Why Nigerian creatives must start telling their stories
By Ayomide Oriade
From the Cannes Lions Festival in France to the Loeries slated for South Africa, entries have been thrown open for professionals in the creative industry to enter their intellectual works for top recognition among their peers.
In recent years, the Nigerian creative professionals have been doing their best to put the country on the global creativity map with Nigerian agencies gaining recognition at international awards.
But despite the increasing level of creativity from the West African giant, there’s still ongoing conversation in the creative communications circles about the dearth of materials originating in sub-Saharan Africa in the international awards and reputed international industry magazines.
From the status quo of the world information order, Africa has often been stereotyped with oddities. And this has also played in the way intellectual works from the continent are treated.
However, some industry players have begun to advocate the need for Africa to create its own narrative by telling and propagating the excellence of the creative works by its professionals.
Lending his voice to the call, Nnamdi Ndu, Manging Director of CHINI Productions, which is the official representatives of Cannes Lions in Nigeria, stated that in line with the 10th edition of Creativity Week which come up from 13- 18 March 2017, the company has launched a campaign with a clarion call to change the negative stereotype.
The Creative Week is a prelude to the Grand Finale of the Cannes Award in France and winners at the event represent Nigeria at Cannes later in the year.
Ndu said the online led campaign #AlternativeStories is to engage members of the industry and draw more awareness to the issue.
According to Ndu, “the absence of our work in the global space is largely responsible for the stereotype we see in stories about Africa. No matter how truthful and well-meaning others try to be, no one else can tell your story like you, because it’s the one that wears the shoe that knows where it pinches.
“We may think we have bigger issues of development, why should we bother with stories. No, they’re linked. The more you accept these negative stereotypes, the more you become like that. That is why we must tell our own stories. Stories that project our values, capture and frame our aspirations.”
As part of the campaign, the audience are requested to send in their stories using #AlternativeStories and #CreativityWk on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The stories will be displayed on the event website www.creativity-week.com and on the walls during the event at MUSON Centre.
CHINI Production is renowned for its annual Creativity Week competition which celebrates excellent intellectual works among young Nigerian Creatives. To commemorate the 10th edition, the company has extended the scope to include creatives from West African countries.
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