The 100,000 seater church

Two things I think Nigerians hate the most, reproof and accountability. We want to do want we want to do when and how we want to do it, never mind its legality/morality or lack of it.

Granted, no one really like criticisms nor negative comments, I don’t suppose if you said you hated my brown locs, I’d respond with a smile. But these things will be said and some of them will have some truths.

Over the weekend, the church with the highest seating capacity in the world, was opened in Abuja, Nigeria. Yes, Nigeria. Interestingly, only a few months ago, Nigeria was rated as the poverty capital of the world. Nigeria, host to the largest church in the world. Nigeria, also host to the poorest people in the world. There is a likelihood that some of these poor people might have contributed to this very elaborate building; The new wave Pentecostal pastors can take your last dime from you in the name of the father. ‘What’s that you’ve got in your hands, is it your phone, is it your watch, bring it to the Lord, the Lord needs it so that he can bless you,’ they would say. And the people, semi educated, hungry and desperate for a miracle will rush to the pulpit to drop their widow’s mite.

Religion, they say is the opium of the masses. No place is this saying truer than in Nigeria. The Nigerian has got it quite bad, the leaders he voted to serve him do no such thing instead they seek to destroy him and the pastors called to feed the flock feed from the flock. Everyone takes advantage of the vulnerability of the hapless Nigerian.

While I have no problems with the message of giving, I don’t suppose that when God asked us to give to the church, the money was to be used for private jets and tall buildings particularly in a nation where many cannot afford decent meals.

The 100k church has come under a lot of criticism but many have also risen to defend it. The critics say the money could have been put to better use; build hospitals or at least donate equipment, fund schools, build welfare centres etc but the defenders say this is not the work of the job but of the Government. So what then is the work of the church if it cannot positively affect society? Are Christians not called to be the light of the world? I believe there is a correlation between the decadence in the society today and the absence of truth in the church. Heck, our thieving leaders sit in front rows in church and receive blessings from the pastor, no thanks to a very healthy tithe envelope. Our sons are not left out; when you’ve conned some white man, why don’t you bring ten percent of your earnings, after all, the Lord loves a cheerful giver. And our daughters, let’s not even go there. 

We can no longer differentiate between sinners and saints, perhaps because there are no more saints. The lines have completely blurred.

Let us remember that a church that should be preaching restitution once refused to give back tithes paid by a thief. Who remembers that story?

Let us remember also that a church was holding seminars for MMM.

People don’t always mean harm when they criticize. We must be open to it; the message of the church today leaves a lot to be desired. ‘Let’s get all we can, can all we get and sit on the can.’ What happened to helping the poor, what happened to preaching about love and kindness and holiness. Messages that would make a corrupt politician rethink his ways and a kidnapper repent but instead the church has made sinners comfortable in their sin as long as they bring their tithes and offerings. The church needs to listen and fix the holes before they become too large.

I’ll leave you with a story. I recently found that one of my coolest friends is a Cross Bearer. I’ve known him for years but never knew his faith till it came up in a recent conversation. Immediately he told me, it all made sense. He’s one of the kindest, most decent, principled beings I know. He won’t take a pin from work if he didn’t have the right to. There are not many Pentecostals that I can say that of. Sadly. Because the church is too busy building structures, it's forgotten about building character.

It’s human nature to defend ‘our’ own, love can be blinding but think about it, are Pentecostals really representing Christianity in Nigeria? When I think about early Christianity in Nigeria, I remember missionaries, I remember hospitals, I remember schools. But what do we have today? A race to build the tallest building. We now rate our faith not by fruits of the holy spirit by the seating capacity of our churches.

Recently a colleague told me about a good experience he had at a hospital run by a church, highly subsidized. I knew before he mentioned it that it wasn’t a Pentecostal church, I was right.

I’m not sure what the purpose of this 100k seater  church is but I remember Jesus asking ‘What man is there of you, if the son asks him for a loaf of bread will hand him a stone?’

The defenders of the church say the people saying the money should have been used to build hospitals should themselves build the hospitals. Perhaps they would, if the church didn’t take their money from them. The Church and the State have taken so much from the people and given so little in return.

They say that success is measured by how much good you do for others, but hey, This is Nigeria. Here, we measure it by the size of our pockets and churches, the poor can go to hell. 

Where is Nigeria's money?

This idea that most of Nigeria’s wealthy didn’t have to work for their wealth bothers me. 

That most of them simply got lucky. Who are these people? I don’t know them or maybe I don’t see them because they are not my immediate reality so when people say that there are no examples for young Nigerians to learn from because you can’t teach luck, I don’t get it. Let me give you a few examples from an industry that I am very familiar with: The entertainment Industry.

