Experts not Politicians destroy Nigeria's growth

It is becoming worrisome the level at which workers’ strikes happen in Nigeria. What the strikes are meant for is obvious. But why is strike the only measure to make government listen? Often, ultimatums jump out of the dailies, and then the strikes begin without looking at the larger picture. The larger picture referred to here is the masses. It is almost certain that these Unions get into this mode one after another thereby halting the country. 

Now, the questions are; is it only the responsibility of government to safeguard the day to day running of the economy of a nation? Or are Experts’ Unions becoming pseudo-Political Parties? Governor Adams Oshiomole’s case is a good reference point (He transited from a very active, almost anti- government labour leader to being a politician).

If this reference point suffices, then it is time the nation began to make a proper assessment on what and where the people’s power to bring government to answer to questions lay. Instead of relying on group of experts’ unions who are masquerading as the saviors of the nation but in the real sense, they are just bunch of orchestrated Areaboys asking the government for their share of the loot. The Politicians are the ‘devils’ known to us but what about these ‘saints’ we are yet to know... I smell a rat.

If you have read Wole Soyinka’s (WS) “Beatification of Areaboy”, you would understand what the experts’ unions across the globe especially the one from within Nigeria are doing to retard Nigeria’s growth. But in case you have not, we shall clinically go through situations that would describe the experts’ area-boys attitude in the making or marring of the Nigeria nation.

Area-boys are the popular streets’  urchins you find in every cosmopolitan city in the world. They are a character of socio-cultural failure; a product of societal weakness merged with economical woes, such as most developing nations or continents are reeling in now. They are a barometer of a sort for every society they exist in. The level at which they operate and go scot-free and continuously so, go a long way to tell the laxity in security and execution of law, if any, in such country. They represent the face of failure in every society.

However, they could be put to use by the rich or intellectuals in the society, especially when such people have ulterior motive. All these depend on understanding their language of acceptance – money or power. Of course, they get the power for you, you buy it with money. If well organized, they could grow to become a powerful group of outstanding networks just like the Boko-haram group, the Al-queada, and every other militia groups across the globe.

In the case of WS’s play – Beatification of Area-boy; it is Sanda, a university dropout who feels so aggrieved of his society that took to putting to use these street urchins. Sanda is a security man at the plaza, yet oversees the running of a parking lot. The area-boys give receipt to willing vehicle owners or drivers who come to park in their parking lot. They expect some specified token in return. These monies go to Sanya. But what is fascinating about their operation is that every driver or owner of vehicles who come to park in this parking lot is a potential customer to be defrauded by these area-boys.

These area-boys have two or three different groups who will come in turn to give receipt to the same vehicle and they expect you to pay them, and when you make to argue it, they are ready to fight and beat you up then impound your vehicle. Yet you cannot move your vehicle except you pay. This scenario I am sure will be familiar to most Nigerians by now. This orchestration to some degree, negatively though, has some level of cohesiveness. At least they are providing the services; keeping the parking lot intact, defending its parameters, sure security for vehicles, securing the space with land allocation institution even if it means sharing their profit with the government agency responsible for allocating lands every month. The point is, they work at it. In some cases they even commit their lives to it.

Most garage touts fall into these area-boys category. So they form the bulk of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). Anytime they venture into strike mode for whatever reason, the union will always provide some lee-way out for the masses. Is either they make it half day or they never go beyond a week. Even when there are fuel shortages in the country, they are always committed to serving the masses. Though some of us refer to them as never-do-well of the society, but in so many cases, they are always very creative at making their demands even from government. They also know when to back off. The NURTW successfully went into agreement with the government of Babatunde Fashola in Lagos state when they knew it was the wise thing to do. Lagosians were surprised at the solemn marriage between ‘Areaboys’ and the Government. The relationship which eventually produced the Bus Rapid Transport popularly known as BRT. The masses are the one enjoying the fruit of that relationship today. That is the way a country works; Ability to engage ourselves constructively and be the better for it.

No country will work under the “wrong, you must die and win, I control” posture most of these Experts’ unions take. All these unions have perfected the act of holding government to ransom while the country suffers. Or how do we explain the situation where a union asks for everything yet they never give anything in return except for basking in the euphoria of once-upon-a-time. The one that horrifies most is when these unions begin to compare themselves with their contemporary in the west. They forget that in the west, things are done according to lay down rules. Government will not have to come after you before you contribute your bit to the economy.

These unions are quick to say the government is bad, YES, but no government everywhere in the world is good. The professionals in my view are responsible for each segment as they make-up a country. So, whichever section is failing, the blame rests square on both the government and most particularly the professionals in that section. To push all failures in a society on government is as equal as saying rulers drop from heaven. But believe me, rulers are born.

Makinde Adeniran

Nigerian Home Video: Market or Industry?

The home video saga in Nigeria is already phenomenal all over the world. But let us take time out to straighten out some thoughts and taught. Given the quantity of problems Nigeria faced since independence, especially in the last 15years, there is need absolutely for the Nigeria people to be excessively dynamic. Breaking all necessary barriers of economic norms and processes, Nigerians have emerged a new economical order, especially in the Movie Industry sector tagged "Home Video Film".

The business of film making in Nigeria, like many other African countries, dated back to Pre-colonial rule, when Government used filmmaking as political propaganda. Given the period (economically), the British who were the masters; and being one of the first world countries, the minutiae for filmmaking were astute, the expertise were superb-rate for that period. From this propagandist point of view, some Nigerians had learnt the business of filmmaking for a more pleasurable, educational and informative reasons. So it was a bit easy for some Nigerians to join the rest of the advanced countries in filmmaking almost immediately after we got independence in 1960.

