By Chinelo Otiji
The entertainment industry has continued to witness a stable burst of growth and development across the world and has proven to be an outlet for creatives to develop, grow and create an exclusive path to success. The industry has continued to expand, particularly by way of the recent exponential growth witnessed in film, music, comedy, spoken word, dance and other genres, with social media playing a huge role in this expansion.
The rise of Instagram comedians, “skit” makers and Tik Tok stars has sparked optimism in the future of the industry by transforming creative but seemingly anonymous, ordinary people into global superstars. Beyond visibility, these platforms have created a stable source of income for these entertainers.
While these platforms have remained a means of income generation for the relatively few who have managed to gain public acceptance through the nature of their content, there is no set out method or guarantee that the success story would be the same for all individuals. While a few of these individuals have taken the wise step to invest and diversify their income streams, success is hardly sustainable for most entertainers. Aside the social pressure that comes with the territory, most entertainers get easily overwhelmed by the sudden success and tend to splurge on luxurious lifestyles which often lead to a depletion of their earnings. Yet, beyond these individual pitfalls, the entertainment industry is one replete with a plethora of opportunities and wealth.
According to Statista, the Nigerian entertainment industry accounted for 0.18% of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2021(1) . The actors, musical artists, writers and other individuals who together make up what has become a thriving ecosystem in Nigeria recorded remarkable success across various international platforms. Some very notable examples include the movie “Omo Ghetto the Saga” which grossed over six hundred and thirty million naira and was the highest rated Nigerian movie on the Netflix streaming platform in 2021(2). Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, professionally known as Wizkid, a popular Nigerian artiste, also recorded immense success with his concert at the London O2 Arena in November 2021, with gross earnings of about five billion naira(3). Overall, these, amongst others, are incredible achievements on an individual level and have continued to serve as inspiration for young and upcoming artistes who are determined to put Nigeria on the global entertainment map.
At a state level, Imo state has not been left out in producing some of these outstanding artistes. Some well-known entertainers of Imo extraction include Genevieve Nnaji, an award winning actress, producer and director; Naetochukwu Chikwe professionally known as Naeto C, a well-known rapper, afrobeat artiste and music director; Chidinma Ekile, a singer, songwriter, recording artist and stage performer; Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule, professionally known as Okey Bakassi, a stand-up comedian and actor, among others. Undoubtedly, Imo state has shown that it has the resources and a strong talent base needed to build something extraordinary and play a leading role in Nigeria’s fast-growing entertainment sector.
However, while these creatives have continued to bootstrap and chart a course for themselves through free style content creation and use of the resources readily available, the private sector, with the support of the Imo state government, could actively help to promote and develop the sector. This could be achieved by co-creating financially backed opportunities and platforms that support in discovering and nurturing talents. This can be achieved through:
• Provision of education and training resources
• Funding
• Active talent hunt programs
• Mentoring and ‘Pay-It-Forward’ programs
Education and training resources: The entertainment business is not limited to celebrities who pop up on our screens as actors and musicians alone. While this sort of players are more recognized and notable in the society, a good amount of work also happens behind the screens. Content/script writers, screen producers, editors, etc are very vital in the grand scheme of things and the overall success of any production. Adequate training could be provided for individuals talented or interested in these areas to equip them with the requisite capabilities to make a mark in the sector. Training opportunities could also be extended to the artistes and actors to enable them hone their skill set and stand a good chance to compete against internationally trained and experienced professionals within the industry.
Funding: The cost of production is relatively high in the Nigerian entertainment industry. The average cost of production of a top-tier movie in Nigeria ranges from about thirty million to fifty million naira(4). These are capital intensive investments which tend to pose as stumbling blocks for most creatives. Although, alternative solutions have come to exist such as the use of high-end mobile cameras and editing apps in shooting movies and music videos. A case in point is Unsane, a 2018 medical thriller shot with an iPhone. But this is an exception rather than the rule. Funding opportunities by the private sector will provide an opportunity to scale the quality of production as well as ease marketing and advertisement required to reach larger markets. An excellent example is RedTV, an entertainment content platform powered by a major financial institution in Nigeria. Following its colorful launch in 2015, the platform has gone ahead to record great success, not only in terms of output, but also in its remarkable contribution to developing Nigerian talents. Another well-known digital channel also backed by a financial institution in Ndani Tv. Ndani could be argued to be wide-ranging and contributes to the development of creatives across a broad spectrum of the entertainment industry such as movies, music, writing, among others. From the foregoing, support from financial institutions has most definitely improved on the entertainment scene and could be a game-changer in growing local talent in Imo state and ultimately open new vistas of opportunities for the entertainment sector in the state.
