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The other day, I received a review copy of the movie thriller
based on Nigeria’s Niger Delta crisis, called Blood and Oil. It has since been
aired on the BBC TV and the writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie did a masterful
review of the movie.

I enjoyed Adichie’s review; and would like to offer some
additional thoughts. Ostensibly, this is a drama about the adventures of two
British ladies (one Nigerian-British, acted by Naomie Harris and the other
white, acted by Jodhi May). Jodhi May plays Claire Unwin whose husband gets
kidnapped (with three others) by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger
Delta (MEND).

Naomie Harris as Alice Omuka sets out with Claire to go secure
the release of Mark Unwin and the other kidnapped workers. Something goes
awfully wrong and three of the men (all white) are discovered murdered in the
dangerous creeks of Nigeria’s Niger Delta. The lone black man is missing; I
never quite figured out what happened to the poor fellow. Not that it matters;
he is irrelevant to the movie’s burden.

The movie plods along nicely and predictably. Nigeria is a
scary place, armed guards everywhere. A police state on its way to becoming a
failed one, Nigeria’s leaders have made sick caricatures of its long suffering
people. Western audiences will love this film. Money talks, the producers did
not spare a penny to make this a realistic production with great sound effects.

The boys of the Delta are here, muscles rippling, bullets
drilling into bullies and the bullied. I applaud the actors of Nigerian
ancestry who took part in the movie, even though they sounded and looked liked
expatriates with their accents and all. David Oyelowo was great as the
community activist despite having to deal with mediocre lines engineered to
engage Western audiences.

Adichie’s observations about the movie are astute and spot on.
There is more to this movie than meets the eye. Or less. The accents are fake
except for the occasional eerie chants and voice-overs murmuring Pidgin English
exhortations over the heads of pretend-Nigerians. The movie appears to be
filmed through a very narrow lens, the scenery is controlled, suspiciously
tight-lipped where it should be lush.

You don’t see much else than they want you to see. And it is
for good reason. There is a reason that the scenes and the crowds don’t look
quite like Nigeria. Close-cropped takes mask the fact that this movie was not
shot in West Africa. The scenes are carefully controlled and you almost feel
claustrophobic, looking for the Nigeria you know so well. Jodhi May explains in
an interview:

“We shot it in South Africa and the streets were spick and
span, unbelievably clean, so we had to get dirt put down so as to create an
environment that was Nigerian.” Today, Nigeria is apparently so dangerous that
a movie about her has to be shot in South Africa. If you want to be a Nigerian
go to South Africa! They will employ you there. Our leaders should be shot.

The movie’s competing imperial arrogance and obsequiousness are
fueled by a keen sense that a superior civilisation has run smack into hell as
represented by the Niger Delta and black Africa. Scenes seem engineered to
shine a light on our otherness. White princess meets black beast and shivers
with loathing and fright. Shudder. Horrific scenes showcase alien attitudes
about us that scream “you horrid beasts.” Unfortunately, it is not only white
expatriates that now shudder once they enter African airspace. As the movie
shows so well, we are also raising our children to loathe themselves and
Africa. The fake accents belonged to South Africans and the offspring of
Nigerians schooled abroad – on the oil money of the Niger Delta. Make no
mistake about it. This movie is really all about the death of one white man, a
man whose life is a million times more valuable than all of the miserable lives
in the Niger delta. It is the truth.

I do agree with Adichie that it can’t hurt to watch the movie. It improves
on Bruce Willis’ horrid 2003 movie about Nigeria, Tears of the Sun. However, it
is not a well thought-out documentary on the shame that is playing out in the
Niger Delta. It is formulaic with a very predictable ending and saddled with a
mediocre script. All the ingredients are there but they are muted commentaries
on globalisation, poverty and despair.

Things that have come to define Nigeria are hurriedly captured and abandoned
as if the producers were weary of controversy. What distinguishes this movie
from a fairly well written Nollywood movie is money. We should collaborate
more. Wealth and Creativity, please meet Poverty and Creativity. We would all
be richer for it.

Why Art?

What else? I was first introduced to the creative world of
painting and drawing by my grandmother, Angelina Akpotuzor, who was a
traditional wall painter and decorator. She herself came from a long ancestral
line of wall/body decorators popularly known as Uli, the name of the village
from which it derives. In my earliest days as a child, my mother and I lived
with her in the village because of the Nigerian Civil War and I imbibed some of
my creativity from her.

Training

I studied Fine Arts and Education at Delta State University,
Abraka. I later apprenticed with Sam Ovraiti. I’m currently studying
print-making at Bruce Onobrakpeya’s Harmattan Workshop in Agbara Otor, Delta
State.

Medium

I use watercolour, oils, acrylic, pastel, mixed media, clay and
paper mache.

Influences

My influences include modern and contemporary Nigerian artists;
Ben Enwonwu, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Sam Ovraiti and Tayo Adenaike amongst others.

Inspirations

I derive inspiration from God and life on earth.

Best work so far

I will say all of my works.

Least satisfying work

I have none. I’m satisfied with all my works.

Career high point

The Society of Nigerian Artists Award I was given in 2009 for
industrial design in ceramics. There is also the participation Award from
Caterina de Medici International Painting Award, Florence, Italy.

Favourite artist living
or dead

There are too many of them to list.

Ambitions

My ambition is to be the best.

Participants at a forum organised by the Committee for Relevant
Art (CORA) in honour of writer Mabel Segun, who clocked 80 recently, did more
than eat the birthday cake. They thoroughly appraised the non-existent
cooperation between Nigeria’s literature and motion picture industries during
the round-table at the National Theatre, Iganmu on March 21. They also touched
on why collaboration should be encouraged.