After due exhaustive live performances, and theatre on the wheels. The likes of late Afolabi Afolayan (a.k.a. Ade-love), late Hubert Ogunde, and Moses Olaiya (a.k.a. Baba Sala) came on the scene as filmmakers, and all their films were shot on 35mm. It was an excessive boom because the culture of patronizing the Cinema theatres was still the in-thing. Because the boom was obvious, the banks and other such institutions of investors could rely on the film investment for gains, trust the industry and then could accept a "feeble" for collateral. Consequent upon this, other generation of filmmakers who had studied filming abroad came on the scene; (Ola Balogun, Eddy Ugbomah, etc.) until mid '80s when the collapse of the Nigerian ruling system and its economical values became imminent.

This fall reflected grossly on other sub-sectors, NGOs, Associations etc. down to the common individuals on the streets. And naturally, people began to invent other means of survival positively or otherwise. The film sector dwindled until gradual shot down of notable Cinema theatres; entertainment generally became a non-starting event. Those in the film industry who could not but continue to produce film, even when it was obvious that it is almost impossible sake of financial implications, lack of security for people to go to Cinema theatres, training facilities in country dropped, etc. resorted to producing Home Video.

The Home Video producing idea started as a one-man business. It was an import and export merchant Chris Rapu, who needed to sell his loads of empty VHS tapes brought into Nigeria who resorted to recording an enactment of an Igbo story of a man who because of money, signs a pact with the devil. Before this time, Mr. Nnebue (a.k.a. NEC) had been doing some recording of some Yoruba films, also shot with a VHS camera but only for pleasure, until Chris Rapu came with this hit. This success opened up the Home Video film business dominantly to other Igbo marketers of electronics.

Then some of the newly trained and old filmmakers (Tunde Kelani, Femi Lasode, Amaka Igwe 'Ladi Ladebo and even Moses Olaiya a.k.a. Baba Sala) who had left the industry out of frustration, came back and began to attempt the use of beta-cam, and some, DV-cam. As critics grew, production output increased from 2 a week to 7 a week and more. The marketing strategy for Home-video in Nigeria is a "bric a brac" style, relying solely on Idumota local market in Lagos, Onitsha and Aba in the Southeast. Structure and regulations were not considered, as many weren't thinking of an industry but what they could milk out of the system. Because the Marketers are the strong hold of the business, Home Video film became an all-comers affair. The marketers dictate what they want to the Professionals. And so, they could call for a recess (from March to early April) when they needed it. But the recess was only to empty their stalls of too many unsold films.

Home Video Film business is a one-man business that has triumphed on the culture of "copy-cat" to spread all over Africa at the detriment of the Professionals and the Profession. The scenarios are quite obvious. The entire Nigeria economical disposition is in juxtaposition to so many other sub-sectors', including the home video industry. All over the world now, the news of the successes of the Nigerian home video is getting aggressive by the day despite the huge short falls - the entire economical wounds, lack of structure and regulations and maladroit machinery of organizations and associations. Nigeria Actor's Guild (NAG), National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN), etc. are all a part of this shame.

Democratic dispensation in Nigeria merged with the seeming successes of the Home Video films, from the rabble of decadence from the Military era has again lit the dark corridors of our hearts and streets. People now trudge in numbers to the cinema theatre (National Arts Theatre Iganmu, FSP hall Ikeja, Pen cinema Agege, etc.) on weekends to watch films, mostly Yoruba films. With the teeming rush, special magazines for advertisement of films, TV ad programs for films, the number of films released in every two weeks has risen to 15 films (8 english from Igbo producers, and 7 yoruba)

In comparising to what obtains in the western world, one would readily agree that the whole arrangement is disheartening. Still, as a third world country, there is an obvious opening for the Government to capitalize on. Especially with the spade of unemployment in the country. If the Marketers' Association who cared less about the structure of the industry as far as they are making their profit could be converted through intense formal training in the business of filmmaking, and the Professionals re-organize themselves, Associations get firm to their duties, Censors Board live up to its responsibilities, and the Government providing a practical Policy, it is only then that the Nigeria economy is sure of serious boost in the filming sector.

Makinde Adeniran
2003

National Theatre: We are missing the point

“The artist must prophesy not in the sense that he foretells things to come, but in the sense that he tells his audience, at the risk of their displeasure, the secrets of their own hearts” by R. G. Collingwood.

It is with this mindset that we (arts practitioners/administrators) should know that we have failed not only ourselves, but the entire people of this nation – Nigeria. The degradation has existed for so long amongst the artists here in Nigeria despite constant cries that amongst other qualities that this sector naturally posses. And apart from the huge number of practitioners across the country helping to boost the economy unnoticed though, the arts sector is a potential machinery for employment generation. It is one of the means with which the economy can have a solid base, only if it is giving the due attention by government.

This however, is not entirely government’s fault as we have seen over the years. But of those who are representatives of the art/culture sector (both private and public) for their inability to proof to government that the business is lucrative and it can help a nation like Nigeria to re-engineer her decaying social structure. And this is apart from it being a worthy and rewarding career, hence government’s ignorance on matters of the sector particularly the arts, and consequently the offer for sale, the National Theatre. Or is it a misconception all along that we have an arts theatre?!

Now that the hullabaloo of “for sale” and “don’t sell” of the National Theatre is settling down, good reasoning is pervading through to help sieve the wheat from the chaff. So many artists who thronged the streets for a peaceful march protest against the purported sale or privatization of the edifice to one Infrastructica - a consortium, rarely know that they were protesting for a non-existent institution (an arts theatre). So ignorantly, they vent their anger through the street, marched from the National Theatre premises through MKO Abiola road to Costain bus-stop and back to the National Theatre.

If anger and vituperations or number of protest marches done were meant to solve problems in life, then that of the National Theatre arising from the last purported privatization exercise conducted by Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) near the end of 2007, would have been solved giving the number of speeches laced with anger and vituperations that were delivered after the protest march that same day at the National Theatre and thereafter.