Active talent hunt programs: In 2021, the Lagos State Government launched its Community Talent Hunt and IT-Enabled (Digital) Entrepreneurship Skills Training as part of its Youth Engagement agenda. The program is set to empower about 1140 youths across the 57 Local governments and Local Council Development Areas in the state(5). The Imo state Government could also take a cue from these initiatives and take deliberate steps to design holistic programs that foster the emergence and development of a creative community. While most talent hunt programs run primarily in search of musical talents, this only scratches the surface on the talent pool which may possibly be uncovered. This could also serve as a way to boost morale for talented indigenes within the state and perhaps even in neighboring eastern states and re-instill trust in the administration from its citizens and help the region attain the lofty heights and greatness which it has always been known for. Similarly, indigenous companies in Imo state are not left out in the discussion. A great army of talent emerged from talent hunt programs such as “The Voice Nigeria” and “MTN Project Fame” – two major initiatives which owe their success to sponsorship by big brands in the telecommunications and financial sector. The likes of Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk, professionally known a Iyanya, who won the first season of the MTN Project Fame; Timi Dakolo who won the West African Idols in 2007 as well as Chidinma Ekile, an indigene of Imo state who rose to stardom following her 2010 MTN project Fame win, are a clear proof that investment in talent programs could inspire new talents to find their voices and shape the future of an industry. The indigenous companies in Imo state are able and can pull the required resources to create such programs and project the stars in our local communities to stardom. However, these talent hunt programs should not be limited to music, which is mostly the popular consideration for such initiatives. Residency programs could be organized for writers, designers and other creatives to ensure the entertainment industry within the state sees growth in a wholesome and collective manner.
Mentoring and ‘Pay-It-Forward’ Programs: Mentoring has become popular in recent times with the upcoming generation looking to the experienced professions for guidance and insights to succeed in their area of expertise. This usually take place either at a corporate or individual level. The entertainment sector thrives on the strength of this intangible. Recently, Aristokrat group, associated with internationally successful acts such as Burna Boy, Seyi Shay and DJ Obi, partnered with the music streaming platform Boomplay to organize a mentorship workshop for producers, artistes and music business practitioners. The workshop’s primary initiative is to support Nigerian artistes and help them understand how the industry functions and how income can be earned from it. This is an excellent development and could indeed be emulated by other big players in the industry, particularly at the local level, to help support and motivate these creatives. Bringing it even closer to home, Veteran actor Kanayo O. Kanayo, an indigene of Imo state, in 2016 launched the Kanayo O. Kanayo Mentoring Academy whose aim is supporting the younger generation to making the best of their careers in the industry. This is a notable initiative which should again be brought closer to home. Imo state does have a large pool of experienced professionals and a mentorship program of this nature would be a walk in the park to be put together with the right objectives and individuals to steer it.
Overall, Imo state has proven to be home to an immense pool of entertainment talent with some of the most notable and prominent players in the industry emerging from the state in the past.
The Government now has the opportunity to help the new generation in not only achieving their potential but also supporting them to scale the impact, alleviate the challenge of unemployment and broaden the frontiers of opportunities for the people of the state.
1. Department, Statista Research. Contribution of the arts, entertainment and recreation sector to GDP in Nigeria from the 3rd quarter of 2019 to the 3rd quarter of 2021. Statista. [Online] February 2022. [Cited: May 2, 2022.] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1186955/arts-entertainment-and-recreation-sector-contribution-to-gdp-in-nigeria/.
2. Udugba, Anthony. Ten most rated Nigerian movies on Netflix in 2021. Businessday. [Online] December 28, 2021. [Cited: May 02, 2022.] https://businessday.ng/life-arts/article/ten-most-rated-nigerian-movies-on-netflix-in-2021/. 2.
3. —. Wizkid rakes in over N5.2bn from O2 Arena concert. Businessday. [Online] November 30, 2021. [Cited: May 02, 2022.] https://businessday.ng/news/article/wizkid-rakes-in-over-n5-2bn-from-o2-arena-concert/.
4. Aigbokhaevbolo, Kelvin. How Much Does It Cost To Make A Nollywood Hit? PiggyVest Blog. [Online] PiggyVest, November 25, 2021. [Cited: May 02, 2022.] https://blog.piggyvest.com/money/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-a-nollywood-hit/. 4.
5. oolasunkanmi2. LASG BEGINS TALENT HUNT, DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS TRAININ. Lagos State Government Official Website. [Online] November 30, 2021. [Cited: May 02, 2022.] https://lagosstate.gov.ng/blog/2021/11/30/lasg-begins-talent-hunt-digital-entrepreneurship-skills-training/. 5.