Kene Mkparu:  CEO Filmhouse Cinemas.  Kene worked at a cinema house in the UK, rising through the ranks to become a manager before returning to Nigeria to work with Genesis Deluxe cinemas. Mparu eventually set up Filmhouse Cinemas in 2012, one of the fastest growing  cinema chains in Nigeria. If there was Daddy’s money somewhere in the picture, there is no record of it. What I see is hard work, tenacity and a lot of guts. 

Jason/Mary Njoku. I think that everyone knows Jason’s story. He started from practically nothing, now Iroko is one of the biggest African brands. Mary: CEO of ROK, their sister company is one of the most hardworking women I know, combining motherhood, producing and still successfully running what may soon be the biggest production/exhibition company in Africa.

Emem Isong: I don’t have to read up about this one. I can tell you categorically that Emem started from scratch. Made her first film, Breaking Point, with a loan of less than a 100k from her parents( Did you ever pay back that money sis?) and support from Tunde Kelani. That’s it. That is what has grown to be Royal Arts Academy, your number one production company and film academy in Nigeria.  I accompanied her many times to Idumota, waded through floods to sit for hours unending waiting for marketers, now look.

Linda Ikeji. This is another one that is a bit personal. I have followed her blog from almost the beginning. I even featured her blog in my thesis. She tried modelling, ‘magazinning’ none hit but she was going somewhere. Even though blogging didn’t pay up immediately, the lady continued. I find it very laughable when people dismiss her hardwork; is it not just blogging, I’ve heard many say. You too blog nah. Like there aren’t a million blogs out there. She’s done it through sheer hard work and persistence.

Funke Akindele popularly known as Jenifa. Jenifa started as a film, became one of the most successful TV series of our times and I’m sure it won’t end there.  Funke also runs SceneoneTV, an entertainment platform showcasing movies, series and lots more. Akindele started as an actress and worked herself to the top. I’m sure she can tell you the many hitches she faced but I’m also sure you’re not really interested. All you really want is for her to star you in her films.

These are the first names that came to me. There are so many others. Everywhere you look, there are several successful business owners, people who worked their way from the ground up but in true Nigerian style we choose instead to focus on the ones whose wealth is ill-gotten.  How does that help the budding entrepreneur? You may also dismiss these ones as not matching the wealth you’re referring to but can we start with these ones first, then we can progress to the Elumelu type ones?

I think it's unfair to dismiss most of the nation’s wealth as ill or easy gotten; a way of excusing our own failures. Nigeria is extremely hard to do business in, I’ve had three of my generators pack up in one day. If I didn’t believe in witchcraft before, that day I was converted. Three! But try, we must continue to and draw inspiration from the many who have achieved successes in spite of these challenges.

Perhaps it’s the article from Paddy that has got many triggered but Paddy is minority you know. Think instead about Ebeano, Tasty Fried Chicken, Lekki Homes, So fresh, the many Alaba Merchants, the Lagos Island traders many of whom you’d be shocked at the meagre amounts they started with. There are several self made billionaires in Nigeria, they just may not be writing articles.

For those Who Mourn

‘It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.’

                                                                                          Alfred Lord Tennyson.

For someone who has lost close family and a friend, the death of my friend Ansa hit me very hard. You think you get used to the hard blows life deals you, but each time it’s different and more painful.

Leaving Ansa at the mortuary was one of my most painful experiences in life. It seemed so unfair, so wrong that we were all going to walk away and leave her in the cold. I woke my hubby many times at night, asking him to take me back, so I could be with her and keep her company. He reminded me she wasn’t actually there. So I googled, (my friends know that google is actually my best friend) I wanted to know what was happening to her as she lay there.

It was the second time I was losing a close friend so I wondered if there was a row call, was I next on the list? Why were my friends dying? I wondered also if it was connected to me? Was there something about me that led them to their deaths? It sounds crazy but that’s what loss does to you. 

People, particular in this part of the world, like to dictate how you should live.  For the longest time, her picture was my screensaver and it bothered a lot of people, time has passed, they would say. Well, time hadn’t passed for me. Time stopped still when she died. It upset me that people moved on so fast. Upset me even more that they expected me to.  Leave me the hell alone! I wanted to scream so many times.

Recently my friend’s husband called me to say he was remarrying. Not Ansa. The other one. It broke me. He didn’t understand why, after all I was the one who’d encouraged him to. She died leaving a week old baby and a toddler. I often told him the babies needed a mother but he wasn’t ready. Four years after, he finally takes the step. I’m happy for him and for the kids but it reminded me that my friend’s chapter in this life is closed. Permanently. Death is so final. Too final. Particularly when you are not given a chance to say goodbye.  

