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In spite of the troubles that have
dogged the nation from independence till now, and the sense of anger
and disillusionment it has aroused in the Nigerian citizenry home and
abroad, it is always remarkable to find a Nigerian who chooses to see
and project what is right about the country.

This is not your run-off-the-mill,
unrealistic rebranding project. This is a project that speaks
practically and distinctively to the Nigerian experience. This is the
‘8th Wonder of the World: Made in Nigeria’, a book written by
Olaboludele Simoyan.

Simoyan comes across as amiable and
ready to engage you with her ideas. For instance, she walks into the
newsroom for the interview and asks a reporter pointedly to tell her
two good things about Nigeria, and she would reward him with a special
handband. He reels off a satisfactory answer which she considers
noteworthy because her usual encounters with people always turn out
unsatisfactory as they cannot recall even one good thing about the
country. Simoyan speaks to NEXT about her new book and her unrelenting
passion for Nigeria.

Give us some insight into your background

I was born in
Washington DC in 1965. As a diplomat’s kid I lived briefly in different
parts of the world, but I was educated in Nigeria. I went to an
exclusive American missionary school in Miyango Town, which is 25miles
to Jos. I attended the Federal Government Girls College at Oyo, and in
1982 I gained admission into the University of Lagos to study
Architecture. As my community project, I put up a playground for the
kids. I took wooden unused NEPA poles to build swings, slides and
spiral slides. Before I left, the villagers had started stealing the
wooden seats and using them for firewood. (laughing). But the thing is
I had made up my mind that wherever I was sent to serve, I would make
an impact and leave a legacy

Do you think all of these were pointers to the line you would eventually tow?

Yes. And there was
also the fact that I had always been very nationalistic from a very
young age no thanks to my father who always made us proud about our
heritage. He always made us take pride in who we were and where we were
from. In fact, in those days, the Nigerian Passport commanded a lot of
respect.

How did your interest in writing begin?

While I was at the
Kent Academy in Miyango, I was often told that I was a poor reader and
I continued to carry that impression around. It was after my School
Certificate Exams that I took interest in reading the popular romance
novels, Mills and Boon. Then I also began buying and reading lots of
Jeffery Archer novels because I just loved his ‘Kane and Abel’. This
also moved me into reading a lot of books about Nigeria and the black
race like Achebe’s ‘The Trouble With Nigeria’. I read motivational
books too, especially by Mike Murdoch. It helped me channel my energy
into knowing what to do about my purpose. Also, after youth service, I
worked in a company called Architecture Services and they had a
magazine. So I contributed some writing to the magazine just to augment
my salary. I also sold advert spaces in the magazine.

Tell us how the book was born

Sometime in the
mid-nineties I left Architecture Services. Another company had offered
me a sales job because they were impressed with my work at Architecture
Services, but I turned it down preferring to go into freelance
marketing. I later left this for a job in an insurance company, but in
spite of everything, there was still something missing. I was
unfulfilled and money ceased to be a motivation for me. I had ideas
that had been burning on my inside and that needed to be let out. The
reason Nigeria is the way it is is because our politicians are
determined to steal us blind. So those who have the interest of this
nation at heart can pursue it with the same single-minded determination
as the corrupt politicians. I resigned, took my gratuity and continued
to read some more. I began to live on a shoestring budget, secluded
myself and just wrote and wrote and wrote. I started writing the book
in 2005 and I had a mentor who I kept going back to for feedback. It
was he who advised me to publish the book in series because I had
written too much for one book to contain. The first of the series
finally came out last year.

Why use a book to convey your message?

This book is a
springboard to many other things. It is a container of ideas for a new
Nigeria. I first thought setting up an NGO was my best bet to reaching
Nigerians, but I later decided it would be best to contain all my
thoughts in a book first.

How did you deal with the hassles of getting published?

The book is
actually self-published. The truth is I did a lot of things in the book
that I think very few publishers would have wanted to publish it.

Can you give some information about the book?

It’s actually two
books in one. I wanted the book to challenge people’s basic
assumptions. So that anyone who comes in contact with the book will see
that anything is possible if it’s possible to have two books in one.
Immediately you see the book, you get a paradigm shift.

‘The 8th Wonder’ is
something incredible, remarkable and distinguishing. ‘The 8th Wonder’
is a vision. As Nigerians, I want us to create our own 8th wonder in
our own sphere of contact. For too long we have taken solutions from
the West. We need a Nigerian solution to a Nigerian problem. When I
started the book I asked myself: if the future of Nigeria was dependent
on me, what would I do? With that I began to get solutions. The
foundation of a nation is how the people think. Again, in the book, I
drew attention to our positives so the book also focuses on what we are
doing right. We have focused on the bad things for too long. For
instance are you aware that Jos had electricity before London? When you
find out what you are doing right, you can repeat it.

