I do not think we should be funding Nollywood, music, says Bimbo Manuel

RECENTLY, news broke that the Federal Government, in collaboration with ProvidusBank, disbursed N1.5 billion to some stakeholders in the film industry, also known as Nollywood. It would be the second disbursement in less than a year out of N5 billion earmarked for such disbursements. Some individuals in the creative sector expressed varying responses to the unending romance between government and Nollywood, published on July 23, 2024 in TheArtHubNg (wwwwthearthubng.com) under the banner headline: ‘Nollywood’s bridal status: How lack government’s poor knowledge of the creative industry fuels neglect of other sectors’. The feature tickled the interest of veteran stage and screen actor who responded with his posers below:

“It was definitely a most interesting read, this raging conversation about the disbursement of funds to the Creative Industry aka Nollywood (pun intentional).

“I agree entirely with Makinde Adeniran. Most of the others who were interviewed in the article I read argued for why Nollywood is entitled to whatever it gets from government while others either moan-fully complained or bemoaned their fate as practitioners in other areas outside of Nollywood.

Entitlement

“And this is where, as Makinde, I have an issue with all this government money and favours.

“If we take a step back and look at our own practice as only a small part of the larger economy and society, we may not feel as entitled as we do now because the arts, generally, are a minute bolt in the huge machine that is society. It is very dependent. It is very susceptible to almost every event in the economy and politics of the nation.

“Most arts get their sustainability via patronage, actual purchase of whatever description – gate fee, viewing fee, streaming and purchases, etc.

“In priority economy, arts is actually one of the very first to be sacrificed by society in hard times, far lower on the rung than education, health, clothing, food, rent, power, etc.

“Not many will go to ICM or Palms to eat ice cream naked. Priority spending.

“If government is therefore approaching the arts community from the full understanding of its role balanced against other NEEDS of society, it would possibly consider intentional and higher funding/freebies to the sectors that indeed financially empower the patrons of the arts to the extent that they do have the necessary disposable cash that can then be spent on the arts which is not on the priority list of anyone after a cost opportunity analysis of income.

Bimbo Manuel

Empowering the people empowers the arts

“The money almost everyone in the larger arts community is hopeful to get – and therefore becomes reason for their jealous anger – is a misplaced help idea, and will only breed a gang of thieves, embezzlers and fat cats who add next to nothing to the vertical growth of the sector.

“Policy. Create them – for instance, corporate organizations must set apart a given and verifiable percentage of their profit, dedicated to the arts, medicine, tech research, etc – managed and enforced by an independent body!

“Be more assertive when taking another look at the laws that protect the arts, update them for more power and enforce them, fairly and in protection of the creative against criminals, etc.

“Honestly, I do not think we should be funding Nollywood and music apart from those types of works similar to the ones that France funds across West Africa.

“If it is a commercial project, the combination of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), etc, working with the minister in charge of the creative economy may help create policies that make it easier for creatives to access funds via loans and other instruments. And they will be treated like any other entrepreneur.

“This is my honest take about the whole thing.

“Ire o!”

* Manuel is a veteral stage and screen actor and culture producer