However, the National Theatre is now on the list of PPP (Public and Private Partnership) a quasi-BPE as a potential “for sale” property in 2008. Therefore, the question one is left to ask in this regard is; what are we yet to do to safe the life of the National Theatre?

During the reign of late General Sanni Abacha, Jimmy Atte of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was the General Manager of the National Theatre. Concerns were rife against the arbitrary hiring of the halls out for birthday parties, wedding ceremonies etc. by the then management of National Theatre as against cultural activities, particularly drama productions which was not in anyway yielding financial gains. And that argument prompted an interview which was conducted by a journalist (Mr. Bola Adewara, Weekend Times 1997) where Jimmy Atte asserted that the edifice is a National Theatre and not a National Arts theatre as argued by arts practitioners.

As simple or feeble as that may sound, it is mind bugging, especially that the man who made the assertion, Jimmy Atte is not in anyway a small man in the service of government. He had been in the service of government for close to 25 years if not more. Such statement from such an officer (GM) of government should not be mistaken for mere semantics or be ignored! Perhaps it’s the root of our ignorance; our inability to understand the import of that statement might have been our undoing in this regard – mistaken a Multi-purpose event venue for an Arts Theatre (?)

To buttress Jimmy Atte’s suspicious semantic, a look at the internal architectural design of the National Theatre would also reveal a lot more. The design favours a Multi-purpose event venue more than being an Arts Theatre. The 2 halls that are presently being used for stage productions or performances are originally meant for cinema shows hence its names (appellation), Cinema halls 1 & 2. One of the cinema halls was first manipulated for a stage performance of late Wale Ogunyemi’s “The divorce” when it was to be staged at the National Theatre and it was obvious that the Main-bowl auditorium which is the only original stage performance space in the entire design of the building is extremely too big for such dramas as The divorce. Apart from drama productions, the Main-bowl could also be used for sporting activities such as, boxing, wrestling, basketball, etc. the other spaces provided in the building are Exhibitions hall, Conference banquet hall, Art Gallery and other spaces for other events (not necessarily arts oriented)

With all the aforementioned, it is obvious that the idea of a National Theatre and FESTAC town came when Nigeria was to host the Festival of Arts and Culture in 1977 (FESTAC ‘77) just like the Nigerian government did with the 8th All Africa Games 2003 (COJA 2003). But in this regard, President Obasanjo who was also the military Head of States who hosted FESTAC ‘77 was wiser, so immediately after COJA 2003, he directed that the Games village in Abuja, the lush apartments that were built specifically for all athletes who participated in the games be sold to willing buyers. Obviously President Obasanjo had learnt from the decadence we have made of the National Theatre immediately after FESTAC. All these are a pointer to that salient fact that the National Theatre was not planned to carry-on as an Arts Theatre but money spinning Multi-purpose event venue as Jimmy Atte had tried to warn.

Yes, the expected redundancy of the National Theatre may have helped in the springing up of a government committee on cultural policy which was drawn after FESTAC. An arts practice of a people is the expertise fragment of their culture therefore the cultural policy does not necessarily translate to an arts theatre policy, it only helps to create an avenue for us to begin to agitate for an arts theatre institution within the stipulations of the cultural policy. With obvious reasons, one national arts theatre will definitely translate to so many because competent practitioners abound.

The only attempt ever at having a theatre arts institution to be professionally run and to be supported by government was the “Ososa Experiment” organized by late Hubert Adedeji Ogunde which end result was going to be a physical structure for the practice of theatre arts and its appurtenances, but was only able to transit to what is today known as the National Troupe of Nigeria because Ogunde died when it was least expected. As soon as Ogunde died in 1990, the beginning of the killing of the idea of a National Arts Theatre began. Because some of those appointed by government to takeover the job could not understand, or they chose to kill the dream deliberately or ignorantly for selfish reasons and unnecessary sentiments. For this set of top government workers, they have confused the National Theatre for a National Arts Theatre, and they have led the battle against an institutional arts theatre in Nigeria ever since for only one purpose, self aggrandizements.

So, now that the common practitioners have been brought into the fracas between the government and its administrators when the former declared its intention to privatize the National Theatre, the practitioners should be careful and be intuitive if it must take sides. Because if there is any group that has been shortchanged or fooled in this matter, it has largely been the arts practitioners. Therefore, the practitioners should resist incitement by these administrators and its agents in whatever guise because it is only government and these administrators that knows the rules under which they have been operating over the years. Rather, the practitioners should seek to know, as written in the books, the real purpose for which the National Theatre was built apart from what we were made to believe and the reason why the National Troupe of Nigeria was created again knowing that there existed a National Theatre, if truly it’s a National Arts Theatre, which one of its very concern should be to create a national troupe rather than it being a separate parastatal under the same Ministry (attempt is on though to merge the two parastatal, National Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria). It is only when all this questions are answered adequately that we would know in what direction to go.

Surrealist Joan Miro once asserted that “You don't gain even a centimeter of freedom from art that's governed by cold formulas. You only get your freedom by sweating for it, by an inner struggle”.

This is where the Arts associations as proliferated, would come in. These associations in my view are supposed to be an appendage to, even though informally, the federal legislative committees on culture/arts matters. It is their duty therefore, to put into force its internal machinery that would ensure that proper theatre arts policy for institutional practice is forwarded for legislation so that it would enhance the practice of theatre arts and consequently help to invigorate the study of dramatic arts or its equivalent in the universities. For any country to make provision for a course of study in her universities, that is a pointer to the fact that that government is ready to cater for that course of study professionally and it is this point that is germane in this case.

Therefore, taking practical steps (proper legislation and execution) that are devoid of sentiments would help a great deal in resolving the quagmire. Whereas the proper legislation would boost the level of private and corporate support in the down-stream sector and improve level of competitiveness amongst practitioners, the status quo or the Infrastructica idea would keep them, as it is now, in the trashcan. This is the reason the government administrators could manipulate the parastatal the way they do and consequently, the live theatre’s fortunes and other arts businesses are dwindling by the minutes.

