, TIFF’s aspiration for new discoveries in the world of filmmaking has led to the City-to-City initiative. Thus, ambitious film destinations in the world that could have been lost in the crowd are given a chance by a team of curators who have identified Lagos, the entertainment hub of Nigeria, as the next-in-line.

    The eight selected films are touted to have come from Nollywood’s most popular filmmakers, together with new voices who are introducing an alternative, indie spirit to Nigerian cinema. They include 76 by Izu Ojukwu; 93 Days by Steve Gukas; Green White Green by Abba Makama; Just Not Married by Uduak-Obong Patrick; Okafor’s Law by OmoniOboli; Oko Ashewo (Taxi Driver) by Daniel Emeke Oriahi and The Wedding by Party by Kemi Adetiba.

    Interestingly, the programme has also identified two fast-rising actors from Nigeria who are breaking the barriers of international collaborations. They are Lagos-born actor, singer and winner of the 2006 Amstel Malta Box Office reality TV show, OC Ukeje and Lagos-based actor, model and fashion executive, Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama.

    While it is painful that some have missed this chance, there is no doubt that the new exposure will soften the grounds for other films from Nigeria that may aspire for the contemporary world cinema segment of TIFF in the future.

    Indeed, those who have been curious about the Nollywood phenomenon will get to know how the 1,000 low-budget features ‘Nollywood’ products generate about $1 billion in box office returns each year, and how a new generation of filmmakers is emerging to both advance and challenge Nollywood with bigger budgets, greater artistic ambition.

    Opportunity lost notwithstanding, the show must go on for Nollywood.

  • Obi: birthday is opportunity to share love

    Obi: birthday is opportunity to share love

    Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has said a birthday should not be a time to “show off” but to think about the celebrator’s life and ask how faithful he has been to himself and God.

    The former governor also said a birthday provides the time to share love among people, “especially the poor among us”.

    Obi spoke yesterday when he and the Anglican Bishop of Amichi, Rev. Ephrian Ikeakor, visited Holy Child Convent School at Amichi, Master Vessels School at Osumenyi and the Diocesan Hospital, also at Amichi, as part of his birthday celebration.

    The former governor donated N2 million: N1 million  to  Holy Child Convent and another N1 million to the Diocesan Hospital  for further infrastructural upgrade.

    He promised to return to Master Vessels School.

    Obi urged the pupils of both schools to always face their education and submit themselves to positive dispositions that would make them useful to themselves, Anambra State, Nigeria and humanity.

    Describing Bishop Ikeakor as among men of God who practise what they preached, the former governor said his choice of celebrating with the pupils reminded him of his policy of requesting those who would always present him with luxury material gifts to rather support him with essentials, such as computers, buses and generators to donate to schools.

    Bishop Ikeakor thanked God for His mercies upon his people.

  • An opportunity

    An opportunity

    In response to last week’s In Touch, the scribe of the herdsmen sent me a text message. Sale Bayari wrote in a conciliating tone. He also had a request. He wanted me to contact the Edo State government so that the herdsmen could secure 25 hectares of land for ranches. He thought I hailed from Edo State. I am Itsekiri from Delta State.

    My first reaction was that he has abandoned his esoteric thesis about Nigerian cattle being not suited to sedentary life. Two, we can now start a conversation about how to get the herdsmen into the 21st century. I had a phone conversation with him and a civil one. In spite of the rhetoric that has inflamed conversation about this matter, I thought this is an opportunity for leadership.

    The next day, the amiable governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, travelled to the Southeast with an olive branch. With the off-the-cuff orator and Imo State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha with him, Governor Shettima interacted with stakeholders in the Southeast. He is the head of the Northern Governors Forum. He helped distinguish the Fulani herdsmen and interlopers. He met with the Southeast leaders in the aftermath of the butchery of citizens of Enugu State. According to reports, it was a warm meeting, with affecting speeches and sense of harmony.

