Bubacarr Sankanu speaks on Nigeria’s Home Video Sector

Prince Bubacarr Sankanu:

Be-Rich-Quick Mentality Ruining Nigeria’s Home Video Sector - B. Sankanu

How come you came up with this concept?

The idea of a serious name has been with me since 2004 when I first discovered the Nigerian home video industry. I subsequently visited Nigeria on several occasions to personally study the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Nigerian video film sector. My last visit was in March of this year. During the visits, I posed as an innocent research student in order to get an unbiased first hand information on the happenings in Idumota, Alaba International Market, Ibadan, Enugu, Kano, Jos, Abuja, Aba and other melting pots. As I am preparing to set up new operations in Nigeria by the end of this year 2008, I decided to float this re-branding project for the Nigerian motion pictures sector to, among others, officially introduce myself as the new kid (Johny just come) in town. Though I have been in the shadows since 2004.

Do you think the affected industries would want to make a change to the names you’ll eventually choose?

Who is the custodian of the names Kannywood, Nollywood or Nothingwood? Has any of the Nigerian stakeholders’ associations officially endorsed Nollywood as the ultimate industry brand? Looking at the phenomenal story of the Nigerian home video industry, I am very optimistic that stakeholders will embrace this re-branding initiative. Right now there is a lot of euphoria, but once things reach the point of diminishing returns, stakeholders would scout for lasting solutions. Now people are singing “Nollywood”, “Kannywood” and they care the least about the underlying challenges as they are smiling into the banks and zooming around town in flashy cars. But as the going gets gradually tough, they would realise that their old ways of celebrating the “nothingwood” glamour were not sustainable and they would look for serious brands and launchpads to see them through the hard times that would surely come, sooner or later.

As progressive thinkers we must understand that the showbiz and creative arts industry is dynamic. Those who resist progressive transformation would go extinct. The stakeholders have been talking about “sanitizing” the industry since some of the challenges they are facing caught them unprepared. The Nigerian Federal Government through parastatals like the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC) is doing a wonderful job in responding to the needs of the industry. The new distribution framework of Mr. Emeka Mba and his Censors Board team and, the various projects of the NFC are galvanising the sanitization process. My re-branding (names and logos) project falls within this context of sanitizing and taking the Nigerian home video industry to the next level. Once the hype subsides and once stakeholders start realising that “nollywood” means “nothingwood,” they would not feel good about associating themselves with nothing. But as I said, we live in a free world and those who feel they are happy with “nothing wood” are free to keep the name “nollywood.” Those who feel they need to move on to the next level with seriously unique brands are free to join us. There is room for everyone in a Nigeria of 140 million people and in an Africa of over 600 million consumers.

I will continue to cooperate with the passionate stakeholders who are not infected with the “be-rich-quick” disease. For this “be-rich-quick” mentality is ruining Nigeria’s home video sector and I would not like to be part of the quickie games. Someone produced a movie at 1.2 million Naira and wanted to sell it to me at 2 million Naira even though the quality was terrible. This is just one of the many ridiculous first hand lessons I have been learning about the home video system since 2004. During my research, I also learned that once some actors and actresses hit the headlines, they would automatically think of becoming producers or musicians “to make more money.” A director would like to become a producer and marketer “to make more money.” A marketer or executive producer would force a particular actor/actress on a project “because the face sells movies.” Artistic statement, qualitative message delivery and cinematographic aesthetics are subsequently thrown into the dustbin. This obsession with quick money and 100% return on investment is strangulating creativity. There is nothing wrong in people exploring their potentials but this short-term emphasis on “money, money, money” scares away potential partners with medium to long-term plans. I know money is important but we must not mortgage our creative souls to the gods of money. We need to create a working balance between financial satisfaction, socio-cultural responsibly, creative freedom and self-fulfillment.

Money is not everything in life. Many people who are jumping into the nollywood bandwagon with the aim of becoming millionaires overnight are burning their fingers. The home video sector, like any other industry, will continue to correct itself (through roller coaster trends, bubble bursting) and only stakeholders with passion and long-term strategies can survive the hard times. Besides, there are many other career opportunities behind the camera as the value chain of a standard movie project provides employment for up 235 different professionals. People need to look beyond the limelight.