But here’s the good News, the pain gets easier to bear. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Ansa but it’s no longer as painful as it used to be. I dwell more on the good times we shared. She was a very good person, Ansa. Very good person. And I carry her goodness along with me, always.  

Twitter has recently been thrown into mourning by the very untimely death of Chiedu Eze who was clearly loved by many.  Nigeria has also been mourning the many deaths in Benue State; men and women, young and old allegedly slain by Fulani Herdsmen. As Nigeria continues to kill her own, it is my prayer that God grants everyone the fortitude to bear the loss of their loved ones. 

Wisdom tooth removal

Happy New Year.

I want to say that this new year, I’d be blogging more but that would probably be a lie so we’ll simply see how it goes. No promises.

Two months ago, I had a wisdom tooth surgically removed. It was a long, painful and terrifying experience. A week after, I didn’t get better so to google I went. That’s a major reason I’m sharing this story, there was very little information out there particularly by Africans. I know you’re thinking why the source of information matter, after a tooth is a tooth. Well, it kinda brings it closer to home when your ‘brethren’ shares the experience.  Apparently, in rare cases, a nerve is damaged during the surgery causing some part of your mouth to be numb, in my own case, my lower left lip and teeth.  

The nerve is expected to regenerate in due course (could take months) but in some very rare cases it never does.

It’s been about two months since I had my extraction, I still do not have the feeling back. I saw an orthodontist three weeks ago, he did some tests, basically using a gauze to check for feeling around the area. He assured me my case isn’t permanent. I think I may actually be starting to feel stuff there but it’s still very pomoish (puffy)

It’s funny how a seemingly small issue such as toothache could cause you permanent damage.  Other than the discomfort, I’m not in pain. Sometimes it affects my speech, other times not.  There’s a shocking feeling on one or two of the affected teeth. That’s the worst part.

I have a dentist appointment this week and I’ll keep anyone who cares to know.

I have never liked phone calls, now I hate them even more. 

For young Nollywood producers

I find the beginnings of any write up very hard so forgive me if this doesn't start out very nice.

As many of you may know, Niyi Akinmolayan( he said I should always refer to him as hot and sexy, so you may add these adjectives before his name) and I made a film two years ago. FALLING.

It didn't hit in the cinemas. I remember when I got the first report, I wanted to cry. Actually the first shocker is usually when you see your schedule. You know immediately that the distributors don't believe in your film but you talk yourself out of distress; tell yourself there were after all very few screens when Ije made over 50m, remind yourself of all the positive thinking messages you listened to. Usually, you'd be wrong and your movie would fail. Falling did but fortunately only in cinemas. Our film went on to be a big hit everywhere else. It produced the best actress for that year and my aggregator admits that it is one of his best performing films. I'm sure all the people who worked on the project will agree that it's done a lot for their career. I know it has for me. So maybe I should say, with some arrogance, that the cinema audience did not understand us. (picture a tongue out emoticon here)

It hasn't stopped there. Last year I was commissioned by Africa Magic to make three movies for them. Our very first conversation on the subject was based on FALLING.

The point of my post is to encourage young filmmakers(I feel so old saying that) to stay true to themselves. A good movie will always find home. That home may just not be at the cinemas. There's been a lot of talk about the audience preferring comedies and so producers feel obliged to make movies of this genre. I don't know that this is true. Nollywood didn't happen today and the audience has always been varied. But I would agree that some films may be easier to sell than others. So if you're ready to throw a lot of weight into marketing, I'd say do you. The cinema is only one platform. There's the internet, cable and more. Sadly we seem to have lost the DVD market.

The time to make money is now, and the opportunities exist. Don't make a film that will fly above everyone's head simply because you want to prove a point. When you're 60, wearing unironed adire without a dime in your pensions fund, no one will care that once upon a time you were the ish. People only care about the present ish so make an effort to stay relevant.

Most of my movies have recorded commercial successes but this is never my primary intention. I try to make films that people will remember, that will outlive me. That said, I make an effort to include what I hope will be some commercial value because what's the point if no one watches your film?

I've been largely lucky in Nollywood perhaps because my sister came before me so she suffered

enough for two of us(hehehehe) but there's definitely a place for hard work and consistency. Keep at it, learn from your mistakes, tomorrow will definitely be better.  Lost in London, directed by Sunkanmi Adebayo, made more than the entire gross of Falling, in its opening weekend. We had learnt a few things. We still didn't meet our target but it was progress. It is our hope that our next film, GETTING OVER HIM, directed by Desmond Elliot (I'm an ashawo when it comes to directors) will beat LOST IN LONDON's record. I like to say that I am only in competition with myself. So don't be discouraged, keep trying.