    Less than a week later, some elders of the South issued a statement rejecting a grazing bill. The meeting signposted men like Alex Ekwueme and Edwin Clark who abraded the dialogue. They came to fight. In my television show on TVC on Saturday morning, a caller who lives outside the country waded in and ruled out the possibility of giving “our lands” to strangers.

    I understand the rage and the imperative of vengeance. I saw the gore and pain in searing pictures. The herdsmen of slaughter, or whoever they were, were barbarians. No one should wish anyone their company, and it is not possible to wean them from jail if they are caught. And they should be caught, if our law enforcement agencies rise up to this epic challenge.

    Yet, it is a great time to translate the anger to opportunity. The fact that the herdsmen are now at peace with the concept of ranches should stir our spirits. It can promote not only peace but also understanding. It will bring not only harmony but also prosperity. It may be our modern-day model for unity, potentially the best in our history. It is where commerce meets community.

    Some have raised the question of land sovereignty in the call for ranches. Some have said no one should give their lands to Fulani herdsmen. It is the land of their fathers. It is the epaulette of personal and family pride. They would rather leave it in its primeval lushness than violate it with the paw and groan of a foreign cow. It is the place where the community finds solace. It bristles with history, its decades or ages of struggles, sacrifice and raconteurs of glory. In the land, they worshipped, they conquered; families were born and raised in prosperity and joy. To give the land away is to hand the soul of the family over to the enemy.

    Such sentiments are important. Oscar Wilde noted that humans are not rational beings, but sentimental. But a lofty sentiment beckons: the sentiment of coexistence. I don’t think the Fulani herdsmen want the lands for free. No one should ask anyone to handover lands of such great family heritage to prosper others.

    The impression that has helped to fire resentment is the feeling that state governments will take away lands from the right owners and give them to the herdsmen. That is against the very principle of sovereignty, justice and fairness. If you want my land, you must first ask my consent. No government has brandished ideas of land seizure.

    First, we must understand the advantages. The lands that will be handed over after consent of the owners will do one great thing: stop the herdsmen as wanderers. They become ranchers. It will be a great cultural shift.

    Two, it will mean that whoever owns the ranch will be known to the law. It is like any business. It will be registered. The staff will be known not only to the neighbours but also the law. Three, the farms and locals will be immune to the encroachment of strange men and their animals. They can no longer hop on locals with arms or clubs, rape women and kill those who resist.

    This will ensure security, which is the first quality of coexistence. But with this removal of unease, prosperity can follow. Just as it happens in the developed societies, parking plants can be established. That is an opportunity for a new and flourishing time. A parking plant will encourage employment of a variety of skills. Such personnel as transporters who ferry the meat, veterinarians who ensure the health of the meat, health workers of different sorts, examining the water, the environment, the quality of feed, etc. There will be engineers, technicians, salesmen, suppliers of parts and animal needs, etc.

    The parking plant will employ also many hands, from slaughtering to cleaning to packaging to transporting. This will encourage other businesses because the staff will have to establish families, worship, shop and have health care. A wild and barren expanse of land can grow as we have seen in the United States into a ranch town. The police will have to expand and have stations there and the government presences that a growing and potentially vibrant community attracts.

    The larger advantage is that it will be a great experiment of coexistence. Whether in the rural parts of Oyo, or in the rural retreats of Delta or somewhere outside Enugu, it will force us to learn to understand one another.

    The problem is not so much that we want beef. It is at what cost? We cannot continue in this atmosphere of adversity. We have to confront the issue about being neighbours. There is too much misunderstanding in this country.

    As Mahatma Ghandi once said, the enemy is not hate. It is fear. We are afraid to live with one another. Once we rise above fear, we break barriers. I am not envisaging El-dorado. I am only proposing a template for better understanding. Cyprian Ekwensi wrote in his Burning Grass, a tale about Mai Sunsaye, a Fulani herdsman and how a foreign girl tore the family apart. It was a story of romance and he wandered about in search of the love of family and the peace that eluded jealous brothers. They eventually find peace and union. It is a tale of compassion and harmony.