Good legislation is security for good investors/investments. Investors will naturally come forward when there is good legislation on ground. One of the key points of such legislation is the complete autonomy of the National Theatre if it is eventually going to be converted to a National Arts Theatre, though to be regulated by government. So ultimately, the institution would need investors.

Then the logic. To annex the potentials of a good legislation in any giving arrangement, application of logic is essential. Logic in this sense would amount to how the new legislation, when or if done, could have bearing on the operational standards in the running of the National Arts Theatre. Eating your cake and having it is not an essential for compromise. Therefore, all present staff of the National Theatre should re-apply for their jobs. This automatically would cater for a more efficient work-force, and a reorganization of all the departments for effective operation.

It is important to mention therefore, that a strong and unbiased selection of members into committee should be organized to draw-up a good bill for legislation. This group of people should be thoroughly and independently researched by the government, and ensured that they are competent for the assignment and the selection should transcend all cadres in the industry.

It is with such commitment that we stand to benefit as a nation from having a National Arts Theatre that would truly preserve and display the cultural identities of the Nigerian people.

Makinde Adeniran.
Playwright, Director, Arts/Culture Consultant

Dance Empowerment and Integrity: the crux, the challenges and the possible successes

I shall dedicate this paper to Hubert Adedeji Ogundemuren of blessed memory, the first artistic director cum choreographer of the National Troupe of Nigeria who first introduced the contemporary dance art into Nigeria without us taking notice. The popular “fishermen dance” in Nigeria today is not the traditional fishermen dance but the one modernized by Hubert Ogunde himself.

I shall attempt to make this as simple as possible because my immediate target without doubt are the dancers, most importantly, the practicing dancers. The practicing dancers here constitute mostly, the so-called “contemporary dancers” or “dancers of the contemporary age”. Now, before I veer into this excruciating and almost bizarre realm in our cultural failure, I shall first say WELL DONE to “Dance Meets Danse”, its pioneers and the French Cultural Centre for helping us (Nigeria) at least to sustain our cultural heritage even though some believe it is another neo-colonization move by the French. In my view, globalization has helped to empower cultures of the world, the people and consequently, our practices amongst which we have the dance art.

Globalization and Empowerment
It simply translates that the people of the world; races, ethnic groups, tribes etc, etc are one and by virtue of that togetherness, we have become stronger or should have become stronger. My views here may not be entirely right but correct me if am wrong, cultures must be opened up to one another to foster our world today. However, rather than getting stronger, countries in Africa have degenerated into oblivious sentiment termed CONTEMPORARY. Let me step a little further to unwind this discourse. What is contemporary? Contemporary means; TODAY, things in fashion, igba to de or n kan igba tode, and like I mentioned in one of my books, that no fiction can be achieved without its reality lurking around somewhere. If the African cultural institutions had done enough over the years to preserve their culture(s) the right way, the issue of cultural neo-colonization would not have arose. These freelance dancers or dance companies of today are merely reacting to global sensitization. Would it be right then to blame the French or any other European, American or even Asian countries as we have seen lately, of cultural enslavement? For years, African countries have recorded politics and only politics as the only contemporary issue. We have recorded the histories of successive coup-de-tat, step asides and democratic manipulations so well that primary two pupils render them like poetry recitation in our schools but they have done that without consideration for other items of governance especially for the Arts - one of nature’s gifts to humanity. Today, we shout wolf where there are none.

Infrastructural Empowerment
When the necessary tools of work are not available, one is likely not to produce anything. That has been the lot of the practitioners here before now. Therefore, when the FCC came with their anxiety of a new way of dancing or making dance relevant in the world of today tagged CONTEMPORARY DANCE, it was a way of helping to prepare our dancers for what is to come in the cultural sector in Nigeria I suppose. Well, quite rightly, Mr. Frank Ogbewu – the Minister for Culture and Tourism hooked onto it by yielding to the right advice, re-fixing the National Arts theatre. Infrastructure is a basic principle of empowerment: it is simply building a road to success. Let us step away briefly from this patriotism sentiments. The FCC over the years had not only provided infrastructure but also finances too to ensure that their campaign of contemporary dance in Africa is firm. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism should not relent in its current bid to revamping the cultural sector by just providing or re-fixing infrastructures as he is doing with the National Arts Theatre presently. The Ministry must also provide the initial funding to initiate good programmation to lure investors both within and outside the country to participate fully and actively in the culture sector. After all, liberalization is the keyword in the investment of culture/arts and tourism. The culture of a people is not a mere commodity of livelihood but life itself and you do not sell your life to correct it. The culture of a people is a veritable organ of governance; therefore, the government must do everything to protect and preserve it and not give it away to “wolves” all in the name of privatization rather, the government should liberalize it while holding on to its nucleus. The recent appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer for the National Arts theatre/National Troupe of Nigeria by government is indeed the right direction to go. To privatize the culture/arts of a people is like giving away the governance of a nation. Privatization is outright sale while liberalization is about making the right policies to open-up and foster the growth of the sector for investment opportunities and funding adequately. Charles Soludo, the governor of The Central Bank of Nigeria came in and helped to empower the Banks. Today, the banks are bracing up to invest in creditable businesses. If the government helps the culture/arts and tourism sector very well to package itself to liberalization, our culture, arts and tourism is worth more than oil I dare say.