The disappointing sojourns of some Nigerian actors/actresses into music and other creative segments should serve as lessons for those trying to enter the creative economy for quick money. A successful actor/actress is not necessarily a successful musician or designer and vice versa. Rappers 50 Cent and Eminem might appear on movies but that does make them the better Samuel L Jacksons or Denzel Washingtons. Will Smith might record songs but that does not make him the better Michael Jackson. Sean Combs (P. Diddy) might design cloths but that does make him the better Dolce & Gabbana. Beyoncé Knowles might appear on movies but that does not necessarily make her the better Halle Berry. Naomi Campbell might be a supermodel but that does not make her a super movie actress or pop star. Pop diva Madonna is a good music artiste but her sojourns into acting and film making have so far proven to be mediocre. There are many “superstar wannabes” in the Nigerian home video and creative industry who are insisting on running before mastering how to walk on two legs. It is natural for people to explore their multitasking potentials but they should honestly assess their capabilities before claiming to be multi-talents or superstars, otherwise they would end up eating grass. Show business is brutal. I will join the passionate Nigerian stakeholders in discovering and establishing natural skills without much tam-tam. People can always specialise and make good living without risking too much as jacks of all trades and masters of none.

How do you hope on achieving this?

Through dialogue and cooperation with all open-minded, progressive and sincere stakeholders. Now that I have privately visited and studied the Nigerian video film industry, I have gathered enough bargaining incentives to join the stakeholders on win-win ventures. I will always listen to stakeholders first before presenting them my ideas of mutual benefits. As a case in point of my all-inclusive agenda, Nigerian stakeholders will be commissioned as jurors to select the best names and logo entries. The selected names and logos will be protected by the Copyright Laws of Nigeria and Germany and would only be used by stakeholders who accept our Codes of Conducts. The Nigerian stakeholders will effectively choose the names and draw the Codes while I serve as referee. We will incorporate the “African Cinematographic and Performing Arts Council Ouagadougou (ACPACO)” in Nigeria to serve as custodian and administrator of the new names. ACPACO will check and punish all kinds of abuses as we would never compromise quality content and Nigerian creativity through the new names. We will also create an “Africana Academy of Creative Arts and Sciences (AACAS)” to among others, complement the activities of the Nigeria Film Institute (NFI) and the National Film and Television Institute of Ghana (NAFTI) in training the “be-rich-slow” passionate talents.

Who and who do you have in mind of drafting as members of the jury?

Right know we are short-listing the potential jurors. We will be sending invitation letters to all parastatals and trade unions with stakes in the Nigerian video film industry by the end of this year. Entities like the NFC, NFVCB, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Nation Assembly/Senate Committees on Information and Media, the NTA, AIT, Yotomi TV, the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP), Nigerian Actors’ Guilds, Directors’ Guilds, the marketers, the producers, the independent operators, the Yoruba, the Hausa, the Igbo practitioners associations, entertainment journalists, film critics, among others, will be invited to nominate representatives for the panels of judges.

When would it be constituted?

We plan to launch the first flagship top level name and logo during the 2009 Zuma Film Festival in Abuja. The jury will be constituted during the first quarter of 2009. We are giving the fans the chance to make their name and logo suggestions before we bring the practitioners together for the jury work.

Are you a Nigerian? If not, where are you from?

For now all I can say is that I am a black African from West Africa. I am not a Nigerian but I feel Nigerian by heart. I have been a fan of Nigeria since my school days. Professor Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe helped me discover the Nigerian in me through their literary masterpieces. During one of our school graduations, I was selected to perform the abridged stage adaptation of “Things Fall Apart.” I believe in the Pax Nigeriana for, the Africans Renaissance and socio-economic integration cannot take place without a strong relevant Nigeria. Despite the negative image of Nigeria and the contemporary challenges, I believe the sleeping giant of Africa will wake up one day just like India and China. The Africa-wide and Diaspora impacts of the Nigerian home video industry justify my “fanatic” support of, and believe in, Nigeria. If I die, I would like to be buried in Nigeria! One of my elder brothers made my “Nigerianization” easier by marrying a beautiful Yoruba lady and by relocating his business interests from Thailand to Nigeria!

What is your stake in this exercise?

I am an international producer and distributor of African and World Cinema. I would like to see the Nigerian video film earn the respect it deserves worldwide. Currently some people are saying Nigeria is the world’s third largest film industry after Hollywood and Bollywood. This claim constitutes blatant exaggeration and self-deception. Nigeria is a video producing nation and not yet a film producing one. The structures that makes a film industry are nascent in Nigeria; they need time and not hype to grow organically. If we are to talk about the third or fourth largest film industry in the world, we need to first look at the happenings in South Korea, South-East India, The Philippines, Hong Kong or Shanghai before reaching any conclusion. Nigeria deserves to be called the World’s Number One Home Video Nation since it has successfully exploited the advantages of digital video technology that lowered the entry barriers into film making. We need to be modest and realistic in our explanation of things.

The Nigerian home movie industry is the product of indigenous Nigerians I hold in the highest esteem known to mankind. I am preserving their legacy by building a global distribution system that will feature Nigerian videos prominently. For the Nigerian home video art is an African Living Heritage that deserves to be promoted and developed in our African terms. This naming exercise is about finding a solid common denominator with the passionate stakeholders. It is about consolidating the home video sector locally and internationally. These are parts of the cardinal components of my moral and material stakes in this New Africa Cinema coming out of Nigeria.