    We can make that true. We need only to try.

  • ‘Emergence of Buhari, a new vista of opportunity’

    ‘Emergence of Buhari, a new vista of opportunity’

    The Osun State House of Assembly member-elect, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has said the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari as the President of Nigeria and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as vice president signals a new dawn in the political history of Nigeria.

    He said: “Nigerians have been eager to witness the epoch making event, which signaled a new beginning”

    Expressing confidence in the ability of President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver on his promises, Oyintiloye urged Nigerians to keep faith with their decision, adding that though the journey may be rough, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

    “President Buhari is a man who Nigerians believe would bring the desired change, not only change of government, but change from bad governance to good governance,” he added.

    Oyintiloye called on the President to avoid distractions capable of derailing him from fulfilling his campaign promises to the people.

    He advised the President to hit the ground running and quickly find lasting solutions to the challenges of insecurity, power and unemployment.

     

  • Opportunity to pick right leaders has come, says Labour

    The Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu, has said next month’s election has created another opportunity for Nigerians to pick the right leader. He said the nation is being given another opportunity to go to the poll next month.

    Speaking with reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while marking his 54th birthday, Aremu said: “People should judge politicians at the election based on what they have to deliver. We have always been at the forefront of the struggle and we urge Nigerians to ensure that the country survives; our patriots should fight for their votes, we should all ensure that the votes count.”

    Aremu, who also presented two books at the event, decried the poor state of the economy due to poor infrastructure, which has put the youths at great disadvantage. “We should get the youths back to the industry. If Nigeria does not work, Africa will never survive. When Nigeria was working it liberated Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. But we are no more on duty, our leaders have been docile. They steal money. Nigeria must wake up to return to the good old days of Shehu Shagari, Gowon, Murtala,” he said.

    Aremu, who is also the Textile Union General Secretary, emphasised that for Nigeria to emerge an industrialised nation, Nigerians must consume what they produce and produce what they consume. He warned that without that the country cannot get out of poverty.

    He recalled that  in the 70s and 80s Nigeria used to be the leader in the manufacturing sector, but now Nigeria is fast becoming poorer, while poverty has forced youths to riding Okada as alternative, which could not be considered a decent work.

    He, however, commended the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who was the guest of honour at the event, for his efforts at reducing the unemployment rate in the state and creating a better public school. He said: “Osun has the lowest unemployment rate because of the efforts of the governor. There is Omoluabi Garment Factory, which produces the free uniforms  for the students. The state has also shown to us that a public school can be better. The governor is building better schools than some in Europe.”

    Governor Aregbesola, who presented of the books, corroborated Aremu’s view on industrialisation. According to him, the way out for Nigeria’s economy is to look inward.

    He said: “Until we process what we produce here in terms of agricultural outputs, make it abundant and affordable, we will continue to be poor. There is no productivity, and productivity ensures that what we consume is produced here. We should produce things that are relevant to us. Failure of Nigeria is directly proportional to failure of blacks globally.”

    He maintained that the forthcoming election is paramount as it would afford Nigerians the opportunity to say no to corruption and maladministration through their votes.

  • Opportunity for Graphic Arts students

    Graphic Arts students in higher institutions have been invited to a contest to visualise and design a logo for the SOS (Sonala Olumhense Syndicated) column.

    The winning entry will get $300 and the runner-up, $200.

    Entries, along with contact details, should be sent to visualisesosandwin@gmail.com.

    The closing date is May 22. Winners will be announced on May 30.

    For further information and enquiries, interested students can contact Taiwo Obe, Group Executive Director, Harpostrophe Limited on +234 802 313 0829, Skype ID: Araisokun or Twitter: @araisokun

    For 30 years, Sonala Olumhense, known as SO or vice versa, wrote exclusively for The Guardian.

    On 28 April 2013, that era came to an end. Believing these times call for a new way and thinking, Sonala will shortly debut a new syndicated column to be known as SOS (Sonala Olumhense Syndicated).