Filmmaker Tunde Kelani, Francis Onwuche, Dapo Adeniyi, writers
Odili Ujubuonu, Toni Kan, and Mowunmi Segun who stood in for her mother during
the discussion, were the panellists who talked on the theme, ‘Promoting
Cooperation between Literature and Film.’

The cutting of the birthday cake preceded the discussion. Poet
Odia Ofeimu, Kelani and others joined the celebrant during this aspect of the
programme. Segun only spoke once at the occasion. “If you say the youth don’t
read, what do they do on the Internet? You can’t be illiterate and go on the
Internet,” she said in defence of youth, said by the older ones to be lacking a
reading culture.

CORA secretary general, Toyin Akinosho set the ball rolling by
reading ‘Never Again’, a short story by Segun. He added that the author of ‘My
Father’s Daughter’ and other children’s work is, “the matriarch of Nigerian
letters, the only woman who could match the big men of the Nigerian literature
world.”

Mutually exclusive
sectors

Mowunmi Segun disclosed that her mother believes she spends too
much time watching Nigerian movies. “I do watch Nollywood films but I find
myself dozing off at intervals because they are so predictable,” she said. She
reiterated that Nollywood can’t develop unless scriptwriters first develop
their craft.

Author of ‘Under the Brown Rusted Roofs’, Abimbola Adelakun,
revealed that a filmmaker had approached her to write him a film. “I asked him
if he had read Purple Hibiscus he replied no. [It was the ]same for Half of A
Yellow Sun, Everything Good will Come and all the other titles I asked if he
had read.” She noted that the filmmaker wasn’t actually interested in making
good movies; all he wanted was “something that will make him money. Adelakun
however noted that Nollywood will be forced to grow if the audience grows.

“I can’t make a film that won’t earn me money, the end must
justify the means,” stated filmmaker, Francis Onwuche. According to him,
filmmakers in other countries receive grants to make art-films because they are
more expensive to make. “I can’t be forced to be ready. I need to ask myself if
I am ready and receive confirmation that the society is ready,” he said
concerning the making of films adapted from Nigerian books.

Ujubuonu believes that Nollywood is not availing itself of the
opportunity offered by books. “If Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka’s works are
complex, you can start by adapting ‘The Passport of Mallam Illia’ and ‘The
Drummer Boy’, these are not complex stories,” Ujubuonu said in response to
Onwuche’s earlier claim that it is expensive to turn Nigerian classics into
films.

Toni Kan agreed that literature presents ready material and
thinks the film industry should seize the opportunity. “The Godfather was first
a novel, Crazy Heart, Blind Side, Precious, Lonely Bones and most of those
films that won awards this year were adapted from novels. If Nollywood aspires
to be like Hollywood, then it should do the same with its films,” he said.

Literature, film and
intellect

Kelani offered that ‘gullible’ audiences expect no more than a
quick fix when watching Nigerian films. He explained that this is why
filmmakers can get away with making films with insubstantial content.
“Literature stimulates the intellect of the whole people,” said the filmmaker.
He stressed that bad films are capable of causing a systematic degradation of
the intellect of the society itself. “I have a love for books, which is why I
am able to adapt books into films” said Kelani. He however noted that in
adapting a work, the filmmaker has to respect the writer by adding value to it.

Chief executive officer of Position International TV, Dapo
Adeniyi, has been trying to make Wole Soyinka’s ‘Ake’ into a film for close to
three decades with no success. He said, “Budgets shoot up when it comes to
adapting literature to motion pictures. If we can get the government involved
with funding and actually put in the funds they make available, then it will be
possible to turn our classic literature into film.” Adeniyi also mentioned the
difficulty of getting the right interpretation of an author’s work. “Achebe
says he was grossly misinterpretated, he was not happy with the film
adaptation. For Soyinka’s work, when we were discussing it with the NTA board
back then, none of the people on the board had actually read the work. How
possible would it have been for them to then make suitable adaptation?”

Do it well or…

“You can’t get Ola Rotimi or Wole Soyinka to write for the
screen because they are not screenwriters,” said Femi Oso from the audience. He
added that getting works adapted is the work of the screenwriter who should get
involved in establishing a relationship between literature and films. Pamela
Udoka supported Mabel Segun’s assertion that children want to read, and will
read if they can access reading material. She however pointed out that lack of
proper research is evident in some Nigerian literature.

Writer and filmmaker Chris Ihidero, passionately defended youth at the
occasion. He stated that established filmmakers should be sincere whenever they
feel they really should produce good films. “Americans also produce crap but
they make sure only the good films get here. Nevertheless, let us Nigerian
filmmakers not touch the classics unless we can do them well.”

Producer Parminder Vir is an Indian in love with Nollywood. Vir
not only rates Nollywood highly, she also believes there is a relationship
between Nigeria’s popular indigenous movie industry and Bollywood. “The film
industry and film as a culture is a meeting point. It is the only medium other
than music that enables people to meet across cultures, national boundaries and
languages. Film is an emotional medium and if we are telling universal stories,
it doesn’t matter where you are. Absolutely, there is a meeting point between
Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood and any other film industry in the world. [In
2008], I came and we talked about the European film industry and what Nollywood
can teach them or learn from them; about how we in Europe have a structured
film industry. So, yes of course, there is a meeting point.”

