Troupe to perform ‘Nigeria @50, so what?’

As part of celebrations towards the golden jubilee, Lagos-based performing group, Crown Troupe is billed to stage a performance tomorrow for art lovers and Lagosians. According to the artistic director, Segun Adefila, the series tagged, ‘Nigeria@50,so what?’ , “Is our humble attempt at chronicling the 50 years of our ‘independence’. If independence means not totally […]

As part of celebrations towards the golden jubilee, Lagos-based performing group, Crown Troupe is billed to stage a performance tomorrow for art lovers and Lagosians.

According to the artistic director, Segun Adefila, the series tagged, ‘Nigeria@50,so what?’ , “Is our humble attempt at chronicling the 50 years of our ‘independence’. If independence means not totally depending on others for existence then we need to ask ourselves questions. Are we refining our oil, do we have palm oil in abundance? Who is producing more palm oil; Malaysia or Nigeria? Where did Malaysia first get their first palm kernel? What’s the standard of our public schools and health care? What else do we want from God?… questions and more questions.”

These questions, he explains, are fundamental to Nigeria’s growth and where she should have been years ago after being ‘source of life’ to other nations, like Malaysia.

“We think Nigeria is possible if God lived on earth; God probably lived in Nigeria by making it so habitable devoid of natural disasters. But sadly filled with human disasters despite our coal, cocoa, groundnut, rubber, oil, we still live like beggars, probably because some powerful Nigerians don’t really love Nigeria. Ask those who know how University College University of Ibadan was rated at inception; how are we rated now?” he queried.

The performance is meant to provoke Nigerians to take time to ponder over these questions and possibly take a step towards solving them.

Crown Troupe which sees itself as being a repertory group is asking these questions over the period of 14 yrs (since 1996). The series which has emanated from a fourteen-year period of composing works which examines these issues are now ripe for exhibition which will take place every first Sunday beginning tomorrow at Lagbaja’s Motherland’ Ikeja, Lagos.