Nigeria’s make-believe industry (Nollywood) has recorded giant strides beyond our boundaries. There is no doubt that this lone sector has contributed effectively to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) earnings over the years. It has showcased with telling evidence the monumental inherent potentials of the Nigerian populace. It demonstrates that with the slightest of support and available capital development, the sky is just the beginning for the professionals in this field.
The Nigerian government will not need to be cajoled to invest massively in this industry if they are responsible and responsive. Imagine the present recorded milestone achievements without any external tangible financial aid. What more they can do if and when the government adds their weight is better witnessed than imagined.
For instance, the enhancement of production of the movies, skits, and dramas involving advanced technology is yet lacking. It makes it boring and analogous to the present facilities at their disposal. Our studios are yet to wear the state-of-the-art tools enough to compete with the outside world.
The time has come for the upgrade. Let us also delve into other noticeable shortcomings in the entertainment industry.
As impressive as the role of social media influencers (skit makers and comedians in particular) provides psychological relief and soundness, some have started to deviate. The subtle smuggling of advertisements into their episodes can be irritating and repulsive. The mentioning of individuals’ names who must have bought airtime for their business, private occasions, and jingles superimposed on the public programme is unacceptable.
It’s a slight on the psyche of the fans. It usually informs the intellectual body fans that the comedian guilty of this practice may have run out of objective episodes. Some of our African Afrobeat iconic musicians delved into this unpopular style (Otimkpu in Igbo parlance) but only did that at the twilight of their profession. For example, in the heat of Osita Osadebe’s limelight and while the ovation was high, was when he waxed his classics. Again, the appreciation for the good performance of our entertainers is not exhaustive.
For every individual, there is a special latent quality. From time immemorial to date, no human could deny the peculiar endowment that separates him from others. Netizens of the present age and generation do not require a fresh introduction of a certain established baldheaded comedian (constantly combing it), social influencer, and skit maker. He distinguishes himself by discussing serious topical matters with unfeigned loud laughter, a high sense of humour, and sensational, contagious, spontaneous, and hilarious laughter galore. He is gifted at it, indisputably. Similar to him is Oghenekowhoyan Onaibe Desmond (aka Desktalker). His story has refused to stop amazing me. He is the epitome of achieving good and sustainable success by focusing on the substance and not on the shadow. His target is to add value to people’s lives and then he is satisfied. But life principles will not let him escape unrewarded. He ultimately smiles home to the bank.
Mr. Izuchukwu Emmanuel Chukwuka, 4Fun (whose ending episode slogan is Mamamiya) attended Ezi-Awka Primary School and then to Government Technical College Awka (GTC) to obtain a Higher National Diploma in Electrical Electronics Engineering and combined with Federal Polytechnic Oko Anambra State, is the baldheaded yet with comb man. Hear from him, “I didn’t find myself in the comedy industry by mistake. I have always been intentional about what I want to do. I have always been on this edge of life even when I do other things comedy is always by my side. I do other things to achieve the kind of comedy style and platform that I want. I didn’t want to come into the platform created, just wanted to create my platform and style, yes I needed relevance but I never to join the platform of “how we are doing it” just wanted to do my thing.” Original!!
The advantages derived from the tangible and intangible contributions made by our Nigerian humorists (aka comedians) are indeed tremendous. The true life story of a wealthy man whose life on earth was supposed to be ended by a terminal illness – cancer – deserves rehearing. It was the man’s testimony. His doctor was blunt enough to predict his demise date upon proper diagnosis. “In six months from now, you will draw your last breath,” so the unkind doctor broke the hard news to the ailing man. But he refused to succumb to the chilling hands of death or concede victory to it untimely. He went in search of solace and any source of relief whatsoever.
Fortunately, he found one in the hand of his close and concerned friend. This friend coincidentally was a psychologist and professional counsellor. His services were not solicited formally; he paid his now-dying friend what was supposed to be one of the last visits before his final departure to the great beyond. But fate seems to have an inexhaustible remedy for the infirm affluent man. So, the counsellor cum concerned friend began to ask him profound personal questions during the life-changing visit. “My good and gregarious friend, what do you know that makes you happy,” he bellowed. “That is to the point that you can laugh out loud. It makes you forget about your miseries, lacks, limitations, losses, and hopelessness, momentarily. Can you think of one thing?” While the hapless rich man was deep in thought, a quick suggestion dropped off from the caring and visiting friend. “Do you have time for comedy?” He asked him. “Not really.” Came the lackluster response. “Now is the time to watch comedians’ episodes and reap their salutary effects on your life.” The testifier himself said those words came to him like a bombshell with promising detoxification properties inherent in the doing of it. Swiftly, he sought the videotapes of the ace comedian Charlie Chaplin. He watched with no extraordinary attention, just relaxing and being himself. When anything of interest that induces laughter is said, he bursts out with spontaneous and genuine laughter. He exposed himself to everything the humorous entertainer employed to generate loud laughter in his fans.
From the first time, till he had no issues grinding with cancer, the man laughed out loud. Before the terrifying deadline came, with some sense of trepidation but a substantial air of relief, a cursory visit was made to the realistic doctor. The recent result was reassuring as it was initially energy-sapping. The cancerous presence has disappeared. Comedy is proven therapeutic.
What life unburdened by malice, grudges, unforgiveness, and self-realised happiness, can positively contribute to their subjects is limitless. Although sometimes there are just a few exceptions. For instance, the artist and sanguine musician Bobby McFerrin who sang, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” supposedly a jolly good fellow, died miserably – he committed suicide. Quite ironically, his ending was a direct opposite of what he sang. Perhaps, this prevailing dystopia depression which has engulfed the majority of the Nigeria populace, the elementary version of it was present in the 1990s when the album hit the airwaves.
In a country that is not supposed to have anything to do with poverty, predicaments, and or abject privations, but owing to the unscrupulous political leadership this plague is on us all, anything that answers relief, solace, momentary escapism, would be appreciated and adopted. For every compelling advertisement jingles, comedy episode, and skit that millions (if not billions with the empowering basis of social media cum information technology), viewers across the globe cheerfully get entertained with, somebody somewhere is smiling to the bank. Whoever that must be cannot be a non-artist.
Finally, I have always opined that clinching the First Class Degree certificate position does not guarantee in any way whatsoever that the holder will succeed in real-life struggles and strivings. There are rigorous life vagaries that stand out to prove the mettle of anyone who passes through its valleys on their road to the top.
In the same vein, you are not doomed to remain in despair, based on the fact that you made the Third Class position, success in real life is up for a grab. The slothful ones and get-rich-quick seekers in their primes who are in the mad rush for easy money-making shenanigans and end up engaging in all manner of illicit deals should humbly take a clue from this good example.
Orajiaku can be reached via steveobum@gmail.com
