Nollywood and Nigeria's Cultural Diplomacy

Kanayo O. Kanayo

I recently obtained the beautifully written and well-argued paper presented by Kanayo O. Kanoyo at a Roundable on Culture and Diplomacy this past January in Washington, D.C. It argues for Nollywood's increasing importance in Nigeria's public diplomacy efforts and I thought it’s worth sharing.

For Nigeria’s Cultural Diplomacy

The choice of the topic is itself germane. In today’s turbulent world, diplomacy means that a country must take steps to achieve political goals and to promote its image in the international arena. It is becoming old fashioned for any country to rely solely on military and economic means in its relationship with other countries of the world. Countries interact with each other through diplomatic channels. Thus, countries have even moved beyond interacting with themselves alone – that is between governments, to interactions that are targeted at the people; that is, government and people; as well as people and people.


This form of diplomacy, called, public diplomacy, that manifests itself through the use of traditional and non-traditional media of communication including film and video, aims primarily at influencing global audiences. This is, as Cull (2007) says, “an attempt to manage the international environment through engagement with a foreign public.”


As it were, the explosion in information and communication technology has occasioned the globalization of print and electronic communication and this has impacted significantly on the number of media users worldwide. It follows then that a country’s status internationally will be determined by how well it controls information flow in the media and how well it manages the cultural component of its diplomacy.


Cultural diplomacy, a variant of international diplomacy, therefore, becomes the key in any nation’s attempt at projecting a positive image and reaching out to foreign audiences. Iyorwuese Hagher (2011) sees cultural diplomacy as the best form of soft power and a key diplomatic tool in today’s multicultural world. As a cultural product, films and in the context of our discussion, Nigeria film industry, popularly called, Nollywood, has the immense potential of serving as a dynamic tool for the promotion and achievement of Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy goals.


As a major player in the Nigerian movie industry, I know that Nollywood films have been most influential in not just entertaining and educating people, but also in laundering our international image and in drawing attention to the possibility that is Nigeria.


My presentation will, therefore, focus on Nollywood as an increasingly important component of Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts.  Although it is expected that I give a brief overview of the Nollywood industry, I will take the liberty to skip that aspect because the story of Nollywood is already in the public domain.


However, I will hasten to say that Nigeria has a vibrant movie industry that has, on the basis of sheer volume and commercial vitality, emerged as one of the country’s major contemporary art form. The industry, affectionately called, Nollywood, has, as Jonathan Haynes (2000) puts it, offered, “the strongest, most accessible expression of contemporary Nigerian popular culture, which is to say the imagination of Africa’s largest nation.” Indeed through some of its offerings, Nollywood, even though often derided for feasting on banal themes, has played and has continued to play the traditional role of informing, educating and entertaining its vast audience.


The industry has also concerned itself with meeting one of the primary roles of films as enshrined in the Nigerian Mass Communication Policy(1987), which is to serve as a tool for national cohesion, the advancement of national unity, social co-existence and non-violent solutions to social problems. Indeed, to describe Nollywood as a major phenomenon in the art circuit in Nigeria and the continent of Africa will just be stating the obvious.



Cultural Diplomacy


Cultural diplomacy has been variously defined; but for our purpose, I shall refer to just a few of them. Hagher (2011) sees cultural diplomacy as, “the art of winning heart and minds of others by attracting them through cultural activities and exchanges that includes arts, beliefs, ways of life and customs.” Milton C. Cunnings (2003) describes cultural diplomacy as, “the exchange of ideas, information, art and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples to foster mutual understanding.”  Frank Aig-Imoukhuede (1991) sees cultural diplomacy as a concept that seeks, “to establish the atmosphere of friendly persuasion and to use the attraction of the arts and artistes to win people over.”


The above definitions show that cultural diplomacy is essentially a two-way communication process that involves the efforts to promote each nation’s culture, traditions, image and values amongst foreign audiences. This involves specific programmes of studies, exhibitions and cultural displays, involving the use of books, various art forms and performances, including the study of another country’s language, traditions and lifestyles, among others. This is what the Germans, the French and the Americans have been able to achieve with their Public Affairs and Cultural Centres scattered all over the world. Indeed, Cultural Diplomacy enables a country to expose people of other nationalities to its culture, society and peoples, thereby enhancing mutual understanding and laying the foundation for the forging of friendship and strong ties between people of different nationalities.



Nollywood’s Contributions to Nigeria’s
 Cultural Diplomacy


It is my main preoccupation in this presentation to show the extent to which Nollywood has helped to promote Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy objectives and how its efforts can be further enhanced.


