Alert Africa Leads Discussions on Entertainers as Agents of Social Change

Entertainment

Stories by Vanessa Obioha

Recently Iboro Otu, a former governorship candidate and the Chairperson of Alert Africa — a non-governmental organisation that is committed to providing opportunities and developing leadership and entrepreneurial capacities for young Africans — gathered entertainers in Nigeria and the diaspora for a virtual conference. But the discussion wasn’t about promoting the entertainment industry, rather, the conference tagged ‘Nigerian Voices: State of The Nation,’ focused on using entertainment for leadership and electoral advocacy. The over one-hour session had musicians, filmmakers, artists and other creative industry experts in attendance.

Anchored by former Special Adviser to the British Prime Minister, Nero Ughwujabo, the fireside chat plumbed challenges confronting the nation, strategies and measurable actions that will make Nigeria a more inclusive and prosperous society.
In his opening remarks, Otu who is also an IT entrepreneur and farmer underscored the powerful influence of the Nigerian entertainment industry as one of the biggest exports of the country.

“We all know that when it comes to global influence and position management, Nigerian entertainment products and services are by far our biggest export. Almost everyone in the world has listened to or heard about Nigerian artists. Such is the power of entertainment globally. We also believe that we can use it to turn around the fortunes of this country.”
Divided into three segments: collective socio-economic transformation, political inclusion and the recent anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, participants presented divergent views but zeroed in on Nigerian youths.

For some, like musician Sunny Neji who believed that the inability of the action to work together is impeding its progress, restoring young Nigerians’ faith in the country is the most critical challenge. Lawyer and creative industry expert Audi Maikori echoed similar thoughts, arguing that the outcome of the #EndSARS protest discouraged many youths.

A Nollywood administrator Madu Chikwendu didn’t mince words when he argued that entertainers are not using their influence to drive change. According to Chikwendu, most entertainers spend time thinking of what their fans would like instead of setting the agenda for the fans to follow. He queried why can’t they use their posts to encourage young people to vote as they belong to the category of people whose decisions are key in the electoral process. He urged entertainers to mobilise youths via their various social media pages to get their voters cards and participate in the 2023 elections.

But for rapper and businessman Ruggedman, both the youths and the entertainers have a problem, which stems from poverty.
Israel Edjeren, a broadcaster based in the UK however dismissed the notion that Nigerian politics have never favoured youths. He cited past heroes and presidents who achieved feats during their youth.

For the female participants, convener of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Chioma Ude and entertainment journalist based in the UK, Gracie Mae, educating the youths through stories will help change their perception.
Other speakers include filmmaker Lancelot Imaseun, musician Paul Play Dairo and cartoonist Mike Asuquo.