The second point of this post is to tell you that our third film for Africa Magic; AMERICAN BOY will air on Africa Magic Urban 153 on November 3 by 10pm. Do not miss it. American Boy is directed by Sunkanmi Adebayo.

Banana Island Ghost

Last year, I watched a comedy that scarred me and so I took a break from Nigerian comedies in cinemas, but I was curious about Banana Island Ghost so I decided to make an exception. 

I am wary about big budget Nollywood films, it often feels like they want to bamboozle me with spectacle and ignore STORY. For a story teller, this hurts.  BIG is big on spectacle quite alright, but the good News is it’s also big on story and performance.  

I was rolling my eyes ten minutes into the film feeling like they were trying to force me to laugh and then the accident happened and everything changed.

Patrick Diabuah as the ghost is a brilliant choice, even more brilliant is the choice to pair him with Chioma Omeruah (Chigurl). An unlikely pair who prove that opposites attract. Their acting is effortless, they both become the characters they play and as their bond grows, our love for them grows.

BIG tells the story of a ghost who is scared to go to heaven because he doesn’t have a soul mate, so convinces God to give him three days to fall in love. In the three days, he meets Ijeoma who will do anything to keep the banks from reclaiming her father’s property in Banana Island.

BB Sasore’s hard work is very evident. The drone shots are beautiful and he makes many other aesthetic choices.  The special effects made us all applaud in the hall. They were all very decent.

There are some plot gaps, naturally. Like the boyfriend who appears from nowhere, we know he’s there just for laughs but the laughs work so we don’t really mind. Or Ijeoma’s performance at the charity event, I thought someone would sign her to justify the event but it’s clearly just for the showdown at the end of the show. Again, the scene was worth it so we didn’t mind.

I’m particularly pleased by the choice of an upcoming actor as the lead. It is often my argument with distributors. I get the desire for star studded but while we need to make money, we also need to build an industry.  It’s heart breaking how much of a struggle it is to cast a fifty year old ‘baby boy’. The choices are very limited for an industry that is said to be the second largest in the world. Imagine if RMD hadn’t come back to acting. If we don’t invest in actors now, the next generation will have the same problems we’re having.

I remember some cinemas turned down Falling because we didn’t have enough ‘stars’. One of them would go on to cast Etomi in their own film a couple of years later. (Catch your shade?)

We’re all in this industry together and we must build it together so that our children may find it easier than we did, the same way the people who came before us paved the way for us now.

So BIG ups to BIG for choosing Patrick and congratulations Patrick for proving yourself worthy.

Banana Island Ghost feels like it was made with the primary intention of entertaining its audience; it succeeded. We left the hall feeling good.

The film is produced by Biola Alabi Media and directed by BB Sasore.

PS. If you think some Nigerian Policemen can be ridiculous, wait till you meet the DPO (Saidi Balogun) and his men.

Olajumoke: Of long hair and long lashes.

I initially titled this post Olajumoke, The Bread Seller but I decided to tuck in my Nollywoodness.

I was going to go straight into what I thought about the remodelling of Olajumoke’s life then it occurred to me that some people may not know her. Last month I was talking to a friend about Bobriskky and he drew a blank. He’d never heard of the guy (He’s a guy, abi?). It’s easy to think we all know the same things but as our worlds all differ, so do our stories.

‘Olajumoke Orisaguna or Jumoke Sunday (born 1989) is a Nigerian model who received public attention when she appeared on the cover of a magazine before she was employed as a model. The story was reported in various media sources, including CNN.’ - Wikipedia

Sometime last year, Olajumoke photo bombed a music video shoot while hawking bread. Her life has not been the same since then.  I followed the story briefly then lost interest, it seemed the media also lost interest but lately Orisaguna is back in the News.

Her pictures have been popping up everywhere, in most of them she looks like a completely new person. In some of them, people alleged that she might be bleaching or toning(that’s the more acceptable term, I think. )

So it’s got me wondering, is this our definition of grass to grace? To wear fancy clothes, long hair and spot a brighter skin? Are these the standards by which we measure growth? Has Jumoke now arrived?

I can’t help but compare her to Malala Yousafzi. I know that seems like a bit of a stretch but that’s what I had expected or something close.  I think that part of the reason our society is failing our young ones is the absence of heroes, no one for them to look up to. I had thought that Jumoke would be nurtured so that she can nurture, so that many people with backgrounds similar to hers would dare to dream. But is this the dream? Fancy clothes and parties? Is this the new Nigerian dream? While I have nothing against fancy clothes and bags, I can’t but ask the question, is this it?