Strategic project

As part of her resolve to ensure cooperation between both
industries, the expert in international film finance, co-productions and film
distribution was in Nigeria last December for the ION International Film
Festival. She was the programme consultant for the ‘Connecting Bollywood and
Nollywood’ session which involved Indian and Nigerian filmmakers during the
festival. The producer of award winning ‘Single Voices’ says of the initiative.
“I think the project is really strategic. It’s not a single film project that
would happen depending on the quality or structure of the project. I am much
more interested in the strategic relationships and alliances because the film
industry is a business, it’s not a lifestyle. And ultimately, the film industry
contributes phenomenally to the economy and culture of the country.

“Here in Nigeria, I think there is a lot that Nollywood can
learn on how the partnership between the Indian government, the Indian film
industry and the private sector was forged. They were able to attract foreign
direct investment, direct investors from within the country and government
support for the industry. That is exactly the position that Nollywood needs to
be; where it can get the government, the industry itself, producers and
distributors, exhibitors and the private sector to come together to develop a
strategy which serves the film industry as an important sector of the economy.”

Hit or miss medium

The 2002 recipient of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for
her contributions to TV and film in the UK also recommends ‘pre sale’ to Nigerian
producers as a way of getting money to make films. “Distribution in the
European and Indian model, what you have is presale. You go to the distributor
and say I want to make this film; this is the subject and the audience it is
targeted at. This is how much I think we will make once the film is made and it
is sold as a VCD or whatever revenue stream you want to explore. So, pre sale
means you have pre-sold your film and someone believes in your story to be able
to advance you money against what they think they will make. And if they make
more than what they expect the film would make, they would benefit from the
success of the film. If it doesn’t, they would have to deal with the
consequences from the loss of the film as well.”

Though not a bad suggestion, I cite examples of Nigerian
producers who pre-sold movies which later became very successful but got
nothing from the distributor. What happens to such producers in such
situations?

“People not honouring contracts, that happens all the time
because film is a hit or miss medium. You have hits and misses but neither the
producer who took his product to the distributor nor the distributor knew the
film could perform beyond what they thought it could. If it does, for me, the
distributor took the risk by pre-buying the film. But then, I would like to
think that the distributor is in this industry for a long time. So, the
distributor should be able to go back to the producer and say ‘hey, what’s your
next film? Let me sign you up for your next three films. This is how much I can
bring to the table.’ And the producer should get smart and say ok, ‘I would
also want to share in the next profit.’ So, it’s important to locate the film
beyond the box office to say I want to also negotiate a net profit corridor. The
problem is that producers always need money to make film, so they don’t think
that this film could be a hit and beyond this, it could have a long term
because people could still go on either renting or purchasing through different
medium.”

Distribution is the
future

Unlike in Nigeria, Western filmmakers have shifted focus from
production to distribution in a bid to make more money. The chief executive of
PVL Media Consultant suggests the same for players in Nollywood. “I think it
would be a wrong strategy to continue to pour money into production without
having the means of monetizing that production. You also need to diversify your
revenue stream. At the moment, it is only retail that is dominant here but you
have to diversify your revenue streams. You have theatrical, TV, retail which
is your normal DVD and the international market as well. Within television,
you’ve got pay TV.

” I also think you have to make a distinction now between those
who really make television and those who aspire to be filmmakers and cinematic
storytellers. I think there is a big difference between the cinema as a medium
and film as a medium. I would also think that in order for you to exploit the
revenue from theatrical ticket sales, you’ve got to put in place digital
exhibitions because that’s the way the world is going. The reason why we in the
UK are focusing on distribution is because digital distribution, for us, is the
future. So, we need to look at how do we monetise our film? How do we monetise
it online? How do we monetise the different digital platforms?”

Born in India but moving to the UK at age 10, Vir crossed into film from
being a Television documentary producer. She went into TV and film because “I
wanted to tell stories and I wanted to give a voice to the voiceless. In the
UK, I wanted to basically have storytellers that came from the so called ethnic
minority communities.” She describes her over 20 years experience in film and
television production, media finance and business development in emerging
markets as a “challenge” but adds “I think it’s such a privilege and an honour
to work in film and television industry.”

Linus Idahosa’s shirt is drenched with tears. The tears are not
his own; they belong to a few of the 400 students that have just concluded a
one month film programme in conjunction with the New York Film Academy. They
are not tears of angst or annoyance. They are tears of appreciation and
gratitude.

Idahosa is the CEO of Del York International Ltd and tonight is
the culmination of an eight month labour of love. Over 400 students have
successfully completed the four week programme to develop and improve their
filmmaking skills. This is not just an acting class; the spectrum of available
courses includes production, editing, cinematography and screenwriting. To aid
in delivering world class instruction, DelYork enlisted the help of the New
York Film Academy, one of the most reputable film schools in the world. The
task, to convince and implement a move that saw 36 instructors cross the
Atlantic, was not an easy one.

“I was deep in negotiations with the NYFA when the Abdulmutallab
thing happened,” Idahosa says. ” At that point they were not comfortable with
sending so many of their people to Nigeria so I had to do a lot of convincing.”

Lights, guns, action

Even after the NYFA provisionally agreed to supply equipment and
staff, the next big task was getting them over to Nigeria.

Another major undertaking was identifying and mobilising the 400
odd students that would participate in the film project. For this, Del York
turned to the restive Niger Delta region.

“The Niger-Delta crisis has been a major talking point locally
and internationally,” Idahosa says. “The biggest problem these guys have is
there are no alternatives for them so what do they do? They pick up a gun. Here
we are giving people the option of picking up a camera instead.”

