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