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NIGERIA THE BEAUTIFUL

With more than two hundred  and fifty culturally vibrant indigenous ethnic groups, and positive influences from around the world, Nigeria offers a very broad spectrum  in entertainment.  Music, dance, drama, sports, festivals, carnivals, regattas, beauty pageants, fashion shows, movies, circuses and even lifestyles, reflect the rich cultural mix and diversity of Nigeria as the world’s largest black nation. Nigeria personifies the dictum “ black is beautiful” and entertainment reflects this joie de vivre.

Music   rings  in the soul  of every Nigerian, and the genres include highlife, kalango, apala, juju, afrobeat, egwu ogene, gospel, jazz, hiphop , reggae, R & B and soul. Internationally acclaimed Nigerian stars like   Fela, Onyeka, King Sunny Ade, Oriental Brothers, Ebenezer Obey, Sade, Seal, Majek Fashek, Bobby Benson, Rex Jim Lawson, Dan Maraya Jos and Osita Osadebe, have blazed forth from the Nigerian firmament to light up the world with unforgettable songs.

The more contemporary and younger crop of musicians currently rocking the continent include Lagbaja, Tony Tetuila, Femi Kuti, Plantashon Boyz, Kush, Daddy Showkey and Tu Face. Even Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, was a singer and recorded an album in Nigeria.

Dance offers as much variety as the music and traditional delights include the Atilogwu, Nkpokiti  and Ohafia War dances in the east, Swange in Tivland in the middle belt, Ekemini in Akwa Ibom and Bata in  Yoruba land to the west.

Contemporary dance also has a large following in the cosmopolitan cities and state capitals. Naturally, discoes also exist for the youth and the young at heart.

Nollywood is a major land mark in and source of pride to Nigeria. Possibly the 3^rd largest single – country producer of movies in all genres, the Nigerian film industry is ranked after Hollywood in the USA and Bollywood in India. It coined its name in the tradition of the two leading film centres it intends to compete with. And the billion naira industry is so hot, it is inspiring collaboration across its borders.

Nollywood has produced darling stars like RMD, Genevieve  Nnaji, Liz Benson, Olu Jacobs, Ramsey Noah, Pete Edochie  and Regina Askia.

Nigeria is proud to have a vibrant and growing indigenous language movie industry. This is vital for the preservation of the rich cultural heritage that is a source of national strength and pride.

Films in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and other languages are increasingly subtitled to enable English language speakers to enjoy the experience.

Festival, carnivals, regattas, durbars and Benin parties are very prominent socio – culturally stimulating forms of entertainment in the nation.

The regattas are largely ceremonial boat events in the riverine and coastal areas. The Lagos boat regatta is a memorable event.

The durbars which reflect great skills in horsemanship, take place in the savannah regions of northern – Nigeria.

The Kwaghir traditional puppet festival in Benue state is another major source of entertainment.

Of international appeal and significance is the Argungu fishing and cultural festival in Kebbi State. This multi event, week long festival in the town of that name, also includes an exciting Motor Rally that features Mercedes Benz and BMW cars and jeeps.           

Masquerade festivals are very colourful. The masquerades are important as they portray the spirits of ancestors. In the east, Mmawu festivals are spectacular. The Eyo festival in Lagos is distinct for the white uniform of all its masquerades.

Masquerade festivals which are common among the Igbo, Efik, Igbirra, Nupe, Itshekiri and  Ijaw ethnic groups, are replicated in the cities to the delight of all.

Beauty Pageantry has grown in number and sheer spectacle in the last decade. Combining beauty, intelligence, music, fashion, dance and drama, they have been developed into major forms of entertainment and channels for individual empowerment.

Miss Nigeria, Miss Silver Bird International (affiliated to Miss World and Miss Universe pageants)  Miss Tourism, Common Wealth Queen, Campus Queen and several other pageants, entertain millions of television viewers in Nigeria and abroad, while extolling the beauty, integrity, intelligence and resilience of the Nigerian woman.

