One thing that people always think that is haggling the progress of Nigeria and Nigerians is their disintegration.
The wise people say that one broom sweeps nothing and that is what makes Nigeria a toothless bulldog as the giant of Africa in failing to be able to contained its problems. A proverb says together we achieve success but divided we fall and when two elephants fight the grass suffers most.
Developed countries in the world that we always follow their footsteps to progress did not developed through selfishness and egocentrism, those people that we look as role models are perseverance and patience people towards realizing their set goals. While, Nigerians picture is different from our role models. We are eager for quick money and seldom make sacrifices of patience for our growth.
America, India and other notable countries each have one premier film industries despite their differences in religions and ethnicities, they remained united to champion the courses of their businesses and make sure all members are carried along and benefits respectively according to the rules and ethics of founding the films industries. While, in Nigeria the story is sour as Nigerians are divisive in nature and hardly endure to stand the pain of unity in diversity. It is believed that nothing comes easy but time is the best healer of all problems.
A good example of Nigerians divisiveness is the creation of different film industries to represent each regions and or states of a united Nigeria. This is an informal setting that only expose our characters and behaviours to the other parts of the world as united country. This kind of act of ours is manifested in all our life affairs such as in politics, associations and in leadership. We are preference to only things that favour us when it come to things that we think matters to us. We boycott things that will not sprinkle some money on us or will not pave chances for us. Many of our divided forums are created for materialism and recognition. In politics, Nigerians are very divisive just for interest of gains and this kind of sumptuous interest is the reason that always dwarf the progress of our democracy. We rather let things to deteriorate just to satisfy our common urge and neglect the needs of the general public.
Nigeria film industry can progress and achieved more prowess when it unified all its members to one entity. Government will have given them more consideration in terms of their welfarism, assistance and the freedom of their work. The international communities will have given them aid so much than how it use to be if the film industries are tied up together. The blending of the industries to one unifying factor will assist the other film makers to be familiar with their far away counterparts and the bilateral relations will enhance better understanding of the rudiments of film making and social development. Now all the film industries that we have in Nigeria are seeking their objectives differently which slowed the pace of their progresses and demands.
The separation of Nigerian film industries brings about underdevelopment of other film industries where a connected industry get the lion share of every dividends that come to pass and it is for this reason why some of the members of the different industries are blamed for boycotting funds meant for the improvement of films in Nigerian. The rampant industries only open ways for corruption and self enrichment among the perceived caucus of the divergent film industries.
The film industries had taken another U-turn of politics where the members and the executives play politics for self enrichment and chances. Examples of this has been manifesting since when Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999 without order and laws guiding the principles of rules of engagements of film makers. Many had turned themselves to be beggars even in their films that supposed to be life setters for leaders and the masses.
The government can play crucial role in tightening the fragmented industries to one entity to restore sanity in the affairs of Nigerian film industries as the divisions bring about lawlessness, violation of laws and ethics of film acts according to culture and the constitution of Nigeria.
Film characters are still employed into acting without using the proper gauge of absorbing film characters which a lot of parents and clerics are crying out, because of improper management, many amateur barge into film production without membership and knowledge of the occupation and this happen because the focus of most of the film industries is money not the good pillars of film production that created them.
The government of Nigeria should look at it’s responsibilities of preserving thecccvc culture of the people and their progress and to unify our fragmented film industries for the purpose of unity and rectifying the anomalies in the film industries while it will be good for the film makers to look at it as mandatory that to go together is better to go alone.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim, Kaduna
[email protected]