Are young people expected to look at her and aspire to be like her? And what exactly would being like her mean?

I understand that Jumoke is now a model so her appearance is important but surely she can be a lot more than that. No?

The Women On My Mind

Seeing as it is International Women’s day, I decided to mention a few Nigerian women I admire, a few out of very many.

Chimamanda Adichie. Author.  I could have sworn that I had a picture with Adichie so I could show off but haters won’t let me be great, I cannot find it. Yesterday, I was talking to a friend about a recent Adichie article and he said ‘that one should stop talking’ before I could even say what the article was about. This is not uncommon. I find that many Nigerians feel Adichie should speak less. I do not understand this. Why should she like everyone else not be entitled to her opinions whether they sit well with us or not.  While I do not always agree with her, it is the very thing I admire most about her, that she has her opinions and states them. I like that she’d strong willed and refuses to be bullied by a society that feels they have the right to decide for her, what her thoughts should be.

I believe that artists are given talents not simply so they can make money off it but so they can influence society and that Chimamanda has definitely done. Her Tedx talk; We should all be Feminists has reached far and wide converting many to the bright side. Like her, I want a world where we no longer need feminism because we would have achieved gender equality.

Emem Isong Misodi. Filmmaker.  I definitely have a picture with her. Emem has been a rebel from as

 far back as I can remember.  And it is that rebellious spirit that I believe has contributed to her immense growth. She made her first Film, Breaking Point, with almost nothing. She knew she wanted to make films, so she quit her banking job and did just that. Now many years later, she has several film credits and awards to her name. But what stands out for me is the number of people she’s raised, I myself being top of that list. Let me tell you a brief personal story, when I was a cabin crew, I’d just returned from a trip and they wanted me to make another unscheduled trip at almost midnight. I just couldn’t do it but my boss wouldn’t take no. When I called Emem, she told me to tell them to shove their jobs up where the sun don’t shine.  She promised to pay me what they were paying me till I found another job. She didn’t though, and I had to quickly find another job in order not to starve.  Actually she got me the next job.  Everyone needs a strong support system. My family provide mine.

Mrs M. M. Isong.  Educationist. Also happens to be my mother. My mum gave us everything but most importantly she gave us a free will.  There was discipline, too much if you ask me but on the things that really mattered, She allowed us to choose. For instance, at 14, I no longer wanted to go to their church, she didn’t force me.  They’d drop me at my new church even though she didn’t approve. We chose what we wanted to study, my brother was originally a science student , made his papers but decided he preferred the Arts so his GCE and SSCE results are very different. My mother was cool with this. I can’t really explain my mother, she was liberal and very strict at the same time but suffice to say that she is the greatest woman of all time. Most of what I am is because she raised me.

Mary Olushoga. Entrepreneur. I need to start keeping it short or no one’s going to read it. Mary is the

founder of awpnetwork.com, a platform powering small business success for African entrepreneurs. Mary is a source of strength  for young entrepreneurs, encouraging them and linking them with investors.  Olushoga recently nominated me for a documentary on West African Women making a difference in their society. The video should be available tomorrow.

Mealdred Okwo. Filmmaker. Fondly called Aunty M, Mealdred is our advocate in Nollywood.

Perhaps because she’s a lawyer or because she’s not afraid to be politically incorrect. She speaks up  for what she believes in.  I feel like no one can find my trouble because I’ve got Aunty M on my side.

Bola Aduwo.  Writer. Publicist.  Aduwo is an ultimate believer in people. She uses her blog to showcase and encourage new talent.  ‘You can’t keep hiding’ She used to tell me. And she’s made sure that I hide less and less.

 

Tara Durotoye.  Make up Artist.  I am an admirer of not just her work but her person. One would think that someone in the bridal/make up industry would be flamboyant but Tara has maintained her simple and warm outlook.  It’s surprising that Tara is only just turning 40. In a country that seems to work against you, her level of success is no mean feat.

Rita Dominic. Actor. Producer.  I watched her at the AMVCA
and it gladdened my heart. She’s been at the top of the game almost from inception and she is still at the top of the game. Did I tell you that we attended the same secondary school?

Mary Njoku.  Entrepreneur.  Mary is CEO of ROK studios.  Mrs. Njoku has contributed  to the

growth of the Nigerian film industry from her time as an actress, till she metamorphosed into a producer and eventually launched one of the biggest platforms showcasing Nollywood content, ROK TV available both on DSTV and on Sky. Mary is also one of my biggest clients.