Fashion shows across the nation combine the pulsating music and vibrant colours of Nigerian textiles such as Adire, Aso Oke, Akwete, Ankara, Okene Cloth, Akwa Ocha, Ishan and Tsamiya, to produce aesthetically delightful and arty clothes and costumes. Exotic fabrics are used in combination as well.

Nigerian born international fashion designers like Jimi Delaja, Frank Osodi a.k.a Bruno Creazoni, who outfitted Miss World, Agbani Darego in her title winning clothes, Tiffany Amber, Rose Of Sharon, Mon Ami, Ade Bakare, Maufechi and Jimi King have dressed some of the most discerning citizens from all walks of life in countries on the major continents.

The Nigerian Fashion Show (NFS) is now an annual show eagerly awaited in European cities after the mega show has been staged in Lagos. For many, it is as significant as the London, Paris or Milan fashion shows.

Circuses are not yet formally organized, even though they have existed for a very long time. They are usually in the form of itinerant bands of people performing on the streets and in market squares with monkeys, hyenas and birds. You also have acrobats, fire eaters, jugglers and magicians making up the merry band.

Night clubs and hangouts, popularly called “joints”, are very popular and bring cities and towns to life in the evenings and at weekends.

They combine live and recorded music and variety shows with audio visual treats. Open air, outdoor spots are also very popular with foreign and Nigerian patrons. They offer culinary delights like pepper soup, nkwobi, asun, isiewu, suya and barbequed/ grilled chicken. Healthy appetites obviously thrive in a vibrant nation.

The delicacies are generously washed down with non - alcoholic and alcoholic beverages most of which are proudly made in Nigeria.

Entertainment also includes events like the annual Lagos Film Festival, the Lagos Dog Show, cake shows and weekly go – kart races on a mini track at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.

The Eko Library Week is a week long, socio-cultural info – management fair aimed at promoting reading and library development. Entertainment can facilitate learning.

Easter and Christmas carnivals are common. And so are funfairs and bazaars. The ubitiquous, road blocking “owambe”street parties with live bands and boisterous dancers in uniform aso ebi are distinctly Nigerian.

Nigeria’s cultural policy greatly facilitated the development of the rich, colourful, stimulating and vibrant forms of entertainment.

While most events are private sector driven by entrepreneurs, government has sponsored the National Festival of Arts, the National Film Festival and variations at state and local government level.

An increasingly important development in providing entertainment of global appeal and standards is the organization of concerts by multinationals and major local corporations. International artistes like Dionne Warwick, 50 Cent and Usher entertained large audiences in different parts of the country recently.

Some concerts have been variety shows featuring various musicians. Because of the immense popularity of some of the artistes, beaches, stadia and other large venues have been used.

Cinemas are also springing up in the revival of a culture that suffered when video films became popular and home entertainment proved more convenient. Cable television further diminished the appeal of the cinemas.

For children, there are amusement parks. Theme Parks are gradually developing too and Abuja, the federal capital, is trying to set the pace with its Millennium Park. The concept is to promote edu-tainment, an endearing blend of education and entertainment, essential for sustainable youth and national development.

Edutainment is widely practiced and has been picked up by the broadcasting organizations that seem to have adopted it as a guiding principle.

Animal racing and fighting has become popular too. Some people race chickens and others stage chicken or ram fights.

It is important to note that entertainment has often co-opted sports. Some matches and events are now more popular for the sheer spectacle than for any adrenalin pumping competition.

It is this category, sometimes referred to in delicious Nigerian parlance as sportertainment, that covers numerous novelty matches organized by companies, professional associations and schools and which provide great fun and comic relief.

Entertainment is so passionately indulged in, that the more staid sports like polo no longer maintain an exclusive stiff upper lip.

The Lagos Polo Tournament is often better remembered by thousands of fans, for the concert featuring an international R &B or rap artiste, as highlight of the week long festival. Only a few polo lovers actually watch the chukkas played.

The Kaduna and Jos polo tournaments have adopted similar strategies for drawing attention to the sport. Sportertainment is thus poised to be a major Nigerian export.