What was the reason behind your using illustrations in the book?

People say
Nigerians do not read so I tried to make it more user-friendly and fun
so that even a kid can make sense of it. If you are the type who cannot
be bothered to read the whole book, you can read the African proverbs.
So everyone can get something out of it.

What further plans do you have regarding this project?

I have been doing
some inspirational marathon bus rides where I go to UNILAG and ride the
buses with the students and talk with them. I also have a blog,
www.the8thwonderworld.com, and in January 2011 I want to create an 8th
wonder on the blog. So everyone should look out for that.

He is one of the
select few mentored by the late D.O. Fagunwa. “To know him in person
was to know a gentleman on whose cheeks perpetual smiling had
fortuitously etched a dimple,” notes Yemitan in a tribute to
commemorate Fagunwa’s 45th memoriam in 2008.

That relationship, though, began innocently

“The late D.O. was
at Igbobi College from 1945 to 1946. I was in his Yoruba class in
Igbobi College in 1946 and I remember that instead of him going to the
blackboard to write, we sat down and discussed. That was his method of
teaching and we teased him about the veracity of the content of his
book. We will be throwing banters with him. I think he had only written
‘Ogboju Ode’ at that time. Did you see what I wrote in the brochure?
That’s part of what he told us. He narrated the story of how he wrote
‘Ogboju Ode’ and the royalty he was given. What he spent the money on,”
explains Yemitan whose recollection is contained in an article
published in the brochure of the fourth D.O Fagunwa Memorial Lecture
held on December 7, 2010.

The duo’s path crossed again after Igbobi College.

“He was in the
General Publications Section of the Western Region Ministry of
Education. When that was to take off, there was an advertisement in the
press asking people to contribute short stories and I wrote one short
story which was accepted. Later on, I discovered that he was in charge
of the publication, so later I went to Ibadan. I was in Ibadan and was
dealing with him on a regular basis. I was writing short stories
regularly for ‘Aworerin’ and he was in charge. There was one Mr Levy, a
white man, he was the topmost man. D.O. Fagunwa was next to him so our
meetings became regular.” Fagunwa later gave fillip to Yemitan’s
writing career by editing and publishing his first work, ‘Oniruru
Itan’, a collection of short stories in Yoruba. “At that time, I used
to tell short stories on radio, on Nigerian Broadcasting Service on a
weekly basis and he became one of my ardent listeners. When I told a
story on radio, the next time he would call me. ‘Ladipo, I heard your
story.’ We were dealing regularly together, I was close to him and
because he had taught us before, this made us so close. He used to
advise me, he used to tell me the modulation in Yoruba language and
each time I wrote, he would help me edit it and tell me how to do it
better.

“I used to write
short stories on a regular basis and he used to ask me to write more.
One day, this book, ‘Oniruru Itan’, just came. It was edited and
published by D.O. Fagunwa. It was printed by Caxton Press but it was a
publication of Western Region General Publications. I simply saw
author’s copies, they didn’t tell me they were publishing it. He was
just asking me to write the stories, I didn’t know he had the intention
of publishing it. This was my first ever publication. It was edited by
D.O. Fagunwa. He was my mentor, my everything. When he died, I felt it
keenly.” But death couldn’t diminish Yemitan’s love for Fagunwa. He
started an archive on the educationist thereafter. One of his
materials, the first in memoriam advert on Fagunwa published in a
newspaper on December 7, 1964 is also in the memorial brochure.

Lover of research

Having benefitted
from Fagunwa’s mentorship, Yemitan proceeded to distinguish himself
with several other works. ‘Ijala Are Ode’, the first work in Yoruba
language published by Oxford University Press, (now University Press)
in 1963 is one of his popular works.

“I wasn’t a
hunter,” he starts on how he wrote the book. “I come from Abeokuta and
my father had the chieftaincy title of Ashipa. Ashipa is the head of
hunters and my father was the head of hunters in a large area. So,
whenever they had occassions to demonstate their culture, what they do
in the wild, I saw it. That was how I got in touch initially in Ijala.
I became interested in it and I was in radio, I was a radio news
reader, then producer for many years. It was in my line of profession,
doing research on culture and other things, that was how I went into
it. I did more research and wrote that book.” His love for research
also made him write ‘Madam Tinubu’. “I was told Madam Tinubu was an Owu
woman. That was how I got interested and I started to research. Later
on, I discovered her relationship to Owu was minimal. She was from
Gbagura but I wrote the book.” He did same for the novel, ‘Gbobaniyi’
which he wrote on vacation in London and ‘Oruko lo Yato’ I and II, a
collection of short stories derived from the Ifa corpus.

