The Executive Secretary of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, has called on the producers and directors in the Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry to allow women to take their proper place in filmmaking in Nigeria
Dr. Ayakoroma who stated this in a paper titled Giving Women pride of place in Nigerian Video films: A critical Reading of Andy Amenechi’s Egg of Life, which he delivered in an international symposium, Reading and Producing Nollywood in Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos between 23 to 25 March argued that filmmaking has come to a stage the women cannot be done without.
He added that it is not only men that are heroes but that many women have involved themselves in activities that have brought pride, honour and development to Nigeria as a nation.
Arguing that women are relevant in nation building, he stressed that one of the ways filmmakers should showcase women’s activities is to give them authority in the film script, because the script is the power. “That is the story. The women should be given authority in the script. Instead of the redeeming aspect of the story where the women are meant to sit with their hands between their legs, waiting for their husbands or sons to return from a journey of redemption, they should be allowed to undertake the epic quest as we see in Egg of Life. It is more or less a fulfilment of the popular dictum by women that, “what a man can do, a woman can do it, better.” This film is the feminine version of Igodo. But unlike Igodo, the seven maidens go out on the quest, while the men wait expectantly. And at the end of the day, the women are the sacrificial lambs, making a bold statement that given the opportunity; our women can indeed be leading lights in the nation.”
Reiterating that women could play very vital role in saving their society from the failures of men, hence could be heroines, NICO boss recalled that “It is not surprising then that in the sporting arena, the Under-20 National Football Team, the Falconets, recently seemed to have wiped away the shame inflicted on the country by the lacklustre performance of the Super Eagles at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This is in the sense that against all permutations, the female team squeezed past much favoured teams like the United States of America, who are the defending champions, and Columbia, to have a final berth with the hosts, Germany. Nigerians were full of praises that they displayed hard-fighting spirit that in continuation of the winning streak in female soccer, the Super Falcon overran their Equatorial Guinea opponents in the recently concluded African Women Football Championship.”
Nwagbo Nnenyelike
Corporate Affairs