Associational Empowerment
It is a shame that none of our professional associations; Dance Guild Of Nigeria – DAGON, National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners – NANTAP of which DAGON is an affiliate is capable of organizing a festival of such consistence that is capable of empowering the individual dance artiste. Rather our associations organize annual festivals for executive show-off; to give impression that they are still in charge. Therefore, the festival has no particular agenda but a fiasco or “gyration” as usually called by the dancers. Once again, I say well-done French Cultural Centre, Lagos, merci monsieur Joel Betrand for helping to organize the idea of these young lads into that which will empower them to serve themselves, the nation and the continent better. However, there are slips, which I believe could easily be taken care of if the members of committee Dance meets Danse are able to suppress their greed for power and unnecessary manipulations, nepotism and all other negative attitude towards developing the dance meets danse festival and at large, the Nigeria dance industry. If our professional association are failing to give the dance practitioners the required integrity yet, those of you who have opportunity of being a part or partners in organizing this mini dance festival, should institutionalize it properly instead of making it look merely like a French Cultural Centre affair. By institutionalizing, I mean, registering the festival with Cooperate Affairs Commission or any other such agency responsible for festival registration in Nigeria.
2. Set up a board of trustee of notable and influential people in Africa.
3. Set up a board of directors of notable practitioners in Nigeria.
4. Identify the group of technical partners of which government agency and French Cultural Centre should be members.
With this arrangement, focusing the festival to empower the nation will be more firm, and to empower a nation is to build the integrity of an individual ultimately. I hope that our associations will take examples from these arrangements to provide adequate security to members, return to our trenches to re-organize ourselves for the challenges of tomorrow and consequently the successes. It is pertinent that we begin to learn how to do things properly without politicking where professional conduct and decisions are required rather than revel in assumptions and mediocrity.

The Dancer
The average dancer in Nigeria and perhaps in Africa is a college dropout presumably. I may sound crude and insulting but this is our reality, and it is better to know the problem in order to know the easiest way to fix it. Dr. Ahmed Yerima once wrote in one of his articles that we were dancing on one leg, but now, I think we are beginning to dance on a toe. I expect that by now, some of the most senior dancers who have gained the opportunity of enough education in theatre/dance and have had the responsibility of helping to organize and train national troupes of other countries outside Nigeria, should have known that the nation needs dance colleges now more than ever. Nigeria is one of the under-developed countries of the world and one of the reasons is illiteracy. In trying to step-up its activities in education sector, the federal government of Nigeria privatized universities and colleges. Now I think is the right time for the likes of Arnold Udoka, Bakare Ojo Rasaki and Peter Badejo who are presently the “achievers” in the dance practice to canvass for a Dance College. To put their resources together to begin to agitate for a formidable dance industry through articulation of the already yearning and ready to learn students of dance as seen with different displays of dance troupes resident at the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Iganmu Lagos. It is your time to help empower them. Western form of learning is not the only form of education. Dayo Liadi, Abel Utuedor, Aliu and some few others are a typical example of learned fellow in the art of dance through firstly, Muyiwa Oshinaike who later lost focus in dance practice sooner than later. Then they moved on to the Dance School of Choreography in Senegal under the tutelage of the notable Jamine Achone. Today, they are like a brass, come rain, come sun they shine… and before I forget to mention it, to start a dance school would only cost us at the beginning, the registration and a dance studio then other things follow.

Conclusion
The spate of brain drain that has occurred over the years in the art sector particularly the dance industry is heart aching. The Nation has lost notable youths to their assumed green pastures in other countries, they always assume this greener pastures, only for them to get there and find out that those greener pastures they assumed are actually grey and sometimes black pastures. What more then, they turn to clean tables and sweep the street in Europe or sometimes work in some remote farm where their salaries are not paid directly into their own account but into the account of the “slave master” who helped them to cross the red sea into Europe or America. We have seen worst, so many talents, gone! The one that pains more is the illusion of performing abroad under which many dancers are practicing now, and when they finally perform abroad; their pay packs are not commensurate to the work. Therefore, the dancer is forced to make the decision of either running away or come back home and face the shame. Then there are many who impersonate the artistes to seek for visas to travel abroad… this problems are too numerous, but be assured that if everyone of us are ready to do our bits to empower these young lads, these ever promising professional dancers in Nigeria, including the Government agencies, edumare knows, the sky is the limit. Once again, I say happy celebration to you all.

Makinde Adeniran
A paper delivered at Dance meets Danse 2006

Just this mote

May I start this by way of a vote of thanks or better still, as an appraisal of the entire scenario of the Nigerian theatre as practised and as ranked amongst the economical potentials of the Nigerian nation…? I think it would pay me more to dwell first on the latter then a vote of thanks would follow.

Often I hear people say the Nigerian home video has silenced the Nigerian theatre and I laugh but I never failed for once to tell them that it’s a mere transition which is crucial and necessary in every human evolution especially in a world where your economical status determines your grade as a nation, hence Nigeria’s third world country grade. This automatically translates that the nation must continue to prod on how she would improve on her economical gains. It behoves me to say then that theatre just like crude-oil, when it was discovered, had and still have potentials to improve the nation’s gains. From crude-oil, Nigeria refined petroleum, so much so from theatre, the nation’s practitioners stepped it up to tourism and film making. This has been the process because the theatre practice of a people borrows its strength from the people’s culture so it cannot die except that culture goes into extinction. If we as a developing nation failed to move to this next stage then we would have defied natural laws of human evolution

But presently, to be a veteran is not a worthy course here I must tell you, but it is a nature’s gift so, an option is not conferred. The potentials of the profession is so stunted by mediocrity in the governance of its produce and the people therein so much so that ideas abound but no competent structure upon which to practice them except for two performance halls in the 140 million certified habitable spaces called Nigeria.

It is with this hindsight that the position of our veterans today becomes relevant and fearful. To think that every practitioner of the trade will come to be veteran someday is enough impetus to gear everybody concerned, both government and private operators to finding a formidable structure for the running of the arts/entertainment industries in Nigeria so that those who have served the country genuinely with their arts would not be deprived of their pensionary status and all that accompanies it.

To annexe all of these ideas to develop the nation especially at this period that diversification of the nation’s revenue generation is crucial, it will be quite wise to tap the nature’s gifts from these veterans before they finally bow out.