Writing in English

Apart from writing
in Yoruba, the retired broadcaster also writes in English. ‘The Bearded
Story Teller’, ‘Happy Times Are Here’, and ‘Adubi War’ are amongst
those written in English. “Basically, it’s because I try to be
proficient in both languages. At Igbobi College, we were taught by
Professor Babalola who was a good English scholar and he grilled us so
much. The famous author, Cyprian Ekwensi, was also one of our tutors at
Igbobi College and he inspired us to write,” he says on why he uses
both languages.

Eternal language

While some claim
that people are no longer write in Yoruba, Yemitan believes otherwise.
“People are writing in Yoruba. The fact is that publishers, if they
know that a book is not going to be a school text, they refuse to
accept it. I still write in Yoruba. I have just translated late
Professor Saburi Biobaku’s ‘The Egba and their Neighbour’. Seun Olufuwa
and I have just translated Professor Soyinka’s ‘The Lion and the Jewel’
into Yoruba. Professor Akinwumi Isola has been preaching to me that I
write too much in English. I should go back to writing in Yoruba. I
write in English because I travel out and people are interested.” He
reiterates that writings and writers in Yoruba language are endangered.
“There is hope. In fact, the hope is brighter now. Right now, in many
universities in the US and other places, people are studying Yoruba. My
grand daughter studying Medicine is taking Yoruba as one of her
subjects in the preliminary stages. People are interested in Yoruba.
Yoruba can never die, it can never die. There is no immediate danger to
Yoruba language, I can say that for sure.”

US-based Nigerian
curator and art historian, Okwui Enwezor, has been appointed the new
director of German art museum, Haus der Kunst, located in Munich.

A release from the
organisation disclosed that Enwezor will take over from Chris Dercon,
the outgoing director later in October.Enwezor, who has been active in
academic and curatorial fields, is currently Adjunct curator at
International Centre of Photography, New York, and Joanne Cassulo
Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study
Programme in New York City.

The appointment is
the latest for the man who initially left Nigeria in the 1980s to study
Political Science and Literature in the US before delving into Art
History. He was recently appointed chief curator of La Triennale, Paris
2012 and serves as advisory curator of ‘Dublin Contemporary’ in 2011.

The curator who has
already accepted the offer said, “I am immensely delighted and honoured
to be joining Haus der Kunst in the next phase of its growth in the
global landscape of contemporary art. In the last decade, Haus der
Kunst has been a place of great vitality and a formidable voice in
advancing the key argument that serious contemporary art is as varied
as the artists whose practices have been presented in its exhibitions.
Munich is a great city that represents many crossroads of the global
community and I look forward to working with the team at the Haus der
Kunst in building an exciting platform for exhibitions, debates, and
ideas.”

The appointment is
a sort of home coming for Enwezor who is not new to Munich’s public.
His 2001 exhibition, ‘The Short Century: Independence and Liberation
Movements in Africa 1945-1994’, presented the most extensive overview
to date of artistic production in late and postcolonial Africa.

The first non-European to direct the still talked about Documenta II
in Kassel, Germany has also directed several other major exhibitions.
He was artistic director of the second Johannesburg Biennale in South
Africa held from 1996 to 1997. He curated the Biennale for Contemporary
Art Seville titled ‘The Unhomely: Phantom Scenes in Global Society’ in
2006 and the 7th Gwangju Biennale, South Korea in 2007-2008 The German
minister for education said of the new director and his vast
experience, “Okwui Enwezor brilliantly directed Documenta 11 in 2002,
creating outstanding art experiences that continue to impact the world
of art. As artistic director Mr Enwezor held leading positions in
Seville and Johannesburg. He is anchored in both the European and
international art scene like few other figures.”

Though art patron
and amateur painter, Sefunmi Osioke Oyofo is late, she lives on in the
hearts of some artists. Eight of them: Olu Ajayi, Sam Ovraiti, Lekan
Onabanjo, Enotie Ogbebor, Ohiole Ohiwerei, Gerry Nnubia, and US-based
Ehi Obinyan and Pita Ohiwerei, recently held an exhibition in her
honour.

Titled ‘Promises
Kept’, the exhibition ran from January 13 to 19 at Terra Kulture,
Victoria Island, Lagos. Art collector, Rasheed Gbadamosi, and Oyofo’s
sisters, Odio Oseni and Omo Akpata were among guests at the opening of
the exhibition where the ‘Promises Kept Foundation’ was also unveiled.

The organisation,
according to its promoters, will continue Oyofo’s charity works with
less privileged children. It will also extend its activities to support
the education and healthcare needs of women.

“Some United States
based supporters plan to bring machines for medical tests to be donated
to major hospitals in Nigeria for free testing of women and children,”
they added.

Towards this end, 50 per cent of proceeds from the show were donated to the charity by the artists.