Idahosa enlisted the help of several state governments in a bid
to encourage ex-militants and unemployed youth to be part of the programme.

“We had great support from the Rivers State governor, Amaechi,
who instantly pledged to sponsor 120 students,” he says.

“By the time the managing director of the Niger Delta
Development commission sponsored another 250 students, we knew we were on [our]
way.”

In spite of the government support, Idahosa is quick to point
out that the DelYork/NYFA partnership is privately backed.

“Yes we had some help from government sources but the concept
and implementation was wholly by Del York.”

Hollywood pedigree

The resumes of the film instructors are impressive. Ross Novie,
who taught the production class, has been an assistant director on several well
known TV shows such as Arrested Development, The Office and Entourage.

Adding star power to the Del York project is Stephanie Okereke,
the Nollywood actress.

“Stephanie is an executive director with us,” Idahosa says. “She
is an alumnus of the NYFA and is very passionate about film. I could think of
no better person to join forces with.”

Bright lights, bright prospects

To safeguard against participants returning to idleness and
inactivity, Del York has put a support network in place.

“We have created a database which contains a [details] of all
the people that took part in this programme,” Idahosa says.

“This ensures that nobody is left behind. We will contact and
update them on all future projects that we engage in.”

Some of the students have already caught the eye of film
producers and casting directors. The BBC is one of the numerous visitors to the
Public Service Institute in Abuja where the classes took place. A prospective
meeting turned into a full blown audition for cast members for an upcoming
movie ‘12.30′.

Ewor Agbor Daniel, one of four students chosen for the film,
will play the lead. Prior to the programme, Ewor had never had any acting
experience.

“What has happened in these past few weeks has been amazing,” he
says. “I have never acted before but always dreamed about appearing in a
Hollywood movie. Aside from acting, the most fascinating experience has been
meeting so many diverse people with different backgrounds.”

According to Ross Novie, a vast majority of the students across
the disciplines had no prior experience.

“I would say in my production class, maybe about ten percent of
the guys had picked up a camera before,” he says. “It’s not like being in New
York or LA, some of these guys are very raw but have so much willingness to
learn.”

Poor acting has, for a long time, been identified as one of the
main Achilles heels of the Nollywood industry. William Schneider, one of the
acting coaches, disagrees however.

“There is as much talent here as there is anywhere,” he says.
“The main drawback people have is a lack of exposure. They try to emulate what
they see on the screens here. What they need to do is to look within themselves
to seek characterisation. There is no limit to their potential.”

In spite of the obvious prospects of the budding filmmakers,
Idahosa is convinced that there is much more that can be done for the
graduating students.

“We have had terrific support from various individuals and organisations,”
he says.

“Unfortunately there were many pledges made that were not
fulfilled. A large proportion of these guys are from the Niger-Delta and people
keep talking about meaningful post-amnesty programmes.

“Here we are presenting an opportunity that means these guys
will not return to kidnapping, bunkering and piracy. Yet some of the
stakeholders are not assisting us.

“Each of these students should be walking away with a Mac
laptop. I hope that in future projects we will be able to help the students
with the basic tools to assist their development.”

Cut

As the curtain comes down on the four-week programme, Idahosa’s
tears have now joined those of the graduating class.

“It was an emotional night,” says Israel Edjeren, a media
consultant of Del York. “Nobody wanted this thing to end even the instructors,
some of whom have never been to Nigeria before.”

A huge sum of money has been invested in the project and in
spite of the broken promises and logistical nightmares; the CEO is not
dissuaded from embarking on future ventures.

“When you believe enough in something the money will always
come,” he says. “We had originally hoped to do Lagos around the same time but
it has not worked out this time around. We hope that by the end of the year we
can bring the same thing to Lagos.

“The time for talking is over and we need to be the change we want to see in
the world. We can, we must, we will. That’s the motto here and it is what keeps
us driving forward.”

I love it when the nursery school next door to me is in session.
For me, there is nothing as exhilarating as the spontaneous shouts and screams
of pre-primary school children playfully competing with one another to achieve
higher decibels of noise! Watching them heightens my amateur analysis of
behavioural patterns. Yet, I am eventually always saddened by how these
children are being short-changed in the name of education.

The start of the new school year is most eventful. The new
pupils; well groomed and smartly dressed in their new uniforms, arrive looking
uncertain and timid, holding on tightly to their parent’s hands. Most burst
into tears as the parents depart and some continue this regime and howling for
the better part of the school day. After a few days, or even weeks, during
which the teachers comfort, pet or outright ignore them, they calm down and no
longer feel strange and lost in the midst of their fellow pupils and teachers,
who really are total strangers to them.

Social status

By the middle of the first term, it is now the duty of maids or
servants to bring them to school and collect them after school. These maids and
houseboys are wonders in themselves. Most often, they are pre and early teenage
children themselves. They can be loving and equally brutal to their wards. They
coax them, carry their over-sized schoolbags, grab their biscuits and soft
drinks, slap and shove them whenever the mood takes them. Their actions are
sweet revenge for their frustration and lingering stigma of never having been
sent to formal schools and for the physical abuse and deprivation they daily
suffer from the children’s parents! Nevertheless, a strong though strange human
bond is noticeable between the maids and their young wards – an effervescent
oscillation between tender peer-love as children and hate based on social
status.

Young teachers

The teachers themselves are another marvel. Mostly female, their
turnover rate is alarming. A new set seems to appear every school year and they
are younger and younger every time around. I wonder where all the matronly
mother-figure teachers of yesteryears have gone. Do we still have teachers who
have taught parents and their children in the same school or older brothers and
sisters in the same class?

