Sunday Trust arts Personalities of 2014

Lola Shoneyin A couple of years ago, Lola Shoneyin started the Book Buzz Foundation whose flagship programme is the Ake Arts and Book Festival. The logo of Book Buzz features a bee and when one sees Lola Shoneyin in action, the logo makes sense.Already a poet of repute, Lola took the writing world by storm […]

Lola Shoneyin

A couple of years ago, Lola Shoneyin started the Book Buzz Foundation whose flagship programme is the Ake Arts and Book Festival. The logo of Book Buzz features a bee and when one sees Lola Shoneyin in action, the logo makes sense.
Already a poet of repute, Lola took the writing world by storm with her debut novel The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (Cassava Republic and Serpent’s Tail 2010) which was longlisted for the Orange Prize a year later.
But in the last two years, Lola has been busy organising the novel Ake Arts and Book Festival, which in a short time has become the go-to lit event on the continent and seems poised to climb even higher and become a global event.
It takes someone with Lola’s verve and commitment to drag the world to the quaint city of Abeokuta and serve intellectual nourishment and truckloads of incandescent memories to last them an entire year and make them describe their lives in terms of before and after Ake.
This year, the festival was beleaguered with challenges. The Ebola outbreak threatened a lot of the top international literary figures billed to attend. Lola was worried but calm and she kept open a channel of communication that updated invited guests on the Ebola situation as regards Nigeria and the festival. Fortunately by the time the festival got on the way, Ebola was a greying memory for Nigeria.
But even more commendable is Lola’s drive that brought numerous businesses and companies to support the festival. Nigerian based companies and many from afar, as well as donor agencies and foundations bought into the Ake project and put their money into it, not to mention the government of Ogun State. They must have been pleased with the results.
Unlike the 2013 festival, where all guests were camped in the same hotel, this year, Lola had to put guests in several Abeokuta hotels and it is a credit to her organisational skills that this did not turn out to be a disaster as guests where conveyed between hotels and the festival venue without any hitches.
The Festival was by no means perfect, but it is one that gave a lot, bringing personalities like Soyinka and Obasanjo to talk about politics and literature. The panels, most of them were careful thought out and the topics were spot on. (Admittedly the panel on publishing could have been better). And the incorporation of film screenings and photo exhibition was brilliantly handled.
It is not uncommon to see Lola at the festival running around to ensure a smooth flow of events. The strain of organising the event cost her her voice, albeit for a few days, but fortunately Lola did not lose her writing mojo.
A personal accomplishment in 2014 is her being featured in the Africa39 list of the most promising Sub-Saharan African writers under 40, who, according to the Hay Festival, will shape the future of literature on the continent. She crowned this laurel with a wonderful excerpt from her forthcoming novel, Harlot, published in the Africa39 Anthology. Lola certainly is shaping the future of literature on the continent.
In a year that Nigeria dominated the news for all the wrong reasons, Lola put the country in the news for the right ones and has given many people a very good reason to long to come to Nigeria.