Viewers feasted on
the about 50 paintings and sculptures on display after Gbadamosi, chair
of the occasion, formally opened the exhibition.

Interestingly, some
works by Oyofo were also displayed. But unlike the other works which
were for sale, those of the late managing director of Juno Foods,
makers of Tropic Cornflakes, were not for sale. Her ‘Still Life’ series
comprising four framed pastel paintings of flowers and ‘Green house on
the Mount’ showed a painter who cared about nature.

Lover of fish

To underscore their
appreciation of Oyofo’s patronage, some of the artists made works
specially for the exhibition conceived about six months ago.

“I started painting
for the show; I picked a topic I know she enjoys and then I did another
one that I feel is good enough for international standard,” disclosed
Obinyan, who had two works, ‘Welcoming the Twins’ and ‘Dollz 4photo’ in
the show.

The painter, who
came to Nigeria purposely for the exhibition and whose ‘Welcoming the
Twins’ depicts fishes, added, “I had a special relationship with her
because I’m one of the few guys who paint fish. She loved fish
paintings so she used to buy every fish painting I made. She used to
say, ‘bring it, let me see it first before you take it to somebody
else’ and it never ended up in anybody else’s hands because she bought
anyone I brought.”

Passion for art

Former chair, Lagos
chapter of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Olu Ajayi, also
acknowledged Oyofo’s contribution to the arts.

“Sefunmi was
someone who loved the arts, someone who had passion for the arts. She
supported the Society of Nigerian Artists in my tenure and she brought
a lot of creative ideas in terms of corporate sponsorship.

“Sefunmi died at
40, unmarried. Sefunmi’s works tell you someone who wanted to practice
or develop her interest in visual art. She never exhibited when she was
alive because she considered herself not a professional but just an
amateur artist,” Mr. Ajayi said.

The artist, who had a painting titled ‘Symphony for Funmi’ among his
four works in the exhibition, added, “When she was alive she supported
and paid fees for secondary school students; she supported art clubs in
primary and secondary schools and even supported the Society of
Nigerian Artists. So, what other honour can I do but to stage an
exhibition and have her works that you would not have seen but for this
show to generate awareness and also show her works?”

Soon to join the
swelling ranks of Nollywood movies at cinemas is ‘Clap of Thunder’, an
epic film directed by Emeka Jonathan. Jonathan is no rookie to the
profession, as he has directed over 40 films in the last eight years.
He unveils himself and the new movie in this interview.

Tell us about ‘Clap of Thunder’?

I don’t want to
give too much away. However, it was produced by Peace Egwu and is her
first. It features Enebeli Elebuwa, Ebube Nwagbo, and a host of others.
The innovation is you premiere your movie first and then release it at
the cinemas. We hope to do that with this movie. It will premiere in
March in Calabar. We are also going to release it in cinemas
afterwards.

We are looking at
bringing new talents, good storylines into the filmmaking business.
That’s the best way. We have a lot of talent, let’s discover them. We
can use maybe one or two stars but let’s also give room for fresh
talent. I am a part of that change. You’ll see new faces in this movie.

Is this another Nollywood movie or should we expect more?

You cannot take a
low quality film to the cinema because it will be scrutinised for
picture quality, sound, and storyline before they put it on. So, this
movie has a lot to offer. It’s an epic film in English but set in the
Igbo cultural background. The storyline is different and it’s got
suspense. The settings and the costume are also different. If you shoot
a movie in Asaba or Enugu or any of the usual locations, people can
easily tell. We don’t create time to scout for choice locations for our
movies.

However, ‘Clap of
Thunder’ was shot in a very different location. It was shot in a serene
location called Akpabio which is about 30 minutes drive to Calabar. I
think government’s intervention is also necessary in this area. The
industry needs a film village.

What about Tinapa?

We shot a few
scenes in Tinapa. It is not a film village in the actual sense of the
word. Though you can get some production equipment there, it’s more of
a fun place, a rendezvous for people to go and relax.

When did the interest in directing begin?

I’ve always had
the zeal. However, my first interest in filmmaking began between 1991
and 1992. This was the period I featured in the popular soap,
‘Ripples’. I was in my first year in the university at the time. My
godfather, Alex Usifo, who was also in the soap, contributed to my
getting the role. It was a minor role. The first project I directed was
a soap opera, ‘Sweet Angel’. It aired between 2004 and 2007. I actually
produced and directed the soap and it used to also run on Africa Magic
alongside other soaps like ‘Treasures’. Then I moved into movies. The
first movie I directed was ‘Godmother’ which was released in 2006. So
far, I have done ‘Take Me Home’, ‘Wise Choice’, ‘Desperate Housewives’,
‘Dancing Hall’ and many others. ‘Desperate Housewives’ won Best Picture
and Best Directing awards at the Nigerian Movie Awards last year.