Dotun Akande.  Founder: Patrick Speech and Languages Centre.  Patrick Speech and Languages Centre is the pioneer special needs school for children with Autism. Dotun set up the school after her son had been diagnosed with autism and has since then invested a lot in creating awareness on autism and offering support for autistic children and their families. Akande believes that autistic children can lead  normal lives with early detection and advocates for this.

Uche Jombo Rodriguez.  Actor, Producer.  Uche is a major source of inspiration, one of the most hard working people I know, Uche has through hard work and will power pulled herself to the top and has stayed there.  I cannot talk about Rodrigues without talking about how much of a giver she is ; of her time, money and self.

Ansa Kpokpogiri.  Filmmaker. Ansa was one of the best people I ever met. She started her Nollywood career from the bottom of the ladder and through sheer hard work and diligence rose to be one of the best.  She was bold, brave and beautiful. She gave so much of herself to her work, her family and her friends. Many times, I wanted to quit, Ansa urged me on and now even in death, I hear her voice telling me everything will be fine. 

Happy International Women's Day!

Who do Nigerians say that I am?

Do we really love God?

I’ve been thinking about this question lately. We say it, we acknowledge it, but do we really love Him?

I was going to write about materialism and how social media has given us a platform to feed this demon that seems to live in the average Nigerian but after last Night’s award, I decided to write about this so called God culture that we have which for some reason does not actually reflect in our society.

So last night, many of the award recipients thanked God for their awards. At first I thought it was cute then as it continued throughout the show, I started to get uncomfortable. I’m not denying the place of God  in our lives but some of those films were for causes, and no one deemed it fit to mention the cause?

It makes me wonder if we made these films to bring the plight of the affected people to fore, or if we saw it as a platform to bring US to the limelight.  We awwww and oooooo over  the speeches at the Oscars but when we’re given a similar platform, all we can do is thank God?

Like I said earlier, this is not in anyway to deny the place of God but come on guys, When Jesus asked Simon whether he loved him and he answered in the affirmative, what did he say to him? He said ‘FEED MY SHEEP’! He didn’t say announce it to the world, He said to feed his sheep! Because it is not by words that you know God’s children by but their actions.

I think we feel that proclaiming God in public shows how much we love God. No it doesn’t, if anything it sounds hypocritical. You know why? Because our surroundings do not show our love for God, our way of life does not show a love for God, our thieving leaders do not show a love for God.  

That’s why there are so many churches but our society remains in the dark, unaffected by this God culture that we claim to have.

Was it not this God who asked us to love him with all our hearts and souls, and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves?  Did he not also say that there is no commandment greater than these? Can we beat our hands on our chest and say that we obey these commandments?  If we can, why is Nigeria still where it is. Our leaders do not drop from Mars, they are part of us.

While it’s trendy to visit orphanages and blast the pictures all over the media, it would also be great to use the award platforms to bring to fore the plight of some of our not so privileged neighbours particularly if we say that we made a film because of them.  It is not enough to call God at every given opportunity; to show how much we love him, we must show how much we love our neighbours.

PS. God bless Rita Dominic. God bless AMVCA. God bless Nollywood. 

My top 5 actresses of 2016

I am writing this with a lot of excitement. I saw some great performances this year.

1. Ireti Doyle.  Her performance in The Arbitration totally wowed me. She took the film from one level to another. I'd actually never watched her before so this was a very beautiful experience for me.

2. Sola Sobowale.  You simply cannot buy experience. Sola embodies drama, her performance in The Wedding Party made me forget I was watching a movie. It felt like we were at a very exciting wedding. She was so natural and believable. 

3. Rita Dominic. Rita gave a brilliant and memorable performance in 76. I could absolutely feel her pain as a young soldier's wife and cried with her in some of the very emotional scenes. Rita, of course, never disappoints. 

4. Theresa Edem. A breath of fresh air. Theresa's performance in Ayamma stands her out from the crowd. She reminds me of Nse Ikpe Etim in a manner that I cannot explain, perhaps in her gait and class. 

5. Bimbo Ademoye. There are not many actresses that have comedic timing, Bimbo's is nearly perfect. But that's not where the story ends, Ademoye gave a good performance in the comedy series: Desperate Housegirls and an even better performance in the dark short film: Best served Cold. She is definitely one to look out for. 

                                                

Ansa, my answer.

I still think it’s a bad dream, only problem is I can’t seem to wake up from it.  It’s very hard for me to accept that Ansa is no more. We had so many plans for the future.

Only last Saturday, the sub lead in my script died, her friend spoke about her being a ray of sunshine and one of the best things that’s ever happened to her.  The next day my friend Ansa dies, she was a ray of sunshine and one of the best things in my life.  

