Culture 2022: Sustaining outgone year’s momentum

The achievements of the past year were noteworthy. Can players in the culture sector sustain the momentum in the New Year? This piece attempts an answer.

TO say 2021 was an eventful year for Nigeria’s creative sector would be an understatement. It was an exciting year with developments that further affirmed the resilience and ingenuity of players in the sector and their contributions to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product. While the figures for the year just ended are still being awaited, that of 2020 showed the creative industry made significant contributions.

Statista.com reports that motion picture and music recording accounted for roughly N730 billion of GDP in 2020 while arts, entertainment and recreation grossed N158 million. Publishing contributed N18.8 million. The forecast for 2021 is encouraging with President Muhammadu Buhari disclosing earlier in the month in Dubai that the entire creative sector is projected to contribute $10 billion.

Though the contributions might eventually not be up to this when the final figures are computed, it would surely trump the 2020 figures no thanks to the exciting developments across all areas of the sector.

Nigeria continued to pull its weight on the global music scene with Afrobeats gaining more popularity and acceptance while Nigerian artists enjoyed a resounding success. In March, Burna Boy who had previously been nominated twice, won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album for his 2020 album, ‘Twice as Tall’. Wizkid (Ayodeji Balogun) also jointly won Best Music Video for ‘Brown Skin Girl’ with Beyonce and her nine-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

There’s cause for optimism in the New Year as Wizkid, Femi and Made Kuti and Burna Boy have also been nominated for the 2022 Grammys.

Wizkid was nominated in the ‘Best Global Music Performance’ category for ‘Essence’, his collaborative song with Tems while the Kutis are in contention for the ‘Best Global Music Album’ category with ‘Legacy +’. ‘Do Yourself’ by Angelique Kidjo and Burna Boy is also seeking to clinch the ‘Best Global Music Performance’ category. But their exploits were by no means the least as others including Davido, Omah Lay, Adekunle Gold, Arya Starr, Ruger, Tems, Joeboy, Lojay and Mohbad attested to the abundant talent in the country delighting the world. Fireboy DML featuring Ed Sheeran on his popular single, ‘Peru’ also confirmed that the sky is Nigerian musicians’ launch pad.

Wizkid’s three-day sold-out show at London’s 02 Arena will live long in memories.

Despite her indiscretion, Tiwa Savage featuring Brandy on her ‘Somebody’s Son’ attest to her international recognition and clout. Old stager, KI showed he is still a class act with ‘Ade Ori Okin’, perhaps the first fuji song to receive wide acceptance in churches with choirs sometimes belting it out.

Global music streaming platform, Spotify, also extended its service across Africa including Nigeria in this past year.

Events in the motion picture industry were equally exciting. Data obtained from the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) for the first three quarters of the year indicated that 1,426 movies were produced during that period. Though quantity does not always translate to quantity, Nollywood continues to make important contributions to the economy, sustaining its value chain and helping Nigerians to bust stress. Though the jury is still out on its specific benefits, subscription service, Netflix, commissioned more Nigerian originals including ‘Swallow’ and ‘A Naija Christmas’ in the year.

Standout movies like ‘Eyimofe’, recently listed among the Best Films of 2021 by The Guardian UK, also added lustre to Nigeria’s movie industry. Mildred Okwo’s ‘La Femme Anjola’ starring Rita Dominic is another standout as was Tunde Kelani’s ‘Ayinla’ about apala exponent, Ayinla Omowura. Omowura, who died 41 years ago, was a famous musician who ruled the roost at Mushin, Lagos, his native Abeokuta and across the southwest. He was a fan favourite renowned for his acerbic wit.

Like other creatives, Nigerian writers also had a good year. More books were published while Diaspora Nigerian writers continued to shine. After years of toil and acrimony including court cases, the umbrella body of writers, the Association of Nigerian Authors finally opened the doors of its estate at the MammanVatsa Writers Village, Abuja. Fittingly, the estate hosted the 40th anniversary of ANA themed ‘Resilience and Nation Building: The Role of Nigeria Literature’.

After a COVID-19 enforced break in 2020, the prestigious Nigeria Prize for Literature returned this year. A professor of Law at Babcock University, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia took the 2021 diadem with her novel, ‘The Son of the House’.

Though the pandemic also tried its best to disrupt it, the 2021 edition of the Ake Arts and Book Festival happened, albeit virtually. The CORA-organised 23rd Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) themed ‘A Fork in the Road’ also took place from November 15 to 21 at Freedom Park, Lagos Island.

The Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) had held physically for 18 years until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Rather than risk the lives of book lovers through exposure to the virus, the Nigerian Book Fair Trust (NBFT), which organises the annual event, decided on a virtual event. This year, a hybrid event happened from July 27 to 29. It was themed ‘Awakening the Giant in Women for the Growth of the Book Ecosystem.’

The visual arts sector also remained vibrant with several exhibitions and top events including Art X Lagos, Life in My City Art Festival (LIMCAF) and October Rain returning after COVID enforced breaks.

But perhaps the most heart-warming development in the culture sector happened in July when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the return of looted artefacts from different Western countries including the UK, Germany and the US. “The University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has also agreed to return a disputed Benin artefact. We will soon commence the procedure for the repatriation of this highly-valued piece. We have also secured a date in October 2021 for the repatriation of antiquities from the Metropolitan Museum in New York. These antiquities consist of two important Benin Bronzes and an exquisite Ife Bronze head.”

The Minister added that the Government was also working to repatriate more artefacts apart from Benin bronzes. “We are also working on repatriating Ife Bronzes and Terracotta, NokTerracotta, Owo Terracotta, the arts of the Benue River Valley, the Igbo Ukwu, the arts of Bida, the arts of Igala, Jukun etc.,” he said.

‘Okukur’ was subsequently handed over by Jesus College, Cambridge University to Nigerian officials in October while the Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York took possession of three Benin and Ife artefacts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York. The largest haul of over 1000 Benin artefacts is expected in the country later this year.

Furthermore, preservation of heritage also got a boost with the documentation and conservation efforts for the Busanyin Shrine at the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove commencing in November courtesy of the United States Mission to Nigeria.

Still, on heritage preservation, renovation work continues at a good pace at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos (now referred to as Creative and Entertainment Centre-LC&EC) courtesy of the Bankers’ Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that is redeveloping it. Apart from the four creative industrial hubs being built around the edifice, it would also support young and talented IT developers developing software to increase and earn revenue for themselves and also to support the revenue base of the country.

A generally upbeat year for the arts after the cancellation of most events in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenge now will be consolidating on the achievements of 2021 to further grow the sector in the New Year.

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