Eghosa Imasuen

Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
Eghosa Imasuen is a medical doctor. But he owes his fame, and his livelihood to writing and publishing. He first came to limelight with his debut novel To Saint Patrick and cemented his place with his novel Fine Boys, (among friends, he is called Fine Boy).
His love for writing now sees him overseeing the affairs of Kachifo, the publishing house that owns Farafina and publishes the famed Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Egbosa is the Chief Operating Officer.
Being a writer and being passionate about writing, Eghosa has taken his post at Kachifo with some serious zeal and already his effort to reposition the publishing house is showing great promise.
In 2013, Farafina published only one book, Adichie’s Americanah. There were other titles published under Kachifo’s Prestige imprint, which offers “literary services” for all comers with money.
 In 2014, Eghosa breathed life into three imprints designed to publish books for a varying range of audiences. Kamsi is open to creative non-fiction and poetry, Tuuti will be publishing children’s literature and Breeze will take on genre fiction. Already these imprints have started churning out works.
Eghosa’s drive seems geared at giving less established writers a chance of getting published in Nigeria and beyond, as it is evident they are not limiting their scope to Nigerian authors.
No publishing house in Nigeria has been as busy as Kachifo under Eghosa’s stewardship in 2014. Under its various imprints, Kachifo has published about 16 books, six were traditionally acquired, (Yejide Kilanko’s Daughters Who Walk this Path, Chude Jideonwu’s Are We the Turning Point Generation, Elizabeth Adeolu’s Chasing Facades, Adewale Maja Pearce’s The House My Father Built and Zimbabwean writer Ellen Banda-Aku’s Sula and Ja).
At a point when Kachifo seemed determined to jettison traditional fiction publishing to focus on educational texts and vanity publishing, which is really where the money is, Eghosa played a key role in steering  the publishing house back on track and positioned it as perhaps the strongest publishing house in the country presently.
Eghosa’s coup of the year though has to be publishing Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial three volume memoir My Watch. It is a big money deal but its execution, successfully kept it under wraps, away from the prying eyes of security operatives, was the stuff of blockbusters.
By the time security operatives caught a whiff of what was in the offing, Kachifo had already taken delivery of the books from the Indian printers and cleared customs. Of course Obasanjo went ahead to launch the book in violation of a court order, which has seen him facing charges of contempt of court. Some really interesting drama towards the end of an eventful year.
How Kachifo will handle this keg of gunpowder that could explode in its face or light up the firmament with its name will determine how successful its 2015 will be. Eghosa has the mettle and cunning to see this through and going by his accomplishments in 2014, it seems certain there are exciting days ahead for Kachifo and book lovers in the country.

Rabilu Musa Dan Ibro

From Ibrahim Musa Giginyu, Kano

It is no understatement to say that the death of the famous Hausa  comedian Rabilu Musa Danlasan alias Ibro was an irreparable lost to the Hausa movie industry.
He was seen as a revolutionary artiste who changed movie trends within a short period. He started as a drama artiste entertaining people at a local level to gradually becoming a strong
household name in Kannywood.
He was the pioneer of what was known in the movie industry as ‘Chamama’ a low budget comedy home video. Even though he was arrested and sentenced to four months imprisonment in 2008 over an allegation of operating a production company without licenses and shooting a movie ‘Ibro Aloko’; the comedian did not relent. He fought the case to a logical end where the magistrate’s judgment was quashed and a fresh case was said to have been established in favour of the late comedian.
Ever since his return to the movie industry after the Kano State Censorship and Kannywood feud, late Rabilu Musa Danlasan became a strong pillar in the Hausa movie industry. With assistance from movie directors like Falalu Dorayi and Kamal S. Alkali among others, Rabilu became a catalyst of change to the movie industry.
Chairman, as he was fondly referred to by his colleagues, was the first to be paired with Nollywood artists in Hausa movies.
His versatility made him fit-in in all roles in those movies, he was seen as that individual that had bridged the gap between the two distanced Nigerian movie industry that are initially seen as parallel in operation.
He featured alongside Nollywood super star Osita Oheme in the hit Hausa movie ‘Karangiya’. He also featured alongside Nollywood stars like John Okafor in the movie ‘Oga Abuja’, Nkem Owoh (Ukwa) in (Maja) and Patience Uzokwu in Hassana da Hussaina.
Initially, it was believed that the two different movie industries cannot and would not operate together due to a lot of factors that range from language barrier to technical differences. However, Ibro made all those assumptions fade away as he exhibited great talent in making those movies not only possible but also acceptable.
In 2014, he took on some serious national issues like politics, public policies and public health with a huge dose of humour for his teeming audience.
His movies like Ibro Likitan Ebola, Wuta Sallau, Na Maliya and Karangiya among others stand out.
Before his death he was a board member of the  Kano State Censorship Board, a poultry farmer and a transporter.
He acted in many movies, some of which are yet to be released. His prolificacy and dynamism had ensured that a history of Kannywood will not be complete without a handsome mention of his contribution to the industry.
And even from the grave Ibro’s impact is being felt. He has been nominated in two categories of the 2014/2015 MTN Kannyawards. He is in the running for the best actor and best comedian awards.

