The Nigerian entertainment industry is growing at an
unstoppable rate. We unarguably have the best talents in the whole of Africa;
limiting us to the shores of Nigeria is a disservice. In no time, our
entertainers will start earning as much as – if not more than – their
counterparts in developed countries. At least, that’s the dream and it’s work
in progress. In the nearest future, we will hear Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde,
Genevieve Nnaji, Richard Mofe-Damijo and the likes gulp billions of nairas each
year. It’s funny how we don’t even get to know how much these entertainers earn
every year from movies roles. We deserve to know; we’re the fans after all. Is
it not all possible to have platforms created to provide us with reliable data,
not speculations, on how much each artiste earns in a year? Well, that’s
something I would like to write about some other time.
Nollywood and the music industry have grown together in the
last couple of years like Siamese twins. We have recorded more movie exports
than all the African countries put together. Our music acts have become the
most-sought-after for collaborations here and there. Concerts in most African
countries cannot be said to be enjoyed without a Nigerian act in attendance,
more often than not as the headline artiste. Every single day, new acts are
cropping up with ‘gbedu wey dey burst brain’ (irresistible
beats) being produced by equally talented producers and lasers. The
contributions of Nollywood and our music industry (how come no one has come up
with a befitting nomenclature for the music industry?) to Nigeria’s GDP are
indeed commendable. By 2019, the industry is estimated to have the potential to
gross in US$8.1 billion. If only the government could provide additional
support to tackle some of the recurring challenges in the sector, more revenue
can be squeezed out and our economy will stand at a vantage position.
Worthy of note is our creative arts industry. The
illustrators, artists, designers, cartoonists and so on. For the purpose of
this article, I will refer to them as second-level entertainers. No intention
to derogate or minimize their arts. In fact, I appreciate all kinds of creative
works. This category of professionals are also entertainers. They entertain us
with their respective works of arts. And truly, Nigerians have an impeccable
hunger for these creative outputs. It’s a bit shocking why these second-level
entertainers do not get as much recognition as their counterparts. While I
understand there is an urgent need to promote these kind of arts, it’s also
important for the players to carry one another along by way of lending helping
hands and more importantly through word of mouth.
If our entertainment industry wields such an enviable
influence and it’s at the heart of everything in Africa, then we need to saddle
the players in the industry with weightier responsibilities. After all, to whom
much is given, much is expected. Besides, the task of growing our economy is a
collective responsibility because either directly or indirectly, we all milk from
the economy. And at the moment, the cow has grown surprisingly lean, with
barely enough milk. Whose fault is it that we’ve fed the cow with just grass?
Whose fault is it that now that the pasture isn’t as green as it used to, the
cow can’t even feed well, talk less of generating enough milk for others to
consume? The cow shall regain its weight. Its nutrients shall return. There
shall soon be milk for all, enough to go round. But only when it starts to
consume a lot more than just grass. Thankfully, all hands are on deck to ensure
this anticipated lot befalls the cow.
More than anyone else, our entertainers have a lot to do to
attract more people to our tourist sites. These sites have enormous potentials
to generate more revenue than the current statistics indicate. Our entertainers
are like our mirrors to the world. Granted, they have done well in portraying
to the entire world the diversity in our cultures, lifestyles and ethnicity.
Through our films and music videos, the world now knows us well now. What about
promoting our tourist sites through these means? How about taking deliberate
measures to shoot some of their music videos at these sites? It’s not every
time we should be portraying sex appeals, let’s incorporate the storyline to
include the promotion of our numerous tourist sites. Let me put this in proper
context: an average music video from any of our tier A artistes, such as
Olamide, Davido, Yemi Alade, Omawunmi, Waje will get over a million YouTube
views from across the world. Imagine if such a video was shot in any of these
tourist sites! Over a million people worldwide will see and appreciate what we
have and probably decide to visit!
Docudramas can also be very instrumental. Nollywood scripts
should start accommodating the inclusion of these sites into its production. In
addition to using the sites as set locations, storylines should also be
developed within this line. No doubt, I understand the financial restraint this
might pose. It is especially important for movie producers to seek for
partnerships with government agencies. I do not think the Mbanefo-led Nigeria
Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) will refrain from supporting any work of
art that seeks to promote tourism in Nigeria. I think our movie producers also
need to get creative about sourcing for funds. There are a number of private
organisations that are willing to put their money down to support such
projects. Those who can’t commit to the project with funds can provide
non-monetary supports such as manpower development (directing), free hotel
rooms for the cast & crew, provision of state-of-the-art equipment and
many more.
The role of government in making this recommendation witness
the first sun cannot be over emphasized. An enabling environment has to be
created and maintained. Access to funds, grants and loans needs to be improved.
Government needs to facilitate or subsidize access to international trainings.
I still believe there are a lot we can achieve with public-private
partnerships. Much to our surprise, the abandoned stone might eventually become
our cornerstone.
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