It is this mix of teachers, their teaching technique, lesson
contents and available facilities that intrigue and disturb me. Can some of
these baby-teachers of today do more than inflict permanent mental damage on
these innocent nursery school children?

In our days, the routine was, “Good morning, children,” and we
responded in unison, “Good morning, Teacher” or “Good morning, Mrs Osula,” to a
very caring woman we all genuinely accepted as our ‘second mother.’ Now, the young
teachers deceive the children and aggressively insist that they call them
‘Aunty.’

Religious fervour

Not long ago, the set of teachers at the nursery school, were
passionate born-again Jesus freaks. Morning assembly, consisted of frenzied
dance and clap sessions during which two, three and four-year old children
mumbled after their teacher songs about “my darling Jesus… so handsome and
powerful” or “winner ooh winner, kpatakpata Jesus will win, winner.” The sole
mission of these teachers, it seemed, was to catch young souls early and
‘rescue’ them from the lurking ,dangerous devil. These daily displays of
religious fervour baffled me and left me wondering whether these young and
obviously concerned teachers knew any simple educative nursery rhymes, or
whether they thought nursery rhymes were corruptive devil songs.

International schools

Strangely enough, a new dimension of nursery rhymes was
introduced not too long ago. These were nursery rhymes in French! How on earth
these nursery school children were supposed to know the meaning of the
‘strange’ songs they sang along with, still beats my imagination. But then, the
real idea of introducing French nursery rhymes is to give the school the
elevated status of ‘an international school’ as is the vogue now!

At playtime, these teachers are indifferent, as the kids shove,
push and try to climb the few swings in the playground. It is usually a very
rowdy scene; with the bullies terrorising the meek; the disorderly children
impatient to enter the play tunnel; many of them from the wrong end and some
even climbing dangerously on top. Amazingly, these children intuitively behave
like their elders; Nigerians, struggling to board buses or aeroplanes!

Minimal teaching aids

I know by deduction that there are minimal teaching aids
available in the nursery school. The children do not have crayons, clay or
plastercine to play with and bring out the latent creative talents in them or
help them appreciate basic form and beauty. Rather, they learn by rote. “One, two,
teari (for three,” they shout and repeat after their teacher. “What number is
this?” the teacher asks them, instead of “What is this number?” Then they go
into another routine of “A for Apple, B for Ball, C for Cat…”

An old retired teacher; a woman who taught at primary school
level for over 40 years, once told me that the best trained teachers are
supposed to teach kindergarten children so as to mould their tender minds
properly and lay the right foundation for their future education. Now that education
in Nigeria has become big lucrative business and, private nursery schools in
particular, are mushrooming uncontrollably like Pentecostal churches, I am
puzzled whether the various Ministries of Education in the country have an
approved official curriculum for them. I also wonder whether there are
Inspectors of Education who visit nursery schools regularly to assess them.

Meanwhile, in this ‘age of miracles’ I am patiently waiting to hear one of
these nursery school children shout, some day, “Aunty, don’t teach me
nonsense!”

The serene Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, Lagos, hosted
the four-day ‘Easter Artfest’ organised by artist Femi Coker. The event, held
from April 2 to 5 inside the beautiful park which had never been used before
for an outdoor exhibition, featured a workshop, symposium and performances.

Eight exhibitors including Coker’s Femi Art Warehouse displayed
artworks during the programme. Artbarn, Tribes Art Africa, My Nest Shop and Angie’s
Emporium, were some of the galleries and art and craft shops that had
paintings, carvings and beads for sale at the Artfest. Woodin International
also brought lots of beautiful textiles to tempt attendees.

‘Dancers on Wheels’ and a rock group were among groups that
performed at the opening ceremony of the artfest on April 2. Though the event
was supposed to have started at 10am, the initial low turnout made the
organiser delay the commencement to 12noon.

Interesting works by artists Godwin Adesoye, Joseph Eze, Tolu
Aliki and Kayode Lawal, were among those that guests including writer Adewale
Maja-Pearce and his wife, Juliet, feasted their eyes on at the opening.

“Maybe it could have been bigger, there could have been more
but it’s nice. I like what I’m seeing”, the writer said of the Artfest.

Not for profit

One of the exhibitors and vice president, Art Galleries
Association of Nigeria (AGAN), Richmond Ogolo, disclosed that he chose to be
part of the exhibition, “not just because we are looking for material returns.
Sometimes, you want to sensitise people, create awareness, try to motivate the
younger generation that this is something they could do. And it is a strong
bastion of our culture anyway. So, it’s a holistic thing, not just about
selling and buying.”

Angela Ahanmisi, another participant, also approved of the
unique outdoor exhibition. “Usually you find out that when there is an
exhibition, it’s always in halls or galleries but when it’s public like this,
people can get a feel of what the artist is trying to project and begin to be
passionate about our artworks,” she said.

Coker gave an insight into what motivated the programme. “The
Easter Artfest idea came out of my passion and commitment to the arts. I’ve
been privileged to work with major art and culture promoters in Nigeria who are
recognised globally and who are acknowledged as major players in the art and
culture industry. I see the importance of our culture, how it relates to
people’s lives and I also discovered it’s a very valuable tool we can use to
enhance sustainable development. Apart from the fact that it can create
employment and generate income, it can also add value to our lives. So, the
idea came because I really love and value African culture. Not only the
textile, language and music but also the festivals.”