What is your take on the Nigerian movie industry?

The industry is
moving forward. President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed loan to support
the entertainment industry is also a good thing. We’ve been praying for
this kind of support from the government for a long time.

However, the
industry needs to be restructured. Before, we used to produce movies
indiscriminately but now the tempo is coming down because we keep
recycling stories. You don’t rush your movies. Now, people are looking
at the cinema so we need to produce quality films so that people can
get value for their money. You cannot spend N1, 500 to go see a
worthless movie. I don’t mind shooting two or three quality films in a
year than 20 which are of low quality.

What do you make of the newly released movies making waves at the big screens?

It’s a good thing.
I think it helps professionalism. Like the movie ‘Ije’, the lady who
produced it did a good job. There is a lot involved in making a good
movie. Sometimes, investors are scared of investing in a movie because
there are miscreants who take all of the money and then use a small
part of it for the actual production while they spend the rest on
themselves.

However, God is
reshuffling the industry and is bringing out the greats, those who have
prospects. Video clubs are not helping issues. Internationally when you
shoot a movie, you premiere first then you take it to the cinema before
you release into the market, which is the last resort. So, a movie can
be put on CD four years after its release date. For instance, ‘Ije’ is
not in the market, it’s in the cinemas. You just don’t shoot a film,
release it into the market and next people are renting them from video
clubs. People should be encouraged to buy movies.

The guys at Mount
Zion Films ensure that their films are bought as they have a licensed
distribution structure and they do not allow their movies get into the
hands of video club owners.

Aside from some of what you have stated, what other changes would you like to see in the Nigerian movie industry?

A stronger
relationship between the media, the audience and the industry. In terms
of publicity and awareness, marketers should set aside funds for
advertisements in every arm of the media so that people can be informed
about the latest movies, know what movies are making hits and which are
not.

Also, I think
movie directors should get first-rate remuneration for their work. But
in Nollywood, the actors get paid more money than the directors. The
director does a lot of work and stays on till post-production, ensuring
that everything is in place before the film is released.

Any upcoming projects?

Yes. There is a
soap opera in the works, which I will be directing. It is an Igbo soap
opera, done in Igbo language. It will feature the likes of Ernest Obi,
Ngozi Ezeonu, and Peter Bunor. Africa Magic and Infinity will be on set
with us while we shoot.

We’ll be going on
location by the end of the month to shoot another movie that will
feature Onyeka Onwenu, Tonto Dike, and Yemi Blaq.

Wazobia FM’s
on-air personality, Omotunde Adebowale David, popularly known as Lolo
1, is as engaging in real life as she is on air. Though a lawyer by
training, she has always had a leaning towards the art, especially
entertainment. Being on radio, according to her, is a thrilling
experience she won’t trade for anything. In a little over two years at
the station, Lolo 1 enjoys a large listenership on her mid morning
show, ‘Oga Madam Office’.

How did you come about the name, Lolo 1?

I am passionate
about Igbo culture. I did a show some time ago and asked people to give
me a name. Lolo was the cutest and nicest I got so I just stuck with it.

How long have you been on radio?

I’ve done radio
for some time. At first, I was with Radio Nigeria. I later moved to
Metro FM before I came to Wazobia FM. I started doing radio in 2004. I
studied Law and was practicing at a time but I got to a point when I
knew that a career change was needed. I looked around and since
entertainment has always been something I wanted to do, I just closed
my eyes and switched.

Was it easy transiting from Law to entertainment?

It wasn’t easy
because I had to drop everything I knew and learn something new. I did
not just pick radio; I did a little stage drama at a time in school
[Lagos State University].

Most lawyers claim to still have the Law streak after they switch professions, was this the case for you?

Yes, of course.
There is no way it won’t affect anything you do especially since it is
something you have learnt over time. For example, if am presenting a
political programme I know what the law says about a certain issue.
This helps me deal better with an issue because of the exposure I have
had.

What programmes do you anchor at Wazobia FM?

I joined Wazobia
in 2008 but I started out as a news anchor until last year when I
started my own show, ‘Oga Madam Office’. It’s not Law inclined but we
have the assembly where we all come out and discuss all kind of issues
from political to bizarre. I also anchor ‘Love Kill me Die’ almost
every day because I believe that relationships should be nurtured and
people love songs and love related issues. I guess my most popular show
is ‘Office Palaver’ where people just like to talk about what happens
in their offices because it relaxes them. It’s just a fun time on
radio.

How has the experience been so far?

At first, it was
like a learning process because I was transiting from English to
Pidgin. It was like a struggle because every day I had to keep looking
into myself to bring out new stuff. Pidgin is an evolving language
which requires personal creativity in your delivery and in everything.
I just had to keep trying and exposing myself to anyone who speaks
pidgin because I don’t really want to sound colloquial except by choice.