I thank all of the veterans who have finally, like an apprentice after long years of serving his Master, the Master gleefully will call for the family of the apprentice then he’ll place his hand on the apprentice’s head and offered a prayer of success to the apprentice. From then on, the apprentice transits to master. I thank all of the veterans for being part of this play. For me, I have served them well.


Makinde Adeniran

REVAMPING THE CULTURAL SECTOR

THE ‘ANT’ PROJECT

The ANT project looks at the substance and relationships vis a vis functionality of all government cultural agencies across the country.

The government agencies to be considered are:
Arts Gallery
National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC)
National Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria (NT / NTN)
National Museum
National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO)
Centre for Black African Arts Civilization (CBAAC)
Tourism

Brief: AS THEY ARE
The National Arts Gallery takes care predominantly of visual arts and other matters as related.

National Council for Arts and Culture articulates chiefly, all traditional cultures mainly for; (i) archival purpose (ii) performances / display} Arts. And other matter as related

National Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria articulate and display through performances and all, the literature of the Nigerian people as a repository for cultural exchange and other matters as related.

National Museum archives for display mostly for historical relevance, natural / national cultural and traditional heritages and all other matters as related.

National Institute for Cultural Orientation is primarily a school which deals with orientating willing students about the cultural practices of Nigerian people, and all other matters as related.

Centre for Black African Arts Civilization is an archival agency that deals primarily with the information on picture (motion/still) and historical artifacts and all other matters as related.

Tourism Board is a major factor in the display of natural heritage mainly for revenue generation and all other matters as related.


Brief : WHAT WAS WRONG
National Arts Gallery adequate programming / policy / funding
· NCAC funds / policy / programming /staff incompetence
· NT / NTN policy /funding/ programming / staff incompetence
· National Museum funding / programming /policy (?)
· NICO non-merger / policy
· CBAAC non-merger / policy / funding
· Tourism programming / funding

PROPOSAL
To make this agencies function as they should for better result, this suggestions are to be considered:

National Arts Gallery should consider taking some of the responsibilities of CBAAC such as, picture archive (still / motion)

National Museum should consider taking over other responsibilities of CBAAC such as, archival of National artifacts.

National Institution for Cultural Orientation should operate under NCAC

Brief: WHAT THEY OUGHT TO BE
National Arts Gallery through its programmes should be a repository and a custodian of the nation’s visual arts for purpose of history, commerce, research, residency and education. It should be autonomously run by experts but controlled by government

National Council for Arts and Culture through its programmes should be the nerve, the centre point between the government, other cultural institutions and the public through cultural information, training, cultural policies, education, residency and grants. It should be managed strictly by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism. It should design a workable plan in which our traditional festivals can also be of touristic value (TT Agenda). The NICO merger would be the informal college that takes care of the education aspect of its programming.

National Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria is a victim of bad policy therefore, if the policy review is done, the NT should only have National Theatre Company in which case, members will be the resident artistes. Its programmes should place the NT as the route that helps throw up new talents in our literary circle through performances, reading etc. It should help the education sector especially in literature and drama departments. It should publish books, it should help in juxtaposing our arts vis a vis our culture against that of the others for relevance and standardization in the global setting through performances and all. It should be autonomously run by a group of experts contracted but controlled by government.

National Museum should be upgraded to match international standard. It should be managed by government. Strong security arrangement is needed at the Museum because our history resides there.

The Tourism Board should work hand in hand with the NCAC for effectiveness in the discharge of its duty in the display of natural heritage mainly for revenue generation. It should be managed by government.

Brief: PROGRAMMING
· National Arts Gallery Visual Art Expo / Summer Arts Festival (SAFE)/ Workshops, Seminars / Exhibitions / Training / Residency / Visual Arts Museum… etc./ EXPERT PROGRAMMER IS NEEDED

· NCAC Re-designed NAFEST / Award Grants / Training / National Arts Fair / Seminars / Workshops / Collating arts event calendar / TT Agenda / Hall of Fame … etc / AN EXPERT PROGRAMMER IS NEEDED

· NT / NTN AN EXPERT PROGRAMMER IS NEEDED
·
· National Museum AN EXPERT PROGRAMMER IS NEEDED
·
· Tourism AN EXPERT PROGRAMMER IS NEEDED

Brief: FUNDING
· National Arts Gallery Government subvention / Funding Agencies / corporate finance

· NCAC Heavily funded by government / Funding Agencies

· NT / NTN Government subvention / Funding Agencies / Corporate finance

· National Museum Funded by government / Funding Agencies / Corporate finance

· Tourism Funded by government / Funding Agencies / Corporate finance

Brief: RECOMMENDATIONS
That the legislation for the restructuring of all these institutions should be pursued vigorously for adequate results in all their activities so that they can have positive bearing on Nigerians and the nation.

That a formidable Committee should be setup to articulate and discuss, to a logical conclusion the issues raised by this proposal. And to expand on programmes recommended.

That the NCAC should in whatever the conclusion of the Committee, institute a National Arts Endowment Funds (NAEF) to support the down stream sector (private arts companies) of the Art/Culture sector.


CONCLUSION
It is pertinent to know that this sector is a major factor in the economical re-engineering that the Nigerian government seeks. In terms of social conduct and preservation of the Nigerian identities which is important in nationhood, this sector plays a vital role. It is in this regard that I am pleading with the government to stop treating the sector with such levity as displayed in the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo led government.

Cultures, tradition and accepted standards 1

Akudaaya is a metaphysical phenomenon but socio-culturally relevant and real, not in the Yoruba world view alone but of the entire human race, fearful but awesome. Though, it is expressly contradictory to the real value of the cliché- ile aye laagbe (earth is the only habitual haven) Indeed, no one would in my thinking willingly chose to, with the little human beings are already exposed to about heaven, earth, hell, galaxies and stars etc, etc, live in heaven, not when they are not sure about the composition of that world, heaven, except for what is often heard from religious preachers or the folklore stories. Human beings will forever be comfortable with the earth-world because they know it inside out, they understand the manipulations here; be it good or bad, they are always comfortable with it hence the aphorism - No one wants to die!

