The Paradox of Nigeria’s Nollywood

Posted by Yiro Abari, September 5, 2009

The global status of Nollywood, Nigeria’s movie industry oscillates between the second and the third most watched. During this year’s Africa Movie Academy Awards however, Kenyan, South African and Nigerian directors scooped most of the awards leaving many to wonder why then Nollywood is rated among the best three in the world, the others being American Hollywood and Indian Bollywood. The Sino movie industry is not even mentioned.

My understanding of Nigerian movies is that they tell the story but give little concentration towards making the scenes look very real. Some will also say that even the story lines are analogous and sometimes boring as result of compromise in creativity. On a whole these shortcomings comprise the quality of Nollywood movies.

When one considers that Nollywood movies take at most a fortnight to shoot compared to months or even years in Holly and Bolly woods, then the shortcomings are unavoidable. Further more, the industry appears to overlook the implication of the more than 140 million people in Nigeria by depending on just a few individuals as actors. This is better played up when a man of Zack Orji’s age has to constantly put on skimpy wears to play the role of a house boy or a school boy. One would have expected the directors of Nollywood to take advantage of our population which is comparable to the sand of the shores to fish out as many young talents as possible. When enough talents are discovered, complacency gives way and competition sets in, resulting in improved performance and high quality as far as the actor’s roles are concerned.

The financiers of Nollywood movies are largely conservative traders with modest education and who are found around the Onitsha axis. They consider themselves traders who are out for the money and nothing else. The money is coming and so damn your suggestions as to how to improve the industry. Their high-handedness is responsible for dump movie titles such as my private part, pay as you go, I need a husband, oil village and so on.

Against all these limitations however, Nollywood is generally and truly a successful industry. Shoot is an annual training course for film makers usually held at the Nigerian film institute in Jos Nigeria. The instructors are world class pros drawn from Europe and America. During this year’s edition of Shoot, a film expert from Europe noted that the workshop is one endeavour that will contribute to ending the exclusive watch of Nollywood movies by the Diaspora. It is true that the movies of Nollywood are watched mainly by Africans and people of African origin. In Africa we have the culture of people gathering under the moonlight to listen to stories told by the elderly. It might be the reason why Nollywood movies which hammer on story lines find favour among Africans. There is however, no doubt that the simplicity of Nollywood movies ensures movie lovers understand the theme of the movies easily unlike a situation where one watches for a long time without grabbing the story line. It makes little sense and you don’t want to watch again. The Diaspora, on the other hand, is driven by emotional attachment and the strong desire to understand adequately their roots.

What all these implies is that there is a huge room for improvement that can eventually help the industry to break the cultural barriers someday.

The options for Nollywood directors is either to continue to focus on just quick and relatively little revenues with perennial humiliations at AMAA or improve on quality and gain cross-cultural acceptability thereby boosting revenue and helping the movies to dominate AMAA awards and perhaps bigger global awards in the future.

Cherubim and Seraphim and Dreadlock Kids

Besides those who wear dreadlocks as a choice hairstyle, there are children born with dreadlocks and who must live with it until a certain age. People have often thought that the dreadlocks hair as worn by kids is linked to a traditional practice among one of Nigeria’s biggest ethnic groups, the Yoruba’s. It is particularly common among members of a church, the Cherubim and Seraphim Church of Christ whose congregation is predominantly Yoruba’s. This is more so because the Cherubim and Seraphim Church has often been seen as a hybrid religion that combines Christianity and a traditional African religion like the worship of sango (god of thunder), ogun (god of iron), esilouku (god of water) etc

 The Cherubim and Seraphim church was founded by a Yoruba man, named Moses Orimolade Tunolase at Ikare, Ondo State in South Western Nigeria in June 1925. Though the church later spread to other parts of the world, its Nigerian congregation has largely remained Yoruba. According to Special Apostle S A Adeniran who heads one of the biggest Cherubim and Seraphim Churches in  Jos Nigeria, Tunolase started performing miracles in the womb of his mother. The mother had gone to the bush to gather firewood. She could not lift the pack of wood she had gathered and the fetus in her womb assisted. After he was born, Tunolase started seeing revelations. He continued performing miracles and subsequently founded the church. Church members of the Cherubim and Seraphim must wear white garments with a red girdle and must enter the place of worship barefooted.