Ideal venue

He disclosed that he decided on the venue, “not only to break
some conventions, but also [to] see how we can take exhibitions outdoors. How
we can stimulate people’s interest by having a kind of exhibition where people
will come, enjoy the serenity of the environment and at the same time
appreciate art. This particular place is inviting, serene and we feel that when
people come to enjoy art, they can take a walk around and sit in the park. This
is the most beautiful park in the whole of Lagos at the moment. The next one
close to this is still under construction at Oshodi. I knew when this place was
being built and I visualised that this would be an ideal environment to have an
outdoor exhibition where people can enjoy the beauty of the works and also buy
art.”

Another edition of the ‘Artfest’ will hold in December because Coker wants
“people to look forward to an outdoor art exhibition whenever there is a
holiday.”

HRH Chukwuemeka Ike was, and still is, one of the household
names in Nigerian literature. With books like ‘The Search’, ‘Our Children are
Coming’, ‘Expo 77′ and ‘The Bottled Leopard’, amongst many others, he has
established himself as a leading light, in the mould of Wole Soyinka, T.M.
Aluko, and Chinua Achebe.

He is currently the King of Ikedi-Nowu, in Anambra State, South
East, Nigeria. He spoke to NEXT on a number of issues.

Writing and Ruling

I have been a royal father for only one year. One very difficult
year, I must say. That is, grappling with my new role as a royal father in a
rural area. I am still running the Nigerian Book Foundation. I am still
writing. There is a project I have at hand now; the only problem is that it is
going to take me a longer time to accomplish, on the ground of these other
engagements. For as long as I am alive, I will never give up writing.

I don’t think there is a retirement age for writers. In this
country, government wakes up and retires people, but in creative writing,
nobody can retire anyone. Writing is one thing from which nobody can retire me.
At the age of 78, I still wake up by 5am in the morning, and go straight to my
study to write. So long as you are willing, you continue to write. Nobody can
stop you.

I have been gaining new experiences every year. Now that I am a
traditional ruler, it is opening up new doors for me. So, how can anyone now
say because I am 78 years, I can no longer put these ideas into writing, and
tell people what I have to tell the audience through them? I am happy that T.M.
Aluko recently demonstrated that you can still write, even at the ripe age of
ninety one (91years) and in fact, with his health condition. I have not seen
him for a long time, but I am aware that he had stroke sometimes ago. I retired
30 years ago at the age of 48, and I am still writing. My latest book came out
two years ago.

Nigerian Literature, then
and now

I am not surprised that situations change every now and then.
All this will of course rub off on Nigerian literature over some centuries. One
may notice changes in one area or ages and another. There was a time I was
worried about young people not being interested in prose fiction. Many of them
were becoming poets more than anything else. Not that poetry is easy to write,
but the demands are different from writing prose which expects you to create
human beings, create situations, and so on. However, I am happy those in recent
years, a lot of them, are now getting involved in prose.

I am not talking about the famous ones like Helon Habila,
Chimamanda Adichie, and a few others. There are a couple of them now, fresh
from [university] and some of them still undergraduates. One of them gave me
his book, which was self-published, to go through recently. One may want to
quarrel with certain things about the quality but then, the good thing is that
that are developing the interest, and it can only get better. I was given one
of such recently but I was disappointed at the number of errors, so I asked him
to give it to someone critical to help him look at it. That is where self-publishing
has its problem.

This probably takes us to the present state of our education. I
have these Youth Corp members who worked for me; the kind of errors you find in
what they write is a reflection of the sad situation of education in the
country. So, publishers must see that they take a good editorial look at books
that come out on their label. And for those who self-publish, I can’t condemn
them but would only pray that they ensure that they give their works to people
who can help them take a good editorial look at it before going on to get it
published.

Literary Prizes and the
independence of writers

There are various types of prizes. There are prizes which I
certainly will support. I received one in December. It is the National Order of
Merit. It gave me joy, not one that gives me worry. I have never met the
President before, neither have I sought any favours from him. This is something
given as Nigeria’s highest national [honour] for intellectual and academic
attainment. And this is something that is done by experts in the field.

If you are nominated, you submit 50 copies of everything you
have written to the Order of Merit secretariat. Mine was in the humanities. If
they think that you merit this award, they give it to you. And of course, there
is the Board of Trustees who must approve it. If you are nominated and you
don’t get it, that is it! You are never going to get a second chance, unless
you have done something really outstanding. That kind of award is honourable
and is something that should be encouraged.

Now, let’s take a look at the NLNG Prize, which is the most
expensive literature prize available for Nigerians. I commend what they are
doing, and I suggest that in addition, they should consider giving a lifetime
achievement award; or to institute something like the equivalent of a Nobel
Prize for Nigeria that writers of all ages could enter for.

However, I know that there are other prizes that are not worth
their hype, in fact they corrupt the society. Those that are based on merit
should be encouraged because what they do is encourage [and] recognise the
effort and excellence of their recipients and fire them [up] to do more. But if
there is any writer that allows his or herself to be conditioned or compromised
by some kind of literary prize or awards, such writer is not worthy [of being]
called a writer because, a writer should be an independent, conscientious and
upright person.

Literature, the writer
and nation building

A writer is a social critic who all his/her life has been trying
to rebrand his/her country. Though you don’t call it that big name or go about
telling people that is what you are doing, but when you are talking about
corruption and other social ills, condemning and proffering solution for a
better society, what you are doing invariably is contributing to nation
building. Then, the rebranding thing. It really beats me the way they do these
things. I was drafted to be chairman of a conference on corruption,
transparency and accountability in Abuja.

