Nollywood needs national body of filmmakers –Wale Adenuga

Wale Adenuga needs little or no introduction. He is best known for the publications and screen versions of Ikebe Super, Binta, and Superstory. In 1983, before the birth of

Nollywood, Adenuga had released Papa Ajasco, a celluloid film based on the main character in his magazine, Ikebe Super. He followed it up with Binta My Daughter in 1995. A year later, the television series, Papa Ajasco was screened on television to rave reviews.

Transforming from a filmmaker to trainer, Adenuga established Pencil Film and Television Institute (PEFTI) where students are taught courses like film production, directing, and cinematograph. The boss of WAPTV, a cable channel broadcasting on Startimes, was conferred with the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria honour (MFR) in 2009.

Concerned about the lack of unity in the movie industry, Adenuga, who fielded questions from reporters during the week in Lagos, proposes the way forward. Excerpts:

40 years of filmmaking

As someone who has been in the film industry for close to four decades, I’ll like to share my opinion on how to make the best of our industry and lay a solid foundation for unborn generations who may be interested in the business of filmmaking. Seemingly, these are the best of times for Nollywood as the filmmaking business in Nigeria has come to be known. When the national economy was rebased in April last year, Nollywood was said to have contributed 1.2% to the new GDP of N80.2 trillion ($509.9 billion). This means that Nollywood added about N1.72 trillion to the revised GDP for 2013. The business of filmmaking in Nigeria, which is among the first three in the world, has also become a major source of employment for our teeming youths, a reason for which we believe that we have a lot to celebrate.

Challenges

However, a keener assessment of the situation in the industry would show that we have a lot of glittering without substance. While this industry has enormous potential that could benefit our nation and her people, there are a couple of challenges militating against the appropriate positioning for filmmaking in Nigeria.

The first and most important issue that we have to contend with is the silent war that is going on among producers of the Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups over the history of filmmaking in Nigeria. This is at the root of all other problems as a house divided against itself cannot stand much less make progress. The situation in which we now have Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa operating separately under the aegis of Nollywood, Yorubawood and Kannywood respectively is quite unhealthy. Even within these groups, we still have infightings and misunderstandings over leadership. In spite of this lack of cohesion, however, each of the ‘woods’ has her own guilds where separatism is very apparent in their dealings especially casting.

Lack of umbrella 

association 

Although, the average Nigerian may find this shocking, I am confident that people know it is true. Our industry is the only one in Nigeria where you do not have a national body or association.  This country cannot speak of a national association of filmmakers, the way doctors talk about the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), lawyers talk about Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and gentlemen of the press talk about the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). It is true that we have all manners of guilds but these are all based on the sentiments that I described earlier. I believe that our inability to come together under an umbrella is one of the reasons why we have some of the problems that detract from the development of the business in Nigeria.

On piracy 

The all-comers nature of the business of filmmaking in Nigeria is the reason for the low quality of a lot of our films. We do not have any quality control mechanism. This has resulted in loss of confidence by patrons over and over again.

A survey by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said that nine out of 10 copies of Nigerian films are pirated. This has frustrated so many practitioners to the extent that many have jumped out of the boat to join politics or take up some other form of employment. Real passion for acting is fast becoming a thing of the past as a lot of our actors move on to big spenders the moment they become popular. The truth is that less than 10% of practitioners make money from filmmaking. Majority of the Lekki houses and posh cars (owned by actors/producers) are acquired from other sources other than filmmaking.

Lack of government 

support

Governments, both national and state, have done little or nothing to assist the Nigerian film industry until the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan initiated a N3 billion intervention. It is true that some state governments have, over the years, supported individual practitioners but there is no widespread impact of such support on the industry.

Harnessing resources

It is true that the Nigerian film industry has gone through a process of evolution over the past five decades or so, but I do not think the issue of who started what and when should be our priority currently. Just like doctors don’t haggle over who started the practice of medicine, I think what should concern all practitioners is harnessing all the resources available to us toward becoming the best that we can be as people with a common destiny. A Yoruba adage says you cannot carry your luggage with only one hand. To put your bag on your head, you need to bring both hands together or possibly seek the extra hand of your neighbour. I suggest that practitioners find a way to work together as one, no matter where we come from. This, for me, is the only way we can move our industry forward. Surely, there is power in unity.

Need for umbrella 

association

The urgent formation of a national body of filmmakers is one thing that we cannot avoid if we are serious about making the best out of the industry. My suggestion is that we start with the formation of truly national guilds for all the professions that form the industry. These include producers, directors, makeup artistes, editors, actors, production managers, set designers, location managers, cameramen, continuity men, costumiers, lights men, sound recordists, and marketers among others.  All these guilds will elect their individual president and these presidents of guilds will come together to elect the president of the overall association of filmmakers. The association can then have a secretariat in Abuja where all the guilds would have offices. The national executive of the association will then be able to work with government at all levels and corporate bodies on issues affecting the industry like piracy and funding. Such a body would be in a position to lobby for the review of laws guiding piracy and ensure that government funding gets into the right hands through the state or zonal offices.

Public confidence

The formation of a national body would take care of all the problems that have been identified earlier and more. For example, it would ensure that all guilds sanitise and organise themselves in such a way that practitioners are of the highest possible qualification. This would invariably enhance the quality of our films and engender public confidence. With this, it would be impossible for people who do not belong to the appropriate guilds to produce movies, as no one would collaborate with them.

Promoting cinema culture

A major reason for the level of piracy is the direct-to-home video format. Government should therefore ensure that the cinema culture is promoted by the three tiers of government by establishing cinemas in all the 774 local councils in the country. If producers have the opportunity to screen their films all over the country, before releasing on home video, piracy would be greatly reduced.

Film fund

It is also important that we have a review of the copyright law in line with modern realities. This will ensure that pirates receive punishments commensurate with their crime. Government also needs to institutionalize any funding plan that it may have for the industry. There should be a film fund where every legitimate filmmaker would be able to access loans, grants or other forms of financial aid the government makes available.

Befitting legacy 

I am not the only one thinking about the urgent need for us to have a national body for filmmakers but this has not worked because of the interest of people who exploit the poorly constituted guilds for their personal needs. Such individuals nurse the fear that they will lose out in a democratic environment and will continue to do everything to resist change.

Some people will also not support this initiative unless they are sure that they would emerge as leaders. They consider the leadership of any such association their birthright and would not support its establishment unless they are assured of the opportunity to lead. This is the time for everyone to put all their personal ambitions aside and let us all work together for an industry, which would be a befitting legacy for our children.

Broom and umbrella philosophy

I have no personal aspirations. I have only addressed this issue as a concerned practitioner who is convinced that we are only scratching the surface of the potentials that the filmmaking industry has in Nigeria. My hope is that we would work together to see that we attain the heights possible, take our rightful position in the comity of filmmakers globally and stop our beggarly disposition when we have every opportunity to glow like princes and princesses.

With the talents that God has endowed the industry and the inspiring population that Nigeria is blessed with, nothing will be able to hold us back from shaking the world if only we are able to harness our resources. At the moment, we need what I would describe as the broom and umbrella philosophy. We need the broom to sweep away all the issues militating against the industry and an umbrella to accommodate us all.

By TOSIN AJIRIRE