It was not easy
but Wazobia is such a lovely place to work and everyone learns from
each other so it naturally helps your creativity. You have to research
before you come on air because radio presenters cannot just come on air
and open their mouths. You have to know a little a bit of everything
because your job requires ‘infortainment’.

What do you like best about your job?

I love the fun
part of it because I’m a fun loving person. It’s a rare privilege to be
on the other side giving fun to people because that’s my goal on radio.
You know life in Lagos can be very tough so after all the hard work you
need something to soothe you.

What remains your most memorable day on air?

The very first
time I read news in pidgin on Wazobia FM, I was so terrified. In fact,
it was obvious and you could hear my heart thumping through the
microphone. It wasn’t really a pleasant experience and then someone
made a comment on air saying “where did you get that lady from, abeg
she’s not good.” I felt so bad but it helped me because it stuck and I
kept psyching myself that I could do better. It really spurred me on. I
have also met and interviewed a lot of people on the job and it makes
you feel real good.

Interest in charity

I founded an NGO
called ‘Sisters Concern’10 years ago when I finished Law school. The
NGO deals with women issues and though we have a president, I am the
programme director. I know a lot of people will say I run the charity
because I’m on radio and it is a trend with celebrities. But in my
case, I’m somebody who loves to reach out. Our goal is to meet less
privileged people and do the seemingly little things that are
insignificant to some but is everything to them. Over time, the
ministry has grown so it’s not all about me again.

I also organise a
yearly talent show called ‘Song Outbreak’ which is another opportunity
to give, especially since music seems to appeal more to young people.
So, if I’m giving them the platform to explode, I am taking their minds
off crime, delinquency and drugs. I am also involved in the Lolo’s Cup
and recently donated a cup to the youth in Ejigbo commuinity. I’m not
just a woman who says, ‘change’ but one who helps you change.

What is your biggest challenge being on radio?

Radio is a medium
that once something goes out, you can’t take it back. It can be very
challenging because you have to deliver every time. If you disseminate
wrong information it can’t be withdrawn. I can’t just stay at home and
sleep. I have to watch the news and read the papers to know what is
happening because I have to be on top of my game at all times.

Players in
Nigeria’s book industry converged at Banquet Hall, Eko Hotels, Victoria
Island, Lagos on Monday, January 17 to discuss President Goodluck
Jonathan’s ‘Bring Back the Book’ initiative launched in December. The
mandate of the conference organised by the Committee for Relevant Art
(CORA) and which lasted over 10 hours was to produce a blueprint for
the implementation of the reading scheme. It was themed ‘When the
President Wants to Bring Back the Book-What’s to be Done Now?’

Special assistant
to Jonathan on research, documentation and strategy, Oronto Douglas,
who kick-started proceedings reiterated the objective by asking
participants including publishers, writers, booksellers , librarians
and others to see themselves as important stakeholders in the scheme.

“We should all
conceive the campaign to bring the book back to a national
consciousness as a citizens’ framework that should bring back the
written word. NGOs working in the book business should be mobilised to
continue to do their work until the book is on top of the democratic
agenda,” he said.

Douglas added that
since the president is interested in a blueprint that would help push
the initiative, participants “should be as critical as possible because
it’s the end product that we are interested in.” The special assistant
also touched on criticisms that had trailed the initiative. He said the
presidency has noted people’s comment about elite schools being
favoured during the launch of the campaign in Lagos and would rectify
this in subsequent editions to hold across Nigeria.

“We request that
you take charge of this initiative and drive it. It is about a movement
for knowledge democratisation … Take charge of this process so the
book industry takes its rightful place in the education and advancement
of our intellectual industry for the good of the nation. This is an
urgent matter. It’s not politics; we should leave politics out of it.
It’s about the soul; relevance and right of Nigerians and for those who
want to advance the common cause of Nigerians,” he added.

The conference
director, Deji Toye, outlined the scope of discussions at the meeting
divided into sessions before Secretary General of CORA, Toyin Akinosho
explained the body’s role in the exercise. Akinosho read an excerpt
from Carol Enahoro’s ‘Doing Dangerously Well’ before appraising the
state of Nigeria’s book industry. He didn’t fail to highlight CORA’s
interventions, which he referred to as ‘extension service’ in ensuring
that the printed word remains viable in Nigeria.

