Nigeria Content Online

The second edition
of the Ogeyinka Merit Award for Excellence, tagged ‘A stitch in time’,
held on October 9, aboard the HMS President 1918, docked on River
Thames, London. The upscale event was organised to celebrate African
theatre, film, and music personalities within the UK.

According to the
host, Kayode Akintemi, the award was a way of “celebrating those in the
Diaspora who have made a mark.” Organiser of the event, theatre
director and costume designer, Yomi Oyekanmi, in his welcome address,
lamented the loss of African talents in the UK to unbecoming
occupations: “I am creating an avenue for networking. We have had
enough of losing talents to the security, care and nursing industries
here.”

Recounting the
humble origin of the self-funded award ceremony and its first edition,
which held last year in Stratford, London, Akintemi blamed the dearth
of adequate recognition for artistic and creative achievement on the
lack of support of the (British) Arts council.

The entertainment
began with music from musician and DJ, Errol Thompson, popularly known
as Soul to Soul, followed by traditional poetry recital and dance by
Lekan Oyeyemi, who in his entertaining act expressed pride in being
black (“I love the thickness of my skin,”); and quipped that there are
only few dissimilarities between the black and white cultures, (“when
the white man drinks tea, I drink hot pap”), he sang.

The awards kicked
off with the recognition of 2009 theatre award winner, Femi Elufowoju,
who articulated the significance of the honour to him, “I have been
working for a while and these recognitions are few and far between. To
receive from your own is the greatest possible esteem,” he said.

Co-host of the
event, Samyra Gellatly-De La Torrezz, however, condemned the
proliferation of inappropriate African entertainment, “there’s so much
sex appeal we can push; let us give a chance to raw talent.”

As if in answer to
her plea, the evening’s next entertainment could be described in just
those words. 14 year old prodigy, Camara Fearon, came onstage to sing
three of her self-composed songs. One of her renditions, a song
composed in the wake of a friend’s death in the notorious UK knife
crimes, almost reduced the crowd to tears. “Another day, another life
gone; Oppose the drugs, the blade, and the bullying,” Faeron sang.

Among the many
nominees for different awards were household Nigerian names in the UK
entertainment industry like Sophie Okonedo, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David
Oyelowo, Taio Cruz, Jocelyn Essien, Biyi Bandele, and Dipo Agboluaje.

Theatre artist,
Tayo Aluko, bagged several awards, including one for Most Outstanding
Playwright, which he said were won through his latest work, ‘Call Mr.
Robeson’, a play based on an African-American actor and singer of the
same name. According to Aluko, Robeson “achieved fame far ahead of his
time, and was in his days one of the most famous people on the planet.”

Olusola Oyeleye was
recognised as the Most Outstanding Theatre Director; Kwame Kwei Amah as
Outstanding Theatre Actor, while Anthony Abuah, whose first play,
‘Another Biafra’, was staged earlier this year at The Cockpit Theatre,
London, won Best Up-coming Actor. For film and television, Adaora
Nwandu, with her debut feature, ‘Rag Tag’ – a movie about two foreign
youngsters in London – won the award for Most Outstanding Director and
Producer.

Wave-making
Nigerian-born actor, David Oyelowo, who had featured in Shakespearean
plays in UK theatreland, BBC’s movies, ‘Small Island’ and ‘Blood and
Oil’, as well as major motion pictures including ‘The Last King of
Scotland’, was awarded the Most Outstanding Actor accolade. Though he
was not at the event, he was represented by both parents, who read his
letter of appreciation to the guests.

“I am incredibly
proud of my Nigerian heritage, and I am being represented by my parents
– which is fitting because it is to them I owe my success,” Oyelowo
wrote in his letter.

UK heartthrob,
Chucky Venn, was on hand to claim his award as Most Popular Actor,
while Jocelyn Essien, British comedian of Nigerian origin and producer
of her own comedy sketch ‘Little Miss Jocelyn’, brought the house down
when she was announced as the most popular film actress, amongst other
nominees like more popular Sophie Okonedo.

Recognitions were
awarded to the admirable representatives Nigeria has boasted in British
government and politics, in the persons of Anna Mbachu, former Mayor of
Walthamstow, East London; and Tayo Situ, current serving Mayor of
Southwark. Situ remarked that the Ogeyinka Awards are “a testimony to
the fact that though Nigeria is rich in oil, it has other assets. And
the best of them is the human assets that have grown wings to other
places to excel in different fields.”

Media personalities
were not neglected as Sola Oyebade, owner of Fashion’s Finest online
magazine and Mahogany fashion outfit, which in his words “specifically
catered to people of colour”, was honoured with an achievement award.
Ayo Johnson, renowned journalist and media analyst, dedicated his
achievement award to those whom he hopes to liberate with his efforts
on news balance in the world’s media coverage. He described them as
“those who would like to speak but have no voice, and the countless
faces that are never seen.”

The evening ended
with a special award presentation to young singer, Camara Faeron, an
African dance routine, and entertainment by Ayan DeFirst (Ayan
Ayandosu), popular London-based talking drummer. Ayandosu, winner of
the musical award, hailed himself as “the only talking drummer for the
British Labour Party.”

The event created a
wonderful avenue for entertainment and networking, and while it might
have fallen short, due to the non-attendance of the more popular
nominees like Sophie Okonedo, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taio Cruz, and Lemar
Obika – artists who perhaps identify more as ‘British’ than ‘Nigerian’.

The event did
fulfil its purpose of expressing appreciation for the efforts of
Nigerians who have through their unflinching efforts, afforded the
country an iota of positive image amid myriad globally negative ones.

The organisers, however, might need to take care that the Ogeyinka
Merit Award for Excellence, like many other foreign-based African
awards, does not become a means of giving public gratification to its
financial and social supporters, rather than distinguishing and
rewarding real talent.