No matter how hard I think about it, I can’t remember how and when I met Ansa, I know it was in the course of our work  but the details won’t come to me. Perhaps because it feels like I had always known her.  She was there with me from my very first film; Okon Lagos and this year we worked together for six weeks on the set of Losing Control while my sister was away on maternity leave. It’s the longest I’ve ever filmed and many times I wanted to quit. It was Ansa’s strength that kept me and many of the others going.

There are not enough attributes to describe my friend. She was the most efficient, most dedicated, most hard working person I know.  Ansa hardly stayed in camp except when we filmed out of town but she was almost always the first person to arrive on set. In my seven years of working with Ansa, she was never late for a day.  But what really drew me to her was her contentment.  A very rare trait these days, even amongst Christians.  Ansa was very content with what she had, happy, always had a smile and a kind word for everyone.

Ansa stood for justice, for fairness. She insisted on better wages for the crew, and ensured they were not taken advantage of. 

Everything is a reminder; I ‘m eating dodo and remember how much Ansa loved the meal. I’m drinking water and remember how we always shared a bottle of water on set.  These reminders bring tears but I know that with time, I’ll smile at the memories. I’ll smile because it was a rare privilege to have known someone like her.  The time was short, way too short but it was better to have had her with us even for the little time than not to have at all.

As a young Christian, one of my favourite Bible passages was Genesis 5:24 ;

“And Enoch walked with God, and he was not for God took him”

 I found it fascinating. It’s my only consolation about Ansa. For Ansa walked with God, and God took her.

As we begin the rites for your passing, we say thank you for being such a wonderful person. We know you’re in the bosom of the Lord. And we want you to know that you’ll forever live in our hearts.

Sleep well Ansa Bassey Kpokpogiri.

Shut up and Shoot.

The first question I ask Niyi is about family, how he is able to combine work and family. He’s thrown aback, he wasn’t expecting this; it’s not a question people ask men. I’ve been asked the question many times so I’m taking out my revenge on him.  But Niyi is gracious enough to answer. He tells me he and his wife are best friends, and that takes away 95% of the problems.  His wife keeps the family together and ensures he doesn’t break down. In return, he gives her a lot of loving. 

Akinmolayan initially wanted to be an inventor; to solve problems. He studied engineering but says the experience was a disaster.  ‘I didn’t learn anything then one day, I accidentally discovered that one could use computers to tell stories by putting images together’. That was the turning point for Niyi, he fell in love. It might not be invention but he figured he could still solve problems by making films that would inspire people.  

Nollywood is often seen as a platform for moral standing,  people expect films to have a clear message, hopefully some that will correct societal ills. Akinmolayan says he’s not here to preach to anyone. He doubts that films can correct any ills but says it can definitely create awareness, enable discussions and possibly influence culture.  ‘Some of our exaggerated mannerisms, we inherited from watching lots of Nollywood films over the years’ he explains.  ‘Films can create a sense of collective culture. Most people think once there’s crime in the United States of America, that the cops show up, they also think America will leave 99 sheep in search of the one lost one.  Almost all their films have the American flag swinging proudly. I personally think all Chinese people can fight’. For these reasons, he believes film can create an abstract representation of a people.

Akinmolayan’s films often break genre barriers; his movie can start out as drama, get comedic and end up dark.  Niyi explains that he doesn’t see genres; he just sees a means to tell a story. He is more interested in the essence of storytelling and advises young filmmakers ‘to inject the Nigerian essence into every story irrespective of genre.’  Being a bit of a trouble maker, he gets excited about scripts that have the potential to start discussions however controversial.  ‘If a film is about an answer that starts a new question, I’ll do it.’ Niyi adds.  This is why he directed The Arbitration and Falling, for the questions they raised.

This young filmmaker is particularly interested in training. He wants Nollywood to be a world player not a small circle where only a few people stand out.  ‘There’s no inspiration to be better if I know there’s little or no competition, but if I know I’m competing against 20 equally good  films, I have no choice but to rethink how I approach my work from the filming to the distribution.’  Niyi wants to share his knowledge and discovery with others in order to create something big. He wants an industry, not a bunch of popular filmmakers. ‘Imagine if Tim Berners –Lee had kept the internet to himself, many of us won’t even be able to make films as a some of us are self taught from YouTube videos’ he concludes.

Akinmolayan is also interested in Animation. His first film Kajola was quite popular albeit for the wrong reasons.  But this didn’t deter him, Niyi has heavily invested in an animated series, despite the lack of resources for animation in Nigeria but he’s determined to make it work, if only for the sake of Nigerian kids whom he says hardly have any Nigerian content to watch these days.  