It turned out that the chairman of the occasion did not turn up
and I was drafted to be the stand-in chairman. In my remarks, I told them that
the rebranding project is not beaming its searchlight where is is meant to. How
do you say you are fighting corruption, when the same government is protecting
corrupt people? The National Assembly, the political powers, and the public
officer holders, how many of them were really elected into office, if not by
corrupt means? It is clearly known that the political parties are rooted in corruption,
and so that deserves some attention. It is not enough to just put the
photographs of Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and the rest on buses. No! Though it
shows that they recognise them, but it does not necessarily change anything.
Nigerian writers deserve much more than that because we are the real image
makers for this nation.

Hall of Grace, the
biggest hall at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, was begging for crowd on Monday,
April 2, 2010. The 1,500 capacity hall was less than quarter-filled
about an hour into the 80th year birthday reception of Joop Berkhout,
founder of Spectrum Books, a publishing company, based in Ibadan. It was
not certain whether the low attendance was by design or it was due to
the festivity of the Easter Monday.

However, what the
organisers could not achieve in quantity, they did in quality. Those
gathered at the venue belong to the select group of the movers and
shakers in Nigeria’s socio-political and economic spheres. The list
includes seasoned politicians, successful entrepreneurs, renowned
writers and great achievers, and they all gathered to honour Mr.
Berkhout, an Ibadan-based publisher, whose 8oth birthday was March 31,
2010. Yakubu Gowon, retired General and a former Nigeria’s Head of
state, led the the scanty crowd that witnessed the birthday reception.

Commenced almost
an hour behind schedule, the reception’s high point, was when tributes
were paid to the celebrant. Many of his associates gave testimony about
Berkhout and his contribution to the publishing industry in Nigeria.
But, more striking was the fact that though not Nigerian by birth, he
wielded so much influence in the nation’s publishing industry, and has,
probably, done than any other stakeholder in the development of the
sector in Nigeria.

Poet Odia Ofeimun
said he was fascinated by the celebrant’s ability ‘to make other
people’s problems his own’ and strives to find solutions to them. The
poet praised Berkhout’s efforts in recording Nigeria’s history for the
posterity. “His role is to make books visible in Nigeria. A man who
defends books is a man who defends the right to record history,” Ofeimun
said as he acknowledged the publisher’s well versed knowledge of
Nigeria and its history.

For Kunle Ajibade
of The NEWS magazine, Mr. Berkhout is respected for his business acumen
and good human relations, adding that these qualities were responsible
for why he could stay in Nigeria for over four decades. He informed the
gathering that as soon as he was released from jail in 1998, Berkhout
was the first person to approach him; and persuaded him to write a book
on his experience in prison.

Earlier, a mass
was held in the honour of the celebrant at St. Richard’s Catholic
Church, Jericho, Ibadan. The service was led by Alaba Job, archbishop of
the Ibadan diocese. In his homily, Job charged to be faithful in all
they do. He urged them to always pray to God for his intervention in all
things. “We need the spirit of God to guide us. No one is too big to
pray. Let us learn to be faithful in a token so that we shall be counted
worthy for big things. We should be faithful to our neighbours and our
country,” he counselled as he rained eulogy on the celebrant.

Matthew Hassan
Kukah, fiery catholic priest, who delivered the message of Pope Benedict
XVI to the celebrant, remarked thus: “You must be a holy sinner for God
to allow you to attain the age of 80 years”.

Beyond the
perception of his father by the commentators, what marvels Frans,
professor and scion of the Berkhout dynasty, was Joop’s vibrancy which
often bellies his actual age. “He is a unique person on his own. He is
always busy. He never loses his energy and power. Even when he is old,
he does not lose his power,” Frans remarked.

Donald Duke,
former governor of Rivers State and chairman of the occasion at the
reception, supervised the cutting of the cake.

Born in Armsterdam, the Netherlands, at 23.59 hours on the March 31,
1930, Mr. Berkhout came to Nigeria in 1966, having been brought to the
country by Evans UK to open an office. He has since made tremendous
impact in the industry. His contributions have not only warmed him to
the hearts of many powerful Nigerians, it has also earned him the
national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), Okun Borode
of Ife, a title conferred on him by Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Ooni of Ife,
amongst others. His experience in publishing spans almost five decades
and he started his own publishing firm, Spectrum Books, in 1978. After
seeing the company to the zenith in the industry, he sold it out in
2008, itching to retire. Now, he has reactivated Safari Books, which he
is running together with George, his adopted son.

On Thursday, March 2010, the city of Abuja played
host to a special reading in memory of poet and art patron, the late Major
General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, former Administrator of the Federal Capital
Territory. The fiery soldier was implicated in an abortive military coup and
executed in March 5, 1986 by Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s military regime.

The reading was
organised by the Abuja Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors. Chair of
ANA Abuja, Seyi Adigun, explained that the celebration of Vatsa was borne out
of the need to ensure that those who have contributed to the development of
literature are never forgotten. Adigun added that Mamman Vatsa means a lot to
ANA Abuja and so, the need to have the special reading for him. “Mamman
Jiya Vatsa is the Patron Poet of ANA Abuja,” he declared.

Readings were
taken from some of the soldier-poet’s books. The event also featured a rich
discussion on the man, his visions, achievements and most importantly his
writings and contribution to literature and arts in Nigeria.

Vatsa, the
Soldier

Born on December
3, 1944, Mamman Vatsa enlisted in the Nigerian Army in 1962 and was
commissioned on February 9, 1964, at the age of 20. He attended various local
and overseas infantry and staff courses which embraced not only policy and
strategic studies, intelligence and security, but also equitation and physical
training and education.