Origin of Misunderstanding

Members of the early churches in black Africa as a whole were former members of traditional religious groups. The early generation of converts never shook off the manner of worshiping a god to any reasonable degree. Changing from a traditional African worship to a church was just a change of the Supreme Being that was been worshiped. The manner of asking for favour, forgiveness or exultation of the Supreme Being may not have changed much. It was difficult to draw a distinct dividing line between the traditionalist and Christians. Thus the only way the semblance of traditional Yoruba practice could have been expunged from the church would have been through converts from other tribes or through later generation of members.

 Other tribes in Nigeria have often accused the Yorubas of closing their doors to against them especially on issues that started among the Yorubas or where the Yorubas have a numerical advantage. The decades that passed from the time the church was founded to the present also could not change the church as later generation of Yoruba descendants who are educated prefer more ‘liberal’ churches and turned away from the Cherubim and Seraphim church making it possible for the old ways to carry on. The solitary posture of the church for decades has thus compelled the outside world to believe that dreadlocks kids as commonly seen with members of the church is a result of a demand of a certain traditional practice.

Adeniran explained that the white attire of its members is meant to discourage ostentation, which is satanic. He defended coming to church barefooted by citing the example of Moses whom God commanded to remove his sandals, as the place where he stood was  hallowed and kids with dreadlocks are not peculiar to the church as it is a universal thing.

 The families of S A Adeniran himself, Mr. And Mrs. Azi Musa, Isaac Oyegbemi, Ajiboye Olanipesegun and Jesse Dariya are all parents of children with dreadlocks. While Adeniran, Oyegbemi, Olanipesegun are all Yorubas and worship at the Cherubim and Seraphim, the Musa and Dariya families are from Plateau and Kaduna respectively and have nothing to do with the Cherubim and Seraphim Church

Dreadlocks Among Children Is Natural

Dreadlocks is hair that can be grown by refusing to cut or brush the hair. Kids usually seen with the hair are actually born with hair that has the strong tendency to lock on its own. According to parents of such children, you know the hair is supposed to be allowed to grow into locks when the hair relocks a few minutes after combing, or the child cries and gets feverish when the hair is cut. Apostle Adeniran says his church decides on cutting the hair or not after revelations that follow prayers.

 Strength of Dreadlocks Kids

Dreadlocks kids are unique. According to Mr. and Mrs. Musa raising such children has enabled them to learn certain qualities about them. Usually children learn to crawl and then walk. Their dreadlocks children never crawled. They just started by standing and then walking. The extra-ordinary strength of such children could also be seen when they fight their peers. They win. The dreadlock duo of Samson, 11 and Francis, 9 are children of Mr. and Mrs. Musa Azi.  Samson was a toddler when Francis was born. One morning when Mrs. Musa was bathing the newborn, Samson mumbled some toddler jargon to suggest that his new brother is also a dreadlock. It turns out to be true. At one time one of Samson’s locks hung across the forehead, opening like the fingers at the end. While the child played outside an unknown person cut that very rope of hair. The result weakened the boy such that boys he had beaten before could beat him

Cutting the Hair

The age of cutting the hair varies from two to as long as fifteen years at times. In some cases the hair may simply begin to fall on its own. In other cases the child would tell the parents that he wants the hair to be cut. In spiritual circles like the Cherubim and Seraphim it comes after a divine revelation.

