Na’ura: On a new flip in Kannywood

Within a short time it became a major industry in Kano, providing thousands of youths with jobs in a period that has been seeing the contraction of job opportunities in many other sectors of the economy. These jobs span from those directly involved in the making and production of films to those in the support […]

Within a short time it became a major industry in Kano, providing thousands of youths with jobs in a period that has been seeing the contraction of job opportunities in many other sectors of the economy. These jobs span from those directly involved in the making and production of films to those in the support services as well as those in the distribution and sales chains of the industry.

It is in this context that an entirely different genre of the Kannywood films has arrived on the scene. Released late last month by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Na’ura is an educational film that is meant to educate young people about the potentials of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in transforming lives and societies. The title, Na’ura is taken from the Hausa word that means a device or technology.

The aim of Na’ura is to provide an innovative way to raise awareness on use of computer, and information technology in general to the public, especially youth and children. The film featured three village children whose characters reflect intelligence rather than what the villagers feel about them (naughty children). Ikilima, Abdul and Aminu encounter Na’ura, a computer, which transforms into human form (a woman) and tells them fascinating stories about itself, and its uses for humanity.

Encountering Na’ura on their way back from school, their encounter took them to the fairy land of the computers where they field questions that naturally children will ask their toys: Do you eat? What sort of food you eat? Do you get sick? What medicine does the computer take when it is sick? All these no doubt are common questions that we adults also ask about the computer. In this encounter, we learn about computer virus and anti-virus, we are told about the internet and how it is transforming education and commerce, and we learn about the different digital storage media that have made organizing and retrieval of information in the information age so effortless.

The story basically takes us through the history of the computer, its different parts, functions, uses and the types of professional engagements that people could aspire for in the information technology sector. Created in an atmosphere that fosters learning, combining emotional appeal and funny effects, it is meant to target children between the ages 7 to 16, although it is useful to those beyond.

We also see a society coming to terms with managing change. At first the association of the kids with the computer-woman, Ansa (a play with the barrowed Hausa word for answer),  became a source of conflicts and tension between families as each tries to lay blames on the wards of other parents for the naughtiness of the children. We also see the typical disbelieve that people usually express on their first contact with the computer. However, as the story progresses and people become better informed about the computer, these conflicts become resolved and the computer becomes the centre of a new community unity to address their collective problems.

Directed by a team youth producers, and acted by youth, it accords well with the commitment that the youth indeed are the drivers of the future of the society. All the actors are young people below the age of 30. As a collection of amateur artists, it was a risky experiment but then it shows the kind of trust that the initiators of the film have on youth as agents of change.

It may score low in acting and voice quality, and in the use of the camera, but surely it has a story that will not only appeal to the audience but one that would surely improve the knowledge of youth in a very accessible way about ICTs in general and computer in particular.  Noting that awareness is a major step in the effective use of ICTs, the film will contribute in promoting greater awareness ICTs among children on ICTs. In the same token, its advocacy would surely reach governments and other stakeholders to ensure that our kids have the chance to place their fingers on the keyboard early in their educational career so that they do not become unduly disadvantaged in a world that not only valorizes ICT knowledge and skill but also one in which these skills are critical to making of everyone to live a meaningful and productive life.

This is one film that needs to be shown to every child in basic education class. It is hoped that the producers will inject English subtitles to make it accessible to wider audience beyond its Hausa locale.  In many ways, it gives a new flip to Kannywood, one that would surely unite the film industry and the government in the use of film to promote greater public understanding of the many issues that confront society today.

Ya’u, a newspaper columnist and Executive Director of Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), wrote in from Kano, where he is based