He served as
instructor in the Nigerian Military School (NMS) and the Nigerian Defence
Academy (NDA) for several years; and was involved in Nigerian internal security
operations from 1965 to 1968, and during the Nigerian Civil War from 1967 to
1970.

Vatsa served as
Commander of many infantry brigades, as commandant of the Nigerian Army School
of Infantry (NASI), the country’s premier military training institution, and as
the Quartermaster General of the Nigerian Army. It was in his position as the
Governor (Military Administrator) of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a
member of the Federal Executive Council, that he was implicated in a coup plot,
found guilty and executed.

Vatsa, the
Writer

There is a
diversity of opinion about the quality of Vatsa’s writing, but there is little
doubt he was a prolific one. He wrote many children books in English, Hausa and
Nupe. His books were used in primary schools all over the country. In 1974, he
won the first Prize in Poetry at the then North-Central State of Nigerian
Festival of the Arts; and in 1984, was awarded a gold medal by the Union of
Bulgarian Writers for his contribution to world literature.

Some of his
titles include: ‘Poems of Abuja’ and ‘Reach for the Skies’, two collections of
poems on and about the then budding city of Abuja. The building, the movement,
the beauties and attractions of Abuja were presented in what has become known
as the poetics of Vatsa. There is an unmissable show of patriotism that is
displayed in almost all of his poems. His other publications, numbering over 16
include: ‘Arise, Arise, My Country’ (a collection of poems on Nigeria, its
national symbols and people, as well as the War Against Indiscipline drive of
the Buhari/Idiagbon regime); ‘Back Again at Watergate’, ‘Nupe Children Rhymes’,
‘The Bird that Sings for Rain’ (a poetry collection for children); and ‘Tori
for don get K-leg’, one of his collections in Pidgin English.

Vatsa’s poems
appeared in many national and international journals and magazines; and his
plays have been broadcast over the Voice of Nigeria (VON) networks and the
Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Apart from his
military exploits and writing, Vatsa served as a member of three Nigerian
University Councils, and as Chairman of the Army Museum Committee.

Vatsa, the
Art Patron

Aside from his
literary endeavours and successful military career, which culminated in his
receiving the national honour of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 1979,
another reason Vatsa remains a cult hero, and especially among writers and
artistes, is his love and support for the art. As recounted by the likes of Dr.
Eddie Iroh, Odia Ofeimun, and Ben Tomoloju at the reading, the late Vatsa’s
support for the arts was unmatchable. Denja Abdullahi recalled that, “As
far back as around the early 1980s, Vatsa made writers have good sense of
belonging. He treated writers like kings by going as far as conveying writers
across the nation in a private jet to and from convention venues. The 1985
convention in Abuja was in itself a memorable one for Nigerian writers who
attended it. Like a fellow writer, he threw his door open to writers across the
nation. Eating, dining and frolicking freely with writers. No military officer
or civilian head of government, for that matter has been that close to writers
[since]. They avoid us like lepers. They make promises and pledges to writers’
bodies that they never fulfil.”

Unarguably,
ANA’s one and only asset today is the 56 acres of land at Mpape, a suburb of
the Federal Capital in Abuja. Currently valued at about ₦4billion, the land was
a gift from the gallantry soldier to Nigerian Authors when he hosted the 1985
convention in Abuja. But for his untimely death, the massive piece of land
would have been developed into a state-of-the art writers’ village, as promised
by Vatsa. The land was only recently returned to the association (it had been
initially revoked for having not been developed for over 20 years) by a former
Minister of the FCT, Aliyu Modibbo Umar.

Today, several
military officers are writers, perhaps thanks to the inspiration of Mamman
Vatsa, who challenged military officers then to document their field
experiences through writing. He was reported to have sponsored the publication
of books by military writers, in addition to the publication of two anthologies
of poems by officers of the Nigerian Army, which he edited. One of such is
Colonel J.I.P. Ubah, author of ‘Song of Lokoja’.

Immortalising
Vatsa

Mamman Vatsa may
be long gone, but his meritorious service to the nation as a military officer,
love and support for the arts has given him victory over death, as he is today
held in high esteem. “We are not interested in the politics of his death.
The truth is that a coup is the very uncertain politics of military
governments. He may not have committed this offence in the first place. And
even if he [did], what matters to us is his contribution to humanity. And for
that, we shall forever honour him. May those who killed him not die
again,” said Abubakar Abdullahi, a writer and senior public relations
officer with the National Library of Nigeria.

For Kabura
Zakama, poet and aid worker, Mamman Vatsa deserved much more honour than
currently accorded him. “If he has done as much as I am hearing now. If we
appreciate his gesture in giving writers an asset worth N4billion, today; if
this man has encouraged the arts this much, then he deserves more… [ANA]
should show its appreciation to this great man in a more elaborate function, to
be held either as a posthumous birthday celebration or anniversary of his
death. I don’t care how, but we must celebrate this man.” Zakama,
popularly called ‘the Fulani poet’, also pleaded that the association contact
Vatsa’s family, and or, the publishers, to re-issue some of his poems and make
them available to the reading public.

Thus, it was
agreed that an elaborate event be organised in honour of the soldier-poet. In
view of these, the National Secretary of ANA, Hyacinth Obunseh revealed that
the association is putting plans together to hold an International Colloquium
in honour of Mamman Vatsa and Ken Saro Wiwa, next year.