Satisfying the Northern Political Elite or the Niger Delta People

I am a firm supporter of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency. The basis of my support is founded first on my believe that Mr. President is a remarkably descipline induividual from the manner in which he conducted himself throughout the period of hospitalization of late President Yar'adua and the things he has done within the period he has been as Aso Rock. I also believe that if we weight the issues of Rotation and the Restiveness in the Niger Delta, the later is a heavier challenge that needs urgency. The Jonathan Presidency will first of all give the people a sense of belonging. I am very confident that the silence in the Niger is partly due the the fact the people now have a sense of belonging by the presence of thier own in Aso Rock. Secondly, if there is any body that will give the greatest attention to the problem more than the rest of us, it will have to be someone from their who knows where the shoe pinches. The north should be able to be patient consdering the fact that people in the Niger Delta has never had it.

Abubakar Rimi, Former Governor of Kano State Passes On

The former executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi died yesterday April 4, 2010. He died as a result of a heart attack that followed and encounter with armed bandits who robbed him and his co-travelers who were returning to Kano following a trip to Bauchi State.

According to reports monitored on VOA Hausa, the robbers did not touch him but severely beat up his younger brother. The whole experienced was said to have shocked him and died of heart failure at the Kano General Hospital after doctors struggled in vain to save his life.

Rimi, born in 1940 was to become a member of the Nigerian parliament from the mid seventies down to the later part of that decade. He became the first civilian governor of Kano State in 1979 with his tenure ending in 1983 when the party insisted in keeping with the Kano tradition of ensuring that a Governor does not run for more that a single tenure of four years.

The death of Abubakar Rimi, one of Nigeria’s finesse politicians has again underscored the reality that only ignoble people live long. He died fighting for the removal of the immunity clause in the Nigerian constitution that protects governors from legal prosecution while in office, saying that it has worked to encourage corruption in the country. He advocated for the death penalty against corrupt officials as it is in China. Rimi also stood against the constitutional powers that allowed governors to set up their state’s electoral commissions, arguing that it worked against the entrenchment of true democracy at the grassroots as the ruling parties in the state often won grassroots elections one hundred per cent.

He was no friend of traditional rulers as he stood against their clumsy practice of using their influence for corruptly enriching themselves with the resources of the local councils usually in collusion with governors.

A comment on the life of Abubakar Rimi cannot be complete without reference to his humor. He was one of the most humorous political leaders in Nigeria. When the late Wazirin Jos, D B Zang died in 2008, Rimi described him as Nigeria’s greatest democrats, having died on May 29^th, Nigeria’s democracy day.

May his soul rest in peace, Amen.

Barcelona Vs Arsenal: A Fifty-fifty Chance

According to Arsene Wenger, there is a 50-50 chance of victory for his side, Arsenal FC of England and FC Barcelona on the much awaited Champions League match between the two sides to be played on 30^th March. I agree with him.

Football may be the most popular sporting event of our planet but its followers and even its experts are not among the best soothsayers. As I have seen over the years, predictions of the outcomes of football matches are often based on superficial observation, political motives or just sensational. Even though the outcomes are usually at variance with the predictions, football analysts always fail to learn lessons. Ivory Coast for instance was tipped to win this year’s edition of the African Nations Cup. They were eliminated in the quarter finals by Algeria. Brazil or Spain was tipped to win the Under-17 World Cup held in Nigeria. Switzerland surprised the whole world.

Ivory Coast was tipped to win simply because of the outstanding performance of Didier Drogba at his club, Chelsea FC of England. Football is however a team event and it is the reason why Egypt that was not even in the books of forecasters eventually won the tournament.

Besides remaining among the three best English Clubs in the last decade, Arsenal has been a very consistent team in the Champions League within the same period, always going to the quarter finals stage for most of the years. It has one of the best coaches in the world and boasts of players of great finesse. On the other hand, Barcelona which is more or less a peer is considered a favorite simply because it is the defending champion. It is not about status. It is about current form. On that basis my own prediction is that any of the two sides can take it.

Jang Relaxes Curfew despite Growing Insecurity

The plateau state government yesterday announced the relaxation of curfew to now last between 9pm to 6am. Before now, freedom of movement within Jos/Bukuru metropolis was between 6am to 6pm.