Unmindfully of how, everybody wants to be comfortable, and this is often than not, the human albatross. In the quest for comfortability, some reach for the far end while some bring some quantum of ego into it, even with that, it’s a craving for another cadre of comfortability, maybe not in the general and more popularly known kind of comfort but a kind that makes you feel good in the innermost of your heart that whatever happens, your reputation is intact. In all, collectively or individually, human beings aim at being comfortable all the time. As the world turns over with years, standard of what is acceptable as comfortability increases therefore; human beings continually would crave for these acceptable standards, though some never get there until they are wiped off the surface of earth. Which brings to mind the question; what is a culturally accepted standard of comfort?

With culture comes tradition, and for every culture, tradition differs. While tradition stays stiff, every culture manipulate the world and her accepted standards so, it leaves every human being to few sets of choices especially the dos and don’ts because some traditional ideals, as horrible and simple as they seem, the cultures are yet to water them down to comfortability zone. The issue of adolescent pregnancy is to my mind, a global monster that trades its stock stiffly on tradition irrespective of the neutrality applied by every culture and our growing standards. Because she’s an adolescent still supposedly, tied to the family’s apron strings therefore, the reputation of the family comes before her comfort so she must protect it with every pint of blood in her, and where mistake occurs, she suffers it sometimes with her life; what a burden to bear!

Conflicting comforts zones have brought the world almost to her knees. Take the growing culture of a girl of fifteen years old having a boyfriend. Even though there are certain unwritten sets of rules of what they could do together at that age, moralistic though, but when their bodies hover and their eyes catches the glimpses of their images’ sights, their mouths are bound to water for the thirst of the devil’s apple, and in their own quietude and solitude, they’ll do the thing. And if par chance they become unlucky, the male semen will contract the ovary, and that is the beginning of the journey into the realm of, according to societal norm, unwanted pregnancy which is totally an upset to the world’s set standards. The first option for whichever family this happens to is, secrecy; it must not come to the public domain because it is considered shameful even though bearing children is a thing of joy.

If we take a look at the issue of adolescents unwanted pregnancy in Asia, China specifically, where even legally married husband and wife apply the Federal Republic’s constitution to have two children otherwise it is one child par family because China is the most populous nation on earth so the population has to be regulated. Or in the Americas where hypocritically, morality is an institution, transparency is the norm even though a whole lot is covered-up. Patriotism is a ritual that must, though lip-serviced, be performed daily by every American even if at the cost of lives. Or in the Europe where standards are peculiarly high, so high that even angels would fall foul of the constitution or set societal values par day. In Europe, a child still living in his parents’ home could enforce her right to the point that she could invite the police to arrest her parents for ‘over’ scolding her and if proven, the constitution will oblige a punishment to the parents because it’s a societal set standard. Or in the Middle-east where religion and war or civil unrest is so pervasive that you never could understand the peace value of religion anymore. Israel, Palestine and Saudi-Arabia are countries symbolizing religion so youths are supposed to be a direct preserve of the holy books; the Torah, Bible, Hadith, Koran, etc. which set standards on morals are applied by almost all cultures in the world yet, Saudi-Arabia is said to harbour the highest number of youthful sex workers in that region. Or in Africa, where inferiority complex has reduced our mentality to hoodwinking on neo-colonialist suppression; the set standards in Europe or America is the pedestal on which our youth ape their lives, and most of the time, it contradicts the African set values. So perpetually, the Africans live their lives in a state of ‘social confusion’. Yet the African cultures, so potent that it wrestles neo-colonialist tendencies everytime. But quite unfortunately, the children of this generation are born in the jet-age where the entire world has turned a global village operating on a single digit set of standards. Then abortion in this case; for an impregnated girl of fifteen, becomes a stained value no matter where in the world. And often than not, abortion for a teenager is done in secret, most of the time, to protect the family’s name.



Makinde Adeniran

NATIONAL THEATRE: A land of the gods

The two gods in this matter are the government agency of privatization BPE (Bureau of Public Enterprises) and the Professionals cum the Culture workers. Consequently, they have turned the National theatre to the Colosseum for their ‘would be’ rugged battle.

The advent of theatre can be traced back to the ‘Before Christ’ era, Greek traditional festivals, rituals, myths et al therefore, it is easier to associate the practice of theatre to the worship of some sort of gods. Anyway, over the centuries, theatre practices have grown to serve other purposes in nation building rather than an avenue for mere jamboree. Gone are the days when theatre practice bestowed on practitioners an automatic title of ‘dregs of society’, now, countries build their economical survival on it.

Even the Roman colosseum (an amphitheatre) of the AD 69 century is still standing till date, as a touristic relic though but the government is still ensuring its usefulness economically and culturally. It is mind bugging then when a two fighting situation has been created between the practitioners cum workers in the culture sector and the government over this same Theatre relevance and its non-relevance especially in this golden age. What comes to mind immediately is “what is the cause of this imbroglio?”

The Nigerian government is saying via the BPE that the theatre (practice and Building) can only make meaning to the economy of the nation by outright selling or by concession. Well, the government claims further that their investment in the theatre is almost becoming a waste because they spend on it and never get returns. Looking at this argument critically, the government being the custodian of all the nation’s heritage is fair or quite right on this issue, that is, if the government is sure that this is the real motive or right argument for declaring the National Theatre as a FOR SALE property.