Do you have any support organization here in Nigeria?

I have some affiliates in Nigeria and I have also dispatched letters to some other organizations. They will be known to the public as we move on. I cannot name them now as I am yet to discuss with them how I should be quoting them during my interactions with the media.

Finally Sir, Why are you promoting what many now term as a division in the Nigerian home video industry by further asking for new names and logos for the Yoruba, Igbo English, Hausa et industry. Don’t you think/and/or believe that it would be much better to have a single name and logo that will describe all of them? I mean, like Hollywood represents the American Film industry and Bollywood (even though most Indians are now rejecting the name) represents the Indian Film Industry?

I am not promoting division. One cannot talk of a single homogeneous film industry in Nigeria, India or America. If we look deeper beyond the senseless “wood” titles, we will discover heterogeneous and diversified filming activities. I am therefore promoting unity in diversity. I am following the natural heritage of Nigeria. I am trying to help the world understand Nigeria as a united federation of vibrant Africa civilizations celebrated through the rich Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani, Igbo and other nations. We should not fall into the traps of the Afro-pessimists who see any advancement of the indigenous languages and native cultures as divisive, backward or ethnocentric. Nigeria has over 200 ethnic groups and I understand the concerns of some people. But the reality on the ground between Katsina and Calabar is that we have very lively Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani, Ijaw, Efik lifestyles, to name a few, that are positively interacting and shaping Nigeria. This contemporary reality should be shown on all arts products coming out of Nigeria, be they through film, radio, TV, literature, music, dance, fashion, romance, photography or painting. In this age of globalization, only the most vibrant cultures will survive and if we are to heal the psychological wounds of colonial African inferiority complex, we need to rediscover and modernise our Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Igbo and other indigenous ancestral archives first before talking about other related issues.

I am very much proud of the stakeholders who are already producing movies in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa/Fulani and other indigenous African languages. They are in effect teaching the world the characteristics of the ethnic groups and we should endorse their initiatives within the frameworks of civic education, national orientation and multicultural understanding. I am not just looking for serious names for the native movies, but also for a crossover brand that will promote synergy between the Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa/Fulani language segments. Whenever a Yoruba and Hausa film maker decide to co-produce a movie that will celebrate their ethnic commonalities, they can use the crossover brand to market their work efficiently. This constitutes the celebration of a United Nigeria. So on one hand, I am promoting the uniqueness of the Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa/Fulani civilizations and on the other, I am supporting the socio-cultural cohesion of the geopolitical entity called the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am complementing the activities of the Nigerian Government of the day in the areas of social harmony, cultural entrepreneurship and national orientation.

The name search project is also about creating recognisable global brands and building a quality assurance system for Nigerian audiovisual products.

By and large , I am not a fan of copycats and “bandwagonism.” If we look the African audiovisual media, we will just see exaggerated “copycatism” in the forms of the reality TV, telenovelas, the modelling jobs, the industrial beauty ideals and so on. People seem to have more respect for the imported foreign content/formats than their own creative wealth. The Nigerian home video industry has however proven to the whole world that Africans are capable of telling their own stories successfully in their own vocabulary and styles. Why do we then have to call the Nigerian home video industry “nothingwood” because of Hollywood and Bollywood? The Nigerians video films are largely accepted across Africa and in the Diaspora because they transport the African messages that are missing from the Hollywood and CNN/BBC products. It should therefore be natural for us to have globally recognisable serious names and logos for the Nigerian creative wonder without jumping into the Hollywood/Bollywood bandwagon. It is about the celebration of African creative excellence from Nigeria and not from America or India!

I am glad you mention Bollywood. The Indians are gradually rejecting the Bollywood name as it does not carry the Indian message. Similar to Nigeria with her Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa/Fulani movie segments, India too has vibrant local film axes in the Southern and Eastern regions of the subcontinent that are operating independent of the Bollywood machinery in Mumbai (Bombay). I just feel vindicated by the Indians’ belated gradual rejection of their Bollywood label. If we have serious names and logos for the Nigerian video industry now, we will save ourselves and the next generations the current troubles of the Indians. We do not have to wait until it suddenly discovered in 5, 10, 20 years to come, that “nothingwood/nollywood” does not seriously reflect the creative potentials of Nigeria and Africa. As the saying goes “what an elderly person sees sitting, a young man cannot see standing.” With this name and logo search project, we are trying to join the Nigerian stakeholders in mitigating some of the heart-breaking challenges awaiting us in the future. It is, in summary, a visionary move.

Bubacarr Sankanu is Chief Executive Producer of Afromedia Film & TV International Group Cologne, Germany

SOURCE: Text of a Q&A with The Source and Sankanu

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