Observers however believe that the action of the state government was rather hasty. The administration made this announcement shortly after the burial of late Amil Anko, the Chairman of Bassa Local Government of Plateau State who died in an auto crash over the weekend. It was alleged that Anko died while hurrying to beat up curfew. Despite his status, the late chairman felt it was necessary in order to avoid any scuffle with the security agents who have been perceived to be lopsided against the Christians since fighting resumed in Jos and environs this year.

Many believe the security situation has not improved enough to warrant the relaxation of the curfew. Four days earlier, another village was attacked by Fulani herdsmen in Riyom Local Government Area of the state. The same day curfew relaxation was announced, the corpse of a stabbed Christian youth was taken along Bauchi Road where the inhabitants are largely Muslims. In the night of the same day, four gunshots were heard around the Bukuru maternity clinic as a result of a misunderstanding between soldiers and Christian youths opposing the refusal of the soldiers to act against a crowd of Muslim youths who moved down to the neighborhood that night, claiming they were taking advantage of the curfew relaxation to move around.

The Jos Crisis of January 2010: Almost a war

Elook.org defines war as the waging of an armed conflict against an enemy. On the other hand, crisis according to anwers.com is an unstable condition involving an impending abrupt or decisive change.
I live in Bukuru town in Jos-south. Bukuru is the second largest town in Plateau State. It used to be a separated town from Jos but development eventually matched the two towns in the 90s so that Bukuru is essentially an extension or a suburb of Jos, just 9km away.
Besides the misunderstanding that led to the killing of two persons at Nassarawa Gwom on 17 January 2010 in Jos North, nothing else happened that day. I found my way to Trade Center along the way to Vom the second day. At about 11am, word came through local radio that the state government has declared a 24-hour curfew as a result of the escalation of the disturbance of the previous day. The implication was that all markets will be closed. So I bought what I could buy and was lucky to find a daring bus driver going to Bukuru. By the time we arrived Vom Junction along the Bukuru Expressway, I saw two corpses. By the time we arrived Bukuru Fire Service, there were cutlass wielding youths who barricaded the road. The driver then dropped us and turned back. It was a safe territory for me. So I walked passed the youths without anybody saying a word to me. But I had to avoid the expressway and walked along the perimeter of the town in the Gyel neighborhood to the west of Bukuru town. Its lower elevation afforded me the opportunity to have a full view of Bukuru town.
From the vantage position it seemed that Bukuru had become an industrial area of some sorts. Every house became a chimney from which smoke spiraled into the sky. Sounds of gunshots, the cries of people in the face danger and the shouts of people urging their men to fight on filled the air. By the time I arrived home, the smoke has thickened and diminished the intensity of the sun. There was an eclipse, eclipse of the sun by the smoke of the burning town.
My house is at a relatively safe location, just behind the fighters that have pushed the enemies to about half a kilometer east of the Bukuru expressway. I then walked along the expressway to discover two additional corpses. Occasionally, the youths will cross the expressway to set fire on the few remaining houses. At about 5 pm, the combined effects of hunger, fatigue and carbon monoxide poisoning had drained the strengths off the fighting youths on both sides. The smoke kept rising but the town suddenly became quiet and calm.
Nobody slept, fearing that the enemies might use the night to launch another attack. The next day soldiers from Abuja came and put a final end to the fighting.
During the 2001 crisis, there was fighting in Bukuru. In 2008 however, the town managed to stay on the fence. There were more deaths in Bukuru town than there has been this time. The horror of the current conflict could however be seen in terms of the intensity of destruction of homes and businesses. At a glance it could be said that 40% of the houses in Bukuru now lay in ashes. The popular Bukuru market is now history with the Ibos coming out worst. The absence of homes and business facilities has suddenly turned Bukuru to a ghost town.
After walking around the town, I came back, sat and unconsciously held my head between my hands. Bukuru town is gone and would take decades of unbroken peace to restore it.
The fight for territorial expansion is now old-fashioned. People are now fighting to make the world a better place by making the optimal use of what they already have.