Lagos Govt’s assist for ‘The Headies’ Award, 2022

The more and more fascinating proven fact that Nigeria’s music trade is arguably probably the most progressive and vibrant in Africa, with a compelling world consideration price a reported whole income ofUS$39 million in 2016,ought to ship a profound message to the political leaders of our oil-dependent economic system. In truth, it was projected to rise at a 13.4% Compound Annual Progress Price to US$73 million by the earlier 12 months, 2021.

Adequate, that the amiable, forward-looking and people-friendly Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the Centre of Excellence, Lagos has keyed into the largely untapped potentials of the music trade. This time round, he’s beaming an excellent mild to the dream of the Ayo Animashaun-led ‘The Headies, 2022’ which would be the fifteenth version of Nigerian music awards.

Billed to be held at Cobb Vitality Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on September 4, 2022, the anticipated glitzy and glamourous occasion has began to generate and seize world consideration by way of the fast-spreading social media shops and past.

Aside from iconoclastic Burna Boy, who broke the music report of being the primary Nigerian-based music star to win the Grammies in 2021, the mere point out of Wizkid, who leads nominations with ten, alongside withTems and Ayra Starr with eight every, with Davido and Adekunle receiving seven every have added extra vibes and curiosity within the upcoming music award. However what’s all of it about?

Put in its correct perspective, ‘The Headies’ occurs to be a music awards present established in 2006 by the Hip Hop World Journal of Nigeria. Its noble intention is to acknowledge excellent achievements within the Nigerian music trade. The annual ceremony options performances by established and promising artists. It’s normally broadcast reside onHipTV to viewers throughout the nation.

What will certainly stand this 12 months’s version out is the historical past that the Lagos State authorities can be making by its debut as a significant backer of the music trade, by sealing a partnership with the Headies. It’s an academy award modelled after the massively well-liked U.S. Grammy award.

The million-Naira query that is still embody the numerous classes all of us may glean from the state-government’s assist. In accordance with the world-renowned, veteran music producer, Kenny Ogungbe, the Lagos State Authorities’s intervention is a “highly effective turning level” for the trade. He famous and rightly in order that the event may probably leap many native skills to the world stage.

He made this recognized through the latest gathering of the music trade’s veterans and practitioners for a pre-award occasion aptly tagged: “Lagos Constellation of Stars”, organized by the state authorities and ‘Headies’ to have a good time the 2022 award nominees.

“It isn’t one thing we’ve got simply created right now; making a thriving enterprise for creatives in our leisure trade is one thing that has been a part of our financial agenda as authorities from the outset.

In truth, Ogungbe, the co-founder of Kennis Music, noticed that many report label homeowners had laboured to take a position their private sources to supply a lot of the modern songs creating constructive picture for Nigeria internationally. He additionally emphasised the truth that the intervention initiated by the state authorities would go a great distance in supporting younger producers to prove extra skills.

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“Kennis Music has produced over 80 musical albums that don’t have anything lower than 12 tracks every; these works have been produced from our sweat. We by no means had the chance of assist from any Authorities. Now that we’ve got an affordable Authorities that believes in the way forward for youths and their skills coming to assist inventive younger individuals, it is a highly effective turning level for the music trade,” Ogungbe stated.

On his half, the Chief Government Officer (CEO) of Easy Promotions Media and founding father of HeadiesAward, Ayo Animashaun, celebrated what he referred to as “defining second”, applauding Sanwo-Olu for initiating the intervention. He confessed, with immense delight that it was the primary time a state authorities would deem it necessary to lend large-scale assist to skills within the inventive trade, stressing that the intervention shouldn’t be seen as a political transfer.

He added that: “If these younger Nigerian stars who can be attending the Headies award in Atlanta are accepted by the worldwide viewers, we might have exported merchandise that the world would proceed to demand and this could translate to development of our GDP.” Effectively stated.

However the Lagos state’s assist offers a golden alternative to take a holistic have a look at Nigeria’s music trade. The intention after all, is to establish and frontally deal with the challenges the trade is bedeviled with, in order to make it a veritable platform not solely to entertain us however to create lasting alternatives for the financial empowerment of our proficient youth.

As highlighted in my article titled: ‘The Issues of Nigeria’s Leisure Business’, again in Might 2003 these embody piracy, lack of creativity/originality, professionalism, high quality merchandise, non-public initiatives and specialization of the artistes. Added after all, is the inexcusable lack of presidency incentives and wanted patronage.

Piracy as an example, is a world phenomenon, which entails the mass manufacturing/ dubbing of the inventive ingenuity of artistes. The works so produced are substandard. They’re lapped up by the gullible public, which is denied high quality manufacturing.

“We’re excited to be collaborating with the practitioners within the inventive group to find extra skills and export not solely our tradition, but in addition our music”

The federal government loses billions of Naira from a veritable income. Most painfully, the artistes themselves are overtly robbed of their supply of residing. Some good Alecs are someplace reaping from the place they by no means sowed a seed. I can really feel their ardour and ache.

The bitter reality due to this fact, is that Nigeria which gave the civilized world Afro beat, Juju, Highlife, Fuji, Akwete music genres, nonetheless lies prostrate like a sleeping big with regards to tapping the large potentials inherent within the music trade.

As rightly acknowledged by Professor Femi Osofisan, as soon as the Basic Supervisor of the Nationwide Theatre, our successive governments have proven solely beauty concern in tapping the immense advantages derivable from the leisure trade, whereas extra superior nations are reaping extra money from leisure than oil.

Leisure has been one in all man’s pastimes since time immemorial. Past the hustle and bustle and the grind of every day struggles for man survival, man has at all times devised means and measures to create pleasure for himself. By music and movement footage, folklores and festivals, concert events and video games or just admiring Nature’s huge and diversified beauties, man has soothed frayed nerves and eased rigidity.

Right now, nevertheless, leisure has not solely proved to be a stress-buster, however a cash spinner too. These with entrepreneurial expertise have cashed in on different’s leisure to rake in billion of {dollars}.
With the Lagos state authorities spearheading the intervention, different states and the federal governments, along with the non-public sector ought to be a part of the music prepare and provides their much-needed assist. Additionally, there must be an articulated imaginative and prescient to incorporate the native musicians and the tourism trade to promote our wealthy, cultural values to the world.
Large kudos to Gov. Sanwo-Olu.