The Arbitration is currently showing in cinemas and enjoying rave reviews. It is the director’s favourite out of all his works because it was the most challenging film for him. He needed to take a story very heavy on dialogue and turn it to something everyone would love and not be bored after the first twenty minutes.  And it worked.  ‘I’m very happy people love the film; it’s been a humbling experience’, he tells me.

Akinmolayan attributes his success to collaboration. ‘It’s the big difference between my first film and the ones I’m making now’. Niyi adds that he’s learnt to collaborate better with industry people, from writers to producers to distributors.  He advises people to open up and allow other people bring in their ideas into their work.  He believes this is what made his last three films successes.  

It is no surprise what Niyi’s advice to young filmmakers is; ‘ SHUT UP AND SHOOT’

The journey to prosperity.

I used to love writing. Now it's a struggle. Is this a sign that I will soon be a gbogbo bigz girlz? I hope so.

Have you people watched the Arbitration? A few weeks ago, I spoke about Nollywood taking over in cinemas as Nigerian music has in clubs and elsewhere. I mentioned The Arbitration as one of the films that will perform well, I wasn't wrong. It's enjoyed a sold out opening weekend. Hopefully I'm not wrong on all the others because the success of one Nollywood film, increases the chances of success for the next Nollywood film.

The cinema people, they do plenty shakara for us. Your film didn't have enough stars, it doesn't seem commercial enough etc. With little or no bargaining power, there's not much we can do. We're all in business to make money, filmmakers and producers alike. When Nollywood begins to outperform Hollywood in the cinemas, the conversation will automatically change. This won't happen by one film out a 100 films grossing 100 million but by several grossing at least 30 million. The bigger the pie, the bigger the slice we'll all get.  

This is something that I doubt many Nigerians understand. The more popular attitude is to desire to be the one and only. Everyone wants their film to be the number one grossing film. Nothing wrong with a little competition but the industry will grow bigger and faster if we competed as a group against Hollywood and Bollywood and not against one another. 

Niyi Akinmolayan is one of the people who understands this. He's just completed a workshop fully funded by him. His intention and ambition is to spread knowledge, to raise a new generation of filmmakers who'll make better films than him. 

Last year, we partnered on a workshop, The Afriville Empowerment Workshop, he bore most of the expenses. 

On Friday, I'll be interviewing him in an attempt to get into his head to understand what makes him different and what makes him tick. 

In the meantime, go watch The Arbitration, you'll like it. 

To Tithe Or Not To, This Is Not The Question.

And just like that, my blog has lost direction. I started out writing about film, then careers. Then I ventured into politics which I had specifically said I won’t. Now, guess what, I’m about to talk about tithing.

Tithing, like women doing dishes and Nigerian men cheating on their wives is a common topic on twitter.  Yesterday it reared its head again. Someone said instead of giving your ten percent in church, you should give it to children hawking on the streets.

Nigerians are very interesting.  We like to tell people what to do, with their time, money and even hearts. 

I personally do not give to children on the streets, if anything I’d like to follow them to their homes and sue their parents to court. I consider child labour inexcusable particularly when there are so many risked involved. So why you’d ask me to encourage it, I don’t know.

If a non believer says you should not tithe, I can understand it, I’d still wonder what’s their business and probably roll my eyes but when a Christian who goes to church, sits on a bench paid for by the tither, enjoys the electricity paid for the tither, then you decide no one should give money to the church, next time go with your own chair and probably sit outside.

It’d be nice if the church can run on water but it can’t.  Members of the church give to the church so it can run. If your church isn’t well run and your pastor uses the congregation’s money to tour the world in his jet, that’s your fault, and your pastor’s, no need to rope in the whole Kingdom of God. 

Members should hold their pastors responsible for their actions or inactions.

They are very many churches catering to the needs of the needy and destitute in the society.  I doubt there’s any church that doesn’t have a charity department where the poor, widows, the sick are taken care of. Many churches are involved in rehabilitation of drug addicts and area boys.  Some churches provide shelters for the abused.  These things cost money. There’s a limit to what we can individually do but as a group the church is able to achieve a lot more.

How about the things money cannot buy?  Do you know how many naming ceremonies, weddings and funerals that Pastors preside over? How’ll they be able to do this if they weren’t on a salary paid for by tithers and offering givers? A friend of mine had an accident in the States. She has few friends and no family there. It’s the church that provided the care and support till she healed.

Yes, the church should do more.  Christians should do more but to insinuate that all the church uses tithes and offerings for is private jets is to be ridiculous.