Filmmakers Must Be Sensitive To Nigeria Cultural History – DG NCAC

By Bintu Jidda
Kanempress
14th April 2023

To avoid public resentments and reactions, the director- general, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, on Friday, warned filmmakers to be sensitive to Nigeria cultural history.

Runsewe, speaking against the backdrop of the uproar created by the production of ‘Gang of Lagos’, however, called for strategic rethinking on cultural related narratives by film makers in Nigeria.

He pleaded with the Lagos State Government and the people of Lagos to forgive the infractions contained in the flick, assuring to arrest such Cultural insensitivity headlong.

Kanempress reports that the film, Gang of Lagos had depicted the iconic Eyo masquerade as enabler of violence, thereby, drawing angry reactions from cultural groups in Lagos Island.

Also, the state government also described the film as a misrepresentation of cultural ethos of Eyo masquerade and insulting to the tradition and history of Lagosians.

Runsewe who doubles as President, World Craft Council, Africa Region, noted that Eyo masquerade is one of the key cultural tourism products, associated with the history of Lagos and Nigerian culture.

He advised film makers to be well guided when producing for public consumption,  films on Nigerian cultural history so as not provoke tension and irritations across the country.

“Lagos state government, for instance has invested and continues to champion the growth of the Creative sector, targeting young persons for training in all aspects of film making and production, with community theatre halls built at each its local geo-space and even with Jk Randle Yoruba Museum,  where researches on Yoruba culture and tradition, can be learnt first hand.

“So, films with narratives on the ways of the life our people must trend on best acceptable and sensitive information profiling, ” Runsewe admonished.

Though the world of Creativity is said to hold no boundaries,  Runsewe noted that when it comes to cultural narratives, careful measures,  strategic profiling,  dedicated investigation and request to collaborate with custodians of national cultural and traditional institutions should be thoroughly considered and consulted.

“During the last NAFEST festival in Lagos, we at NCAC wrote to the Oba of Lagos,  requesting the participation of the iconic Eyo masquerade. We were made to appreciate and understand that Eyo masquerade public appearance is guided by certain traditional ethics  and procedure, so we expect our film makers to follow same engagement route.

“Honestly, we at NCAC appreciate Nigerian film makers for the efforts to use such narratives,  not only to contribute to national cultural tourism rebirth and acceptation,  including its international cultural tourism value chain but we must advise that a cultural sensitivity context and content analysis should be part of  both production and post production ecosystem,” Runsewe stated further.

The NCAC boss informed that a one day cultural conference,  evaluating and focal on all areas of cultural tourism diversity and sensitivity,  will hold before the end of this month in Abuja by the apex cultural agency.