Restoring the dignity of African literature (interview)

Redzie Jugo, a Jos-based lawyer and entrepreneur, is an imaginative playwright. The author of Guns and Flowers is not only a committed writer but a full time publisher; he is the Chief Executive of Black Palms Media Plus and its subsidiary, Black Palms Consult. In this interview he explains how he intends to use these outfits to restore the fame and popularity of the African literature.

NNW: What does Black Palms Media Plus do? And how does it affect Nigerian writers?

Redzie Jugo: Black Palms Media Plus is a media company positioned at the vanguard of the arts and entertainment renaissance in Africa. The company is working primarily at highlighting the broad sweep of African culture using the print, online and TV mediums. On the drawing boards is a cross-cultural African/Afro-American quarterly lit magazine to be simultaneously published in Nigeria and in the US. Black Palms Magazine is due out late 2009. We have a team of four American partners, currently in the US, working of this as well as on the American franchise of the House of Scribes reality show. Our online artist resource center, www.blackpalms.com will come on stream as soon as we put together the details of the publicity drive that will antedate its launch. The heart of our strategy is however in Television, comprising principally the House of Scribes Africa reality show. It is probably the first such reality show in Africa and perhaps, even in the world aimed at projecting positive values and synergizing the best and most definitive in the society. Against the background that though Nigerian writers have over the last decade made off with accolades in the international arena, the general notion of writers being either "layabouts" on the one hand or rabble rousers on the other persists. Through our activities, writing, in the broadest sense of that word would return to its rightful place as the serious occupation of respected individuals who embody social consciousness and vitality. When Africa starts respecting the writer, the more they read what he writes ? and Africa, now more than at any other time, needs to read and consequently of necessity, write, more.

Your projects are interesting but they will also require a lot of capital ? how do you intend going about the realization of these projects?

The problem is that until now the public and private sectors have not grasped the developmental importance, even necessity, of the writer and culture as opposed to economic statistics. Perhaps the problem is that writers have not done the best job in packaging, branding and networking themselves? Every generation dances to its own drums ? and marketing is the tune of this century. The economic programs of the 80?s as well as the political constrictions of the 90?s presented challenges to the cultural bequest of the pre-1980 literary generation and that also is a part of the problem. All our activities are geared to appeal to the profit making and social responsibilities our private sector partners so that funds freely flow to that sector. The renewed drive for eco-culture tourism in Africa has also given us enormous goodwill from the public sector. Between the funds from the private sector and the goodwill from the public sector and our entrepreneurial know-how, Black Palms is successfully pushing the frontiers of qualitative entertainment.

Who are the people behind Black Palms Media? Considering that you will be dealing with writers and artists, do you have the necessary antecedents ? or are you just a business?

We are not just a business ? we are social entrepreneurs and this goes a whole lot further. I myself I'm a published writer and a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors and so are many of the people behind BPM+. We have antecedents. Our COO, Shehu Alliu, is a seasoned marketing communication consultant who has worked with a number of A-list media companies in Nigeria. Our Managing Editor, Richard Ali, was before his appointment the founding Editor of Sardauna Magazine, Kaduna - he is also currently the General Secretary of Association of Nigerian Authors, Plateau State. Also on our board is Kanchana Ugbabe, a professor of Creative Writing at the University of Jos as well as Victor Dugga, the playwright and Associate Professor of Theatre Arts. We have also been in touch with giants in the field, like Odia Ofeimun whose advice has proved critical over the years. So you see, we have the relevant antecedents for an effective social entrepreneurship and are every minute feeling the pulse of African culture.
Concerning the reality Show ? can you give more information on what might be expected?
It?s going to be a pan-African show covered by a leading broadcast partner with global coverage. Housemates drawn from all over Africa will participate in varied activities designed to show their proficiency in projecting all things African ? the genres would include prose, drama, script writing, poetry, and dance amongst others. The show will be integrated into our online platform currently in development. At the end of the House of Scribes show, winners will take home cash prizes, book deals with leading international publishing houses and continent-wide reading tours just like the Cassava Republic Press does very commendably each year ? only our scope will be much wider. This is just a basic summary and I am sure you understand I cannot be more detailed for reasons of confidentiality.

You mentioned Script writing...

Yes I did. Black Palms Media Plus is very interested in script writing. Cinema is probably the most important medium for projecting the best of a people?s culture. The criticism of Nigerian movies, since its cinema is moribund, can firmly be placed at the dearth of scriptwriters and even more problematically, of scriptwriting skills. Anyway you look at it; quality scriptwriting is at the heart of cultural projection and is part of the ambit of BPM+. We have incorporated this into the House of Scribes Africa show and will also create platforms, in conjunction with our international partners to educate the qualified in scriptwriting. What we are thinking of is selecting say twenty five young people from Nigeria for an intensive course with some components taught here in Nigeria, as well as in South Africa and in the United States. South Africa has some of the most talented visual artists on the continent.

What is the relationship between Black Palms Media and established artist organizations and guilds in Nigeria?

So far the relationship has been cordial and cooperative as we have recognized the need for strategic alliances with stakeholders. We have not had any conflicts ? on the contrary, we have found partners in progress even in the most unlikely places. We are currently in high level talks with some of the most amazing young media consultants in Lagos and I hazard, in Nigeria, all towards realizing our projects. We look forward to even more cooperation as BPM+ is here for the long haul.

What is your opinion on Nigerian letters and the arts in general?

I think it is on the whole promising though it is still beset by certain challenges, most notably the absence of effective interaction between writers or artists or musicians within themselves and amongst themselves. There is also the issue of CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility - corporate bodies need to take their host communities and society more seriously, especially as regards the arts. Nonetheless, this is changing and BPM+ is at the heart of this new thinking that is bringing about this change.

We wish you the very best!

Thanks a lot, Sumaila, we need to work together with columnist like you to get the truth of Africa across to the whole world. So many people, especially in the American Diaspora, are ignorant of Africa. We must change this bit by bit, together.

(c) Published in the New Nigerian edition of 20/9/08.

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