Foremost film maker, Mr. Wale Adenuga, seeks regeneration in the Nigerian film industry, AKEEM LASISI writes
It is an interesting moment in Nigeria as
the current political transition has reached the peak. For many
politicians, it is time to abandon the umbrella, which is the symbol of
the Peoples Democratic Party, from whom the All Progressives Congress
has snatched power – even if not at gun point but at ballot point. Such
politicians would rather drop the umbrella and embrace the broom, the
symbol of the APC.
For renowned film maker, Mr. Wale
Adenuga, however, this is a time for the Nigerian film industry to
embrace both the umbrella and the broom. But the acclaimed publisher of
comic works that include Ikebe Super, and producer of popular dramas and films such as Papa Ajasco and Superstory,
is not thinking like many of his colleagues who are eager to just sing
and dance for politicians to secure crumbs of the the national cake.
Instead, Adenuga is using the occasion of the envisaged national rebirth
to chart a new course for the film industry.
The way only too few practitioners bother
to do nowadays, Adenuga rose above the din on Tuesday when he called a
press conference in Lagos. Unlike many of such he had called in the
past, where he announced the coming of new works, it was a time to
propound what he summarised as the philosophy of the broom and umbrella.
He took a cursory look at the industry and gave a verdict that it has
failed to realise its potential due to factors that are mostly
self-inflicted.
Adenuga said, “Now, we need what I would
describe as the broom and umbrella philosophy. We need the broom to
sweep away all the issues militating against the industry and an
umbrella to accommodate us all.”
He noted that as a major stakeholder, he
could no more wait to inspire and rally his colleagues and other
stakeholders to address factors that are holding down the sector.
In a moving speech, Adenuga said, “As
someone who has been in this industry for close to four decades, I have
called this meeting to share my opinion on how to make the best of our
industry and lay a solid foundation for unborn generations who may be
interested in the business of filmmaking.
“Seemingly, these are the best of times
for Nollywood as the film making business in Nigeria has come to be
known. When the national economy was rebased in April last year,
Nollywood was said to have contributed 1.2 per cent to the new GDP of
N80.2 tn ( US$509.9bn.). This means that Nollywood added about N1.72tn
to the revised GDP for 2013.
“The business of filmmaking in Nigeria,
which is among the first three in the world, has also become a major
source of employment for our teeming youths, a reason for which we
believe that we have a lot to celebrate.”
He, however, added that a keener
assessment of the situation would show that the practitioners just had a
lot of glittering without substance. He identified the challenges
militating against real progress to include arguments on the history of
film making in Nigeria, divisions along ethnic lines, lack of an
umbrella association, lack of quality control and absence of fundamental
government support.
Adenuga said, “The first and most
important issue that we have to contend with, in my opinion, is the
silent war that is going on among producers of the Igbo and Yoruba
ethnic groups over the history of film making in Nigeria. I imagine that
this is at the root of all other problems as a house divided against
itself cannot stand much less make progress.
“A corollary to the foregoing is the
unhealthy situation in which we now have Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa
operating separately under the aegis of Nollywood, Yorubawood and
Kannywood respectively. Even within these groups, we still have
in-fighting and misunderstanding over leadership. In spite of this lack
of cohesion, however, each of the ‘woods’ has her own guild where
separatism is very apparent in their dealings, especially casting.”
He linked this to the inability of the film makers to come under a national umbrella, which he finds very embarrassing.
“Although the average Nigerian may find
this shocking, our industry is the only one in Nigeria where you do not
have a national body or association. This country cannot speak of a
national association of film makers, the way doctors talk about the
Nigerian Medical Association, lawyers talk about the Nigerian Bar
Association the press have the Nigerian Union of Journalists. It is true
that we have all manner of guilds but these are all based on the
sentiments that I described earlier.
“I am persuaded to believe that our
inability to come together under an umbrella is one of the reasons why
we have some of the problems that detract from the development of the
business in Nigeria,” he explained.
To move forward, Adenuga said piracy must be circumvented, with all stakeholders having to fight it with one voice.
Acknowledging that the Jonathan
administration initiated a N3bn. intervention, Adenuga believes that
more needs to be done. First, he wants his colleagues to play down the
issue film making history in Nigeria – the way doctors do not haggle
over who started practice in the country. He wants stakeholders to work
together and shun petty sentiments, while he cannot wait to see a
national association of film makers formed.
Adenuga said, “I think the urgent
formation of a national body of film makers is one thing that we cannot
avoid if we are serious about making the best out of the industry. My
suggestion is that we start with the formation of truly national guilds
for all the professions that form the industry.
“These include producers, directors,
makeup artistes, editors, actors, production managers, set designers,
location managers, cameramen, continuity men, costumiers, lights men,
sound recordists and marketers, among others. All of these
guilds will elect their individual president and these presidents of
guilds will come together to elect the president of the overall
association of filmmakers. The association can then have a secretariat
in Abuja where all the guilds would have offices.
“The national executive of the
association will then be able to work with the government at all levels
and corporate bodies on issues affecting the industry like piracy and
funding. Such a body would be in a position to lobby for the review of
laws guiding piracy and ensure that the government funding gets into the
right hands through the state or zonal offices.”
To stem piracy, Adenuga advocates the
establishment of a cinema in each local government area in the country,
so that the home video culture will become secondary. Also, he wants the
governments and other relevant bodies to create funds that stakeholders
can access.
Like a sage, Adenuga said, “I have a
feeling that I am not the only one thinking about the urgent need for us
to have a national body for film makers but this has not worked because
of the interest of people who exploit the poorly constituted guilds for
their personal needs. Such individuals nurse the fear that they will
lose out in a democratic environment and will continue to do everything
to resist change.
“Some people will also not support this
initiative unless they are sure that they would emerge as leaders. They
consider the leadership of any such association their birthright and
would not support its establishment unless they are assured of the
opportunity to lead.
“But this is the time for everyone to put
all their personal ambition aside and let us all work together for an
industry which would be a befitting legacy for our children. With the
talents that God has endowed the industry with and the inspiring
population that Nigeria is blessed with, nothing will be able to hold us
back from shaking the world if only we are able to harness our
resources.”
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