Scholars are divided as to whether or not Nollywood films have done well in terms of representing Nigeria positively in the international arena. Those who argue against say that rather than produce films that edify, majority of the filmmakers, largely due to commercial considerations, are so obsessed with shooting mainly stories with superficial themes that appeal to their audiences, who are ignorant about accepted standards in movie production. These category of filmmakers have been derided for being so fixated on sex, misfortune and humour to such an extent that the film medium has not succeeded in raising the consciousness of the audience nor has it been effectively deployed to lift the audience onto an idealist plane of understanding. These critics want filmmakers to sell Nigeria’s positive cultural values and images through their films.


While not contesting these positions as there are indeed a couple of films that Nollywood has produced that are not salutary, I want to align myself with the views of the renowned film scholar and Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma, who in a presentation congratulated Nollywood and its practitioners for offering the world something that is salutary about the image of Nigeria. Ayakoroma described Nollywood films as, “promoting the social, political, economic and cultural developments of Nigeria.” He further maintained that the practitioners of the Nollywood industry have been able to, through their works, “transmit and reflect Nigerian culture, which is a reflection of our social identity.”  One cannot agree any less except to admit that because Nollywood has transformed into one huge industry that accepts all sorts, works that truly transmit and reflect Nigeria culture are in the minority.


Nevertheless, Nigerian films have been a major cultural diplomatic tool. Hagher (2011) says, “it is the most powerful medium to provide the Nigerian cultural narrative about Nigeria to the world.” Films like Figurine, Across the Niger, Sitanda, White Waters, Eagles Bride, and Mirror of Beauty, among others, have been used to showcase the good, the bad and the ugly side of Nigeria to the world. Though one cannot methodologically measure the tangible benefits in terms of Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy objectives, I am aware that we have, through our films, sold our dress culture and other aspects of our culture that are unique to us to other countries, particularly countries in Africa and the Diaspora. We have also succeeded in changing the mindsets of foreigners about Nigeria. Through our films, influential members of the international community that cannot be reached by means of traditional media have been reached. Also, through some of these Nollywood films, we have been able to counter narratives of western films about Africa as the land of jungles and apes.


Interestingly, some Nollywood films have even been deployed by our missions abroad to respond to negative perceptions about Nigeria. Some of our films have been used to counter misunderstandings, ignorance and hatred that people in other countries have towards Nigeria. With our movies, people in other parts of the world now know that there is more to Nigeria than the activities of the Islamic sect, the Boko Haram. Besides, Nollywood filmmakers have been celebrated all over the world and the activities of the industry have consistently projected Nigeria’s soft power in the international arena. This is added to the fact that the economic benefits of the industry cannot also be over emphasised. Not only has Nollywood promoted the economy, it has helped in generating foreign exchange and employment.



Conclusion


Let me conclude my presentation by stating that to achieve more, our approach to cultural diplomacy should be deeper and more robust. The future of Nigeria’s Cultural Diplomacy seem unsustainable without a deliberate effort to revitalize all institutions including the Nigerian Film Corporation, CBAAC as well as my agency, the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Studies (NIHOTOURS) that provide direction for Nigeria’s cultural policy.


Funding for these agencies must improve and there should be a synergy between the agencies, their parent ministries and our foreign missions, if we must achieve our public diplomacy objectives. Need I add that the persuasive nature of the arts, have made it an important vehicle for cultural diplomacy.


Nigeria must, therefore, not neglect one of the most powerful tools as its disposal – Nollywood, Thankfully, we have a President in Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who understands why government needs to place more emphasis on using the film for public diplomacy. The generous presidential grant of $200 million to Nollywood by the President is indicative of the importance that our government places on cultural diplomacy. More of such support, including the provision of grants to film-makers to make films, would give Nigeria a more positive image abroad. Also, the time has come for the thematic focus of most of our films, especially the ones packaged for export, to tilt towards the projection and promotion of the cultural values of our society. While acknowledging that a good number of Nigerian filmmakers have done a great job in producing works that seek to promote and propagate our way of life, it is imperative that we embark on a conscious and deliberate effort that will make filmmakers appreciate the need to ensure that only the positive aspects of our cultures are promoted in the films. The Chinese, the Americans and the Indians have done this with greater success.


Nollywood has increasingly become a major force that impacts strongly on our way of life. It is hoped that in the years ahead, through collaboration with scholars in various spheres of our social and intellectual life, Nollywood films would be a strong vehicle for promoting our history, our philosophy and the tremendous developments in our science and technology.


-Being a presentation by the writer at a Roundtable on Culture as Instrument of Diplomacy, organised by Centre for Black and African Arts & Civilisation (CBAAC), on January 17, 2014, in Washington DC, USA


-Kanayo, MFR is an actor and chairman of the Governing Board National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Studies (NIHOTOURS)