Written by Ekine Stronghold
I consider this a very important question which we must
carefully answer. As far as I am concerned nollywood is a mini-Nigeria. Yes, an
exact mini-Nigeria that has all the qualities both good and bad. High level
politicking, confusion, power play and power tussle amongst political parties,
poverty, poor infrastructure, poor policy implementation and of course high
level corruption and looting. The only thing not yet in nollywood is arguably
the boko haram thing which is new. So from the marginalization theory to the
conspiracy theory to every and any other theory that we see in play in the
bigger Nigeria exists however micro in the mini Nigeria we call nollywood.
Why I choose to draw these similarity is very deliberate for
it will help us see the truth as it is whether clothed or naked and at the end
we will be able to answer the question above and then tell how bright or dull
the future truly is if we do not make a change. It would be easier and more fun
to demonstrate my prowess in physics by giving you the prof. Ama Nduka’s
definition but for the benefit of all consider scalar quantities as quantities
that have magnitude with little or no direction and vector quantities as those quantities
with more direction than magnitude. Any one that knows Nigeria or nollywood
well enough should be able to guess correctly which is our nature, whether true
or adopted and hence our reality.
Nigeria aptly named the giant of Africa possesses in quantum
a lot of resources that other nations that seem to be doing well lack. The most
populous Black Country has in abundance numerous natural resources of which I
will name only but a few leaving out the popular black gold. That’s common knowledge.
According to statistics, Nigeria has in deposit
over 40 million metric tons of talc in Niger, Osun,kogi, Ogun and Kaduna
states, over 3 billion metric tons of iron ore in FCT, Enugu, kogi and Niger states. Lead/zinc deposits in east central
Nigeria is estimated at about 10 million metric tons; barite in Taraba and Bauchi
states is over 8million metric tons. There are other minerals like gypsum which
is used in the making of glass, POP, ceramics, dental plates, fertilizers e.t.c.
is estimated at over 1 billion. We of
course know we have coal, its rich deposit in Enugu and east central Nigeria
stands at over 3 billion. Forget not bitumen in Ondo state and rock salt in
places like Benue, Plateau, Ebonyi e.t.c.
Have deposits estimated to be around 42 billion and 1.5 million
respectively. Nigeria is blessed.
It is also common
knowledge that Nigerians are about the smartest people in Africa. I mean not to
be imposing but everywhere in the world whether for negative or positive uses
the Nigerian mind is revered. Whether it exhibited in the literary world by
great minds like Professor Chinua Achebe, Professor Wole Soyinka or in science
world by father of the internet Phillip Emeagwali or the internet whiz kids
that express their enormous capabilities to yahoo-yahoo (internet fraud) to our
sensational musical artists that like Fela, KSA, onyeka onwenu e.t.c. Even the tricky ninja governor diepreye alameisegha miraculous escape from Britain
is a testimony of the genius embedded in the Nigerian mind (just imagine we
when crazy over the seasons film prison break). Yet what do we have to show for
it, over 23% unemployment rate, insecurity, poor power supply, poor social
infrastructure, poor leadership just to mention a few .Amazing outcome, isn’t
it? A consummate scalar nation. All magnitude little or no direction hence a
blind giant. Too sad.
Back to nollywood, think
about it. We have a rich cultural heritage, an almost infinite pool to recline on
and tell the world our own unique stories from the mouths and hearts of Nigerians
(too bad our stories have been regarded as majorly formulaic). We have the best
spectrum of actors and film-makers. We have a guild system than amalgamates at
top level in KONGA. Not forgetting other government agencies that should in a
way co-ordinate, catalyze, promote and protect the film making industry like
the NFC, Censors Board, NCC e.t.c. even,
we are one of the highest producers of
movies in the world, rubbing shoulders with Hollywood and bollywood. According
to Peter Rorvik, director Durban film festival quotes what he calls the Nigerian phenomenon to earn $250 million per annum, $100 million per annum from exports and 180,000
people employed. While this might sound like high feats, from ground zero the
reality is far from pleasant.
Alas the
average film practitioner experiences a high level of joblessness and poor leadership
at guild levels. Guilds barely have enough resources and backing to enforce and
sustain the functionality of the existing pitiable structures. With exception
of a few, most guilds can barely afford to pay for office space and pay
administration staff. Most guilds don’t have adequate data for planning and
their members can’t pay dues majorly because there are no jobs to even pay for
their basic needs. Consider a system where anybody can spring up from anywhere
and begin to run a training school for film practice and answers to nobody.
Lawyers have a syllabus, a training format which all lawyers must undergo and
be scrutinized afterwards to ensure that they are qualified to practice, so
also the engineers, the doctors e.t.c. is this the same in the motion picture
industry?.
Come to
guild meetings and you will meet a handful of members but you just wait for
elections and you will be surprised to see the hall filled to the brim. Wait to
hear there is a grant or a nollywood fund and you will be awed, wait to hear
that some state has given AMAA 1.5 billion naira and everybody will be agitating
to be flown business class to the awards, some will ask to be chopper flown and
get for some piece of the national cake in the guise of payment for appearance,
hardly ever thinking of the general good of the industry. Some veterans grew up
with nollywood and are the pioneers of what we have today to save or to
kill. Now there is a conscious attempt
to ridicule their valuable knowledge by the purported new schools. It is funny
because at the end we will be starting from square one all in the name of the new school. A system that looses value
for the knowledge and experience of the old
school irrespective of their achievement is tending towards creating a new
wheel rather than improving on the existing one and in my own opinion this
pattern epitomizes a consummate scalar industry, all magnitude and no
direction. Think about it, let’s make the 180-degree turn and change things.
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