Ibinabo Fiberesima

By Amina Alhassan
The year started on a good note for Ibinabo Fiberesima on January 13, 2014 when the former Nigerian beauty queen turned 43. The drop-dead pretty woman also won her re-election for a second term as the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) on the 16th of October 2014.
Ibinabo has worked hard to re-position the guild, which has before now become a laughing stock in the public over dirty fight for money and position.
At a time when Nigerians and entertainers were becoming worried over the incessant plea to Nigerians to help foot health bills of ailing actors she introduced and implemented the health scheme for members of AGN which was applauded by both the guild and Nigerians. For the first time Nollywood actors now have health insurance.
She also struck a deal with AERO Contractors that would see members of the guild fly with the airliner for as low as N13, 000 only to anywhere in Nigeria.
The President of the Actors Guild did not stop there as she took to philanthropy and paid a visit to displaced women and children in Gombe State in November. She went along with Nollywood actor, Segun Arinze, her National AGN executives and members of Gombe State AGN. She also took to her Facebook page to implore Nigerians to join in helping displaced Nigerians by showing love and contributing towards making life meaningful for them again. In her words “Nigerians, let’s come around and do something for humanity”
She recently bought a bus for the guild and has continually visited state chapters. Another major achievement she had in 2014 was to organise training for upcoming actors, financially empowering them after the training and morally supporting the dreams of younger actors across zones in the country.
She led a delegation of about 70 actors to pay a courtesy visit to the presidential villa, as first by any AGN president. She convinced the president to provide a piece of land in Abuja for a secretariat, which he obliged.
 On a personal level, her greatest achievement would be getting married. Even at 43, the mother of five did not give up on marriage as she finally got married to Uche Egbuka on Thursday the 18th of December in Port Harcourt.
 Ibinabo is the first woman to head the Actors Guild of Nigeria and be be re-elected for a second term in office. With the credibility the entertainment industry is getting and government support, Ibinabo has done quite enough to emerge as the standout personality in Nollywood for the 2014.
Kunle Afolayan

By Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
 No one person typifies the direction Nollywood is going, or should be taking, like Kunle Afolayan, the movie producer, director and actor who is redefining what the second biggest movie industry in the world can achieve.
Kunle’s big effort in 2014 is the blockbuster movie October 1, a dark psychological thriller set on the eve of Nigeria’s Independence in 1960.
It is a remarkable effort that will win him more admirers and accolades, and hopefully an even bigger bank account. He would need that after investing $2m in the big budget movie.
Already the accolades are pouring in. At the AFRIFF awards, Afolayan’s flick clinched the Best Actor in Feature Film, Overall Best Film and best Screenwriting awards. They were well deserved and the movie is sure to bag more awards. That much is a no brainer.
Having left his bank job for the movie industry, Kunle has determinedly upped the bar in the standards of Nollywood movies with such hits as The Figurine (2009), Phone Swap (2012) and Dazzling Mirage (2014), and his 2014 masterpiece, October 1 has cemented his place in the reckoning of film buffs and experts globally with his movies premiering at major international film festivals and cinemas nationwide.
The New York Times dubbed him “the Martin Scorcese of Lagos”, that is how well he is regarded internationally. But I am sure Kunle would prefer to just be the Kunle Afolayan of Lagos. He doesn’t seem the type that would want to be boxed and seems determined to chart his own course.
What makes him outstanding in 2014 is the commitment and determination with which he set out to produce October 1 in which he also starred. He was prepared to do a small budget movie but when he got hold of the script for this flick, he knew he couldn’t pass it up.
He upped his budget and upped his game. He was very resourceful in sourcing for costumes and props of the 1960, most of which he had to fabricate with the help of his team (as detailed in a Sunday Trust article of December 7). The result is a really stunning and gripping movie that is not only memorable, but probes, in the most skilled manner, the issues of paedophilia, serial murder, ethnicity and politics in Nigeria.
Nigeria could do with a couple more Kunle Afolayans, but so far, the one that is available is making even the most ardent critics of Nollywood sit up and pay respect to the works of this genius.