Indeed, the Nigerian entertainment industry has exploded in recent times. The hyper activity on the scene has, no doubt, upstaged the days of yore when local TV and radio stations feed the public with foreign contents, especially from the United States.
You recall days when the craze for foreign songs, which most of us barely understood the lyrics or even make any sense out of them, were in vogue?
Those days when Indian and Chinese movies, even without subtitles, kept many on the edge of their seats? Days are gone when you went to night clubs and danced to American beats from dusk till dawn without complaining; the era when Shaba Ranks, Patra, Buster Rhymes, Chakademus & Pliers, 2Pac, Shagy and the likes ruled the country’s music industry.
Then, it was like a taboo to play a Nigerian song or video on air; Nigerian movies were ‘no, no.’ In fact, a radio station was even so audacious that time, as to decree that no Nigerian music, except Fela, would grace its air.
Today, things have changed; Nigerian songs are making waves all over the world, with the artistes winning international awards for their works. Nollywood, on the other hand, has become a phenomenon across the globe, to the extent that American superstars have seen reasons to collaborate with our people.
Today, comedy has become a major part of events, with hundreds of young Nigerians earning a living from just making people laugh. Unlike in the past, the youths are proud to introduce themselves in public as professional dancers today.
Don’t forget the cinematographers, sound engineers, producers, directors, make-up artistes, set designers and others on the fringes, making a living from the industry; that’s how far the entertainment industry has gone. But critically studied, the industry is yet to go full circle in terms of achieving its full potential.
Largely, lack of proper structure and funding has remained a stumbling block to the sector that has the capacity of impacting the economy positively.