What publishers want

Playwright and
cultural activist, Ben Tomoloju, moderated the first session featuring
publishers and booksellers. Executive Secretary, Nigerian Publishers
Association (NPA) Kunle Sogbein, delivered a lead paper titled ‘What
Publishers Want’. He identified impediments to publishing in Nigeria to
include: financial and manufacturing constraints; distribution and
sales problems; lack of government support; legal problems and
creativity and intellectual problems. Some of his suggestions towards
moving forward include; exempting printing machines and papers from
taxes; offering credit lines to publishers; equipping the Nigerian
Copyright Commission properly and instituting literary prizes amongst
others. He also suggested the establishment of a book advisory and
readership committee under the presidency to coordinate all efforts
aimed at bringing back the book.

Killers of reading

President, Nigerian
Booksellers Association, Lanre Adesuyi also delivered a paper titled
‘Reviving Our Reading Culture’. He identified weak policies on
education; decaying infrastructures; economic recession and
inconsistent book policy as some of the killers of “our reading
culture”. He suggested that government should sponsor reading
competitions at all levels, sponsor literary programmes on TV and radio
and make Literature in English compulsory in junior secondary schools.

Some interesting
ideas from other panellists were espoused after the two presentations.
Jeremy Wheate of Cassava Republic Press disagreed that the book needs
to be brought back because it “is here already.” He noted that
Nigerians read but that they only read religious, business and
management books. What needs bringing back, according to the publisher
are Nigerian and African books. Wheate added that efforts have to be
concentrated on inculcating the joy of reading into the young as
opposed to making them associate reading with only school texts.

Simi Dosekun of
Farafina suggested that students should be made aware of reading as an
end in itself; not just about passing examinations. Ayo Arigbabu of
DADA Books also highlighted the troubles of the Nigerian book industry.

Author and
publisher, Dilibe Onyeama blamed the military intervention in Nigerian
politics for the current state of the book industry. He described
military rule as the “very antithesis of creativity” while also blaming
the soldiers for the brain drain that robbed Nigerian universities of
the country’s best academics.

Publisher and
bookseller, Kolade Mosuro, noted that not only do children lack the
skills to read; the erratic power supply in the country is another
disincentive to reading because people can’t read once it’s dark. “I
hope we will do proper research before launching out with the
initiative,” he counselled. Erabor Okogun of Meliora Limited made a
case for using information communication technology to promote books.

Institutionalise the campaign

Ronke Orimolade
weighed in with the suggestion that the book supply and distribution
framework in Nigeria should be reviewed and that government should
establish a National Book Commission. Bibi Bakare-Yusuf of Cassava
Republic wants improved government funding, especially in areas of
training for writers and illustrators amongst others.

More inputs into
the proposed blueprint came during the remaining sessions. Former
Minister of State for Education and president, Association of Nigerian
Authors Jerry Agada recommended establishing a National Reading Agency
that will institutionalise the initiative so it will outlive Jonathan’s
administration. Chair, Standing Committee on Private Universities,
National Universities Commission, Adio Ogunbona noted that parents who
ought to serve as role models in promoting reading are busy chasing
after money. Abimbola Dada of the Nigeria Library Association disclosed
that people don’t come to use libraries.

No literacy, no book

Poet, Odia
Ofeiumun, who is often a contrarian didn’t disappoint. “You can’t be
talking about bringing back the book if there is no literacy in a
country. You and I know that the ministries of education in Nigeria are
not particularly literacy friendly. There are actual government
departments dedicated to ensuring that illiteracy is wiped out in this
country. We’ve had them for 50 years yet Nigeria remains one of the
nine bottom countries dealing with lack of literacy in spite of all
these institutions that we’ve always had.

“Supporting the
book is not just about the book, it’s about the infrastructure around
the book trade. It’s also about what government must do and we must
make them do. Our government has not been acting as governments should
whether in relation to books or in relation to libraries, we should
make government act in the manner we want it to,” he said.

Other contributors
at the meeting include Ogochukwu Promise of the Lumina Foundation;
writers Austyn Njoku and Emman Shehu; Anwuli Ojogwu of Bookjam and Koko
Kalango of the Rainbow Book Club.

Nothing better
captures human history than a collection of information that is
indelible and images that are everlasting. For many film enthusiasts,
the moving picture medium does this best. However, within the medium,
the differentiation between the purposes of the feature and the
documentary film can not be overemphasised.

The essence of the
documentary film and the documentary film maker takes the front stage
at the iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival which ends
today at Freedom Park.

On the bill at the
opening ceremony, held last Thursday, was Manthia Diawara’s keynote
address ‘Can Documentary Change the World?’ Also showing was the film
professor’s documentary, ‘Who’s Afraid of Ngugi?’

Spread the word

Linking African
literature with the continent’s film culture, Diawara stressed the need
for more public intellectuals like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and
Nelson Mandela, who are renowned for their self-expression in spaces
with global influence. In his words, these people had the genius of
“having a place for their public intellectuals to express him or
herself and to have that expression change the world.”

