Between Nigerian Literature and Nollywood
By Ebereonwu
Published: September 1, 2006
Print   

Nigerian literature and the movie industry share a lot of things in common: Primarily dealing with the art of story telling, both enterprises have made significant in-roads on the eco-cultural climate of the nation. But, going by some observable indices, it appears the movie has taken over the economic space and in this piece, presented by a writer and movie producer to members of Association of Nigerian Authours (ANA), an attempt is made to offer some suggestions on the way forward for the two significant industries.

IN truth, Nigerian literature is a major force in Africa, with a Nobel prize in the kitty, it means that Nigerian literature has gained world recognition. But, the force of Nigerian literature pales significantly when compared to that of the Movie industry. Today, in Africa, Nigeria’s movie industry leads the way while others tag behind. In the global space, apart from being the fastest growing movie industry, the “emerging” industry is also the third biggest film culture in the world, which is no mean achievement, when we realize that the film industry is technologically driven. So, to clinch the bronze prize “the emerging movie industry” shoved other technologically advanced countries from across six continents out of the way.

 While Nigerian literature has created only two stars, the movie industry has created a multitude of stars who can be recognized in the remotest corners of the world. Put it to a popularity test, a sudden appearance of Aki and Pawpaw in a street in Ghana will draw more attention than a month advance notice of the appearance of five great Nigerian writers. It is not overstating the fact to say that whatever Nigerian literature celebrates now is a shadow of its past achievements. Today, while the Nollywood assumes the sky as starting point, Nigerian literature is in the emergency ward, very close to the mortuary, and not too far from the cemetery. So, to truly represent the relationship between the two industries, the apt title for the theme of the convention would have been: The Nigerian Movie Industry and the Fading Literary Industry. If we accept this new exchange of roles, we can now begin to ask: What can the movie industry do to uplift Nigerian literature?

 In any business, the major source of success is the rate of patronage. As such, how a merchandize attracts patronizers plays an important role to its success. Because the movie industry is a visual medium, it enjoys more popularity than the book. To read a book is not only an academic exercise but also stressful, while the movie lends itself to entertainment and relaxation.
 
Popularity of a medium

But the popularity of a medium is not really what determines the success of works.There are a lot of other factors that counts. More readily associated to these factors is the level of literacy. In the developed parts of the world like Britain, France and Germany, their book industries are more successful than their movie industries; essentially because of the high literacy level and, of course, a better economy. This development cannot be said to be true of Africa. That the movie industry seems to be doing better than the literary here may mean that the movie is done in a most and less complex communication medium that appeals it to the largely less literate majority coupled with the  fact an average man in the street can afford the economy of watching a movie that is of comparable standard. So, these factors make it apparent that the movie succeeds better than the movie. But, if my argument is faulty, as many may want to argue, the question becomes: What are Nollywood practitioners doing that their literary counterparts are not doing?

Page 1 of 2 | Next Page »