The practitioners cum workers too are claiming that the government has consistently short-changed the sector in the effective running of the institution thereby affecting the output and practice of the profession generally. Can the people ever be right over government in an issue such as this, especially that they are not the one wearing the shoes, so, they may not know where it pinches? Yet they (the practitioners/workers) are adamant that it’s their tax money after all so, they demand to have a say! Even though they are less powerful on this issue, they seem ready to make a fight and quite right too. That is, if they knew all there are to the institution’s ineffectiveness culturally and financially.

A perusal of the two contending facts as argued above show that there are couples of central factors militating against the two factions (govt. and practitioners/workers). On this issue, there have been enough write-ups to proof “who is wrong” and “who is right” but none has touched on the crux of the matter; the act of law that established the National Theatre and its consequent functionality.

I am not conversant with the law though, but I do know that no Theatre in the world operates under a civil service code of which the Nigerian National Theatre is operating now. So, it simply proves that from the very start, the government got it all wrong or had another agenda for the venue apart from what the general public think or know of it. So, the question of budgetary allocation, shortchanging as vividly enumerated by CORA (Committee for Relevant Arts) in one of its write-ups, or the cultural heritage syndrome as protested by professionals and the culture workers would not come to play yet.
To really establish a National ARTS Theatre that would bear positively on the socio-cultural status of a nation, it requires administrative and operational structures that are devoid of contradictions. The NT should be a gauge for our literary output, that which should automatically have positive bearing on our educational standards especially in the area of literature and also to serve as an archive for preserving and updating our cultural practices by way of performances, workshops, training through artistes Residency, symposiums, publishing, play reading, conferences, cultural orientation, exhibitions, libraries, cultural exchange programmes, regulatory organ within the practice and so many more. The government, especially in a democratic setup like Nigeria should be the least of the NT’s sponsors (only by way of subventions) in other to avoid political appointees as the head of the institution. The NT is purely a professionals’ world! Rather, the NT as a government establishment, should source for funding with its well articulated programmes from funding agencies, corporate organizations and influential individuals around the world as it’s the practice all over.

Dr. Ahmed Yerima, the current Director General of the National Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria (NT/NTN) can only ‘TRY’ as he’s doing right now. The mess the NT is today (in function then shape) has been for almost 30 years so, it definitely wont be easy for a true professional of which Dr. Yerima is on one side and a civil servant on the other, to do more than he has done within the short period he was appointed. It is obvious that he’s battling to do the right things where the laws do not permit it.

Unfortunately, all meaningful professional associations within the system that should do the battle had been run aground. Even some of the professionals (individuals) who are clamouring on either side are doing so for ulterior motives, and the cultural workers are perceived as just fighting to retain their jobs within the civil service. So, it becomes very hard for the protest to have a meaningful breakthrough.

The NT is to the economy culturally what a Central Bank is to the economy financially: a country’s heart. The NT should therefore, not be a financial profit making institution but a “cultural orientation profit making” institution, but the NT is returning none of these ‘profit’ at the moment. In the Guardian newspaper of Sunday 22nd of July 2007, an article was published, written by one Mr. Carl Orji, a consultant to the consortium that won the BPE bidding of the NT; Infrastructica. In that article, the intentions of Infrastructica were enumerated clearly and so fascinating too, I must confess. And it will, as insinuated by the plan, generate enough profit for the consortium and government. Would it then be right for us to say that the government is wrong in her concession of the NT, especially that the government is operating within the policy that NT is presently operating on (profit generation)? Certainly NO, even if the deal may have been perceived as been a shoddy arrangement meant to favour some “unknown” privileged few.

Though what the government is failing to understand is this: Infrastructica as presently constituted is of high standards and will operate as such whereas, the practice here is of the lowest of all low because of lack of support and sponsorship, the government policy is not even in favour of the practitioners and the professional associations are almost moribund therefore, Infrastructica will be a western phenomenon which would not, 90% of the time, find its customers directly amongst the practitioners here because of pricing and in some cases, quality of work. It is obvious then that the consortium will be detached from its intended purpose. Whereas a nationally established National Theatre will help to articulate and flourish our cultural identities, the consortium will exchange it for western cultures in other to make returns on profit to government as all private entertainment companies do, then, our cultural identities as Nigerians, one of the reasons for which a National Theatre is established would have been eroded.

The protesting professionals and the culture workers who are also agitating for the wrong reasons, that the government should not have made the concession of the NT to the consortium rather, the government should give them the NT to manage and hold in trust for government. This position is not any different from what the government has done with the consortium, but all these would not do any good as long as the laws on which the NT is operating is still as it is. Therefore, our best option on both ends of the “Colosseum battle of the gods” will be the hallow chambers of law: House of Representatives and the Senate.

In the best interest of all concerned especially the nation, the Houses should peruse and scrutinize the conditions of concession, and if not worthy enough, the Houses should help honourably, to adjust the conditions to suit practitioners/culture workers so that the nation can maximally benefit from the concession especially in the areas of employment generation and training.

And as for the second type of “concession” as proposed to the government by the professionals/culture workers through the protest recently organized by “Coalition of Artistes”, the Houses should debate thoroughly and honourably on the issue of the nation having a National ARTS Theatre with all the required appurtenances (practice conduct, support structure, benefit structure) of such an institution with standard practice. And if government in its wisdom would want to convert the present civil service arts and culture parastatal – National Theatre to a NATIONAL ARTS THEATRE proper, then that would take a proper re-composition through policy adjustment of organs of operation (staff, administrative structure, code of conduct and professional etiquette) in the NT as it is presently operating.

the diversification in economy gains that the nation seek would wear a new look and optimism if the cultural orientation of the people change, and one of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to understand who we are as a people, our limitations and our collective desired goals through our original and adapted histories which would help to properly define the nation’s identity. A National ARTS Theatre is one of the answers to this regeneration that the nation seeks.

Makinde Adeniran.
Playwright, Director, Arts/Culture Consultant
08023355244
makindeadeniran@gmail.com