Heralding what
would be a major pattern all through the day’s event, Diawara said
maintaining and updating national and historical archives was a very
important part of re-enforcing the African existence and was useful in
presenting images and stories to the world that were true and positive
of the continent. For him, the audience is home-based before it is
global. “Films (should) have their legitimacy first in Africa,” he
said. The problem with filmmaking in Africa, he said, is that, “We make
films by addressing the West…in doing this, we betray a whole point
of view…this is irrelevant in changing people’s lives here.”

He advised that filmmakers should learn to own Africa by first owning her myriad resources.

Presenting
Diawara’s new publication, ‘African Film: New Forms and Aesthetics,’
managing director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Afolabi
Adesanya, supported the clamour for positive representations of Africa.
The history of colonisation in Africa, he said, would not allow a
European filmmaker make a movie that would be against his own. Adesanya
asked the industry “to take ownership of their images” and stop making
“films that put European audiences at their ease.” A trailer of the DVD
accompanying the book was then shown.

Tribute

Three ‘film heroes
past’ were honoured in a tribute. Veteran TV producer, diplomat and
arts patron, Segun Olusola, was at hand to present plaques to Brendan
Shehu, Tam Fiofori and Adegboyega Arulogun – all elder broadcasters who
had contributed immensely to the progress of TV and documentary films
in Nigeria.

Shehu, a former
director of the NFC, was grateful for the award that he said showed
efforts of his colleagues had not been in vain. For Arulogun, whom
Olusola described as a teacher of documentary filmmaking, the honour
was proof to upcoming filmmakers that “Nollywood was not created in a
vacuum.” International collaborations were vital for Nollywood to grow,
Arulogun said.

A painful experience

The audience’s
joyous mood turned sober with the screening of Diawara’s documentary on
the homecoming of Kenyan writer-activist, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, after 22
years in exile. Scenes in the movie took the audience through Ngugi’s
early life to the Mau Mau struggle and its influence on current Kenyan
politics. There were a lot of soul-thumping scenes, but none more
moving than the sequence of shots that covered the attack on Ngugi’s
family and the rape of his wife during his return to Kenya. Diawara
himself admitted that it “was a painful film to make.”

Kiragu,
co-ordinator of the couple’s trip to Kenya, was arrested alongside four
others for the assault. The 84-minute film showed that there were mixed
feelings for Ngugi and his activism in the East African country. There
were a number of indispensable nuggets in the film such as Ngugi’s
comment that, “identifying with another person’s language above your
own is actually despising one’s self.”

For Ngugi, the film
and its contents contributed “yet another way of liberating Africa,”
according to Diawara, the film’s narrator, writer and director.

The programme
returned from recess to expound on issues of identity, consciousness
and logistics in documentary film making in a workshop session titled
‘Redeeming the African Image: A case for African Documentary Films.’

Moderator of the
session was Emeka Mba, director-general of the Nigerian Film and Video
Censors Board with the panel boasting Senegalese, Lydie Diakhate; Joke
Silva, Mahmoud Ali-Balogun and Jaiye Ojo.

Improving the art

During the
workshop, Diakhate, a film producer and festival organiser, said, it
was “crucial to have a platform to be able to show new images of
Africa.” She accentuated the presence of positive stories that can be
told about the continent and hailed festivals as medium for encouraging
co-operation, sharing experiences and improving production quality
amongst filmmakers.

On his part,
Ali-Balogun posed the question of what exactly a filmmaker sets out to
achieve with a documentary. Speaking personally, he said most of his
documentaries are advocacy tools meant for improving Nigeria. As a
patriotic movie maker, he would not peddle negative images of his
country for any reason. This, he said, was mostly impossible for those
who sourced their funds from abroad and had to ‘dance to the tune’ of
their sponsor.

In light of the
challenges facing those already established in the genre, the lot fell
on Ojo to allay the fears of aspiring filmmakers. Speaking in a
deservingly upbeat tone, he said there are avenues for surviving in the
trend despite a seemingly high frustration rate.

Joke Silva also
said that more skill acquisition centres were crucial to honing the
talent of the industry’s up and coming producers.

There was a slight
argument over how easy it was to shoot a documentary, but it was agreed
that the industry’s green horns should not see their task as daunting
but something that has to be done if the passion was there.

The moderator, Mba
summed it up by saying that the overall duty for filmmakers is to “tell
our stories in a more socially-responsible way.”

Doing this
effectively were the two other films on the event’s bill. Olu
Holloway’s ‘Slum Sweeper’ was an exposé on the construction of the
Second Mainland Bridge, widely known as the Eko Bridge.

The festival film,
Jihan El-Tahri’s ‘Behind the Rainbow,’ a documentary on South African
politics, closed the evening’s schedule at Terra Kulture.