Well what can one say about animation in Nigeria…? Not a lot as it happens. The animation sector in this country is virtually non-existent, however that doesn’t mean some people aren’t giving it their best shot. If only this country’s so-called creative visionaries had any real vision at all. Sigh, ah well…it’s a little sad when you consider that many of the animators in this country often fall short of their aims to provide us with some decent (homemade) animated entertainment simply because most (if not all) are doing the said animation with meager resources and very little manpower. Money simply seems to be the measure of one’s creativity most times, though I guess this isn’t only peculiar to the Naija creative scene. However, breaking ground in this area is made even more difficult by the lack of an actual animation industry. Where do these poor animators go and even more to the point, would anyone be willing to listen to them? I have nothing but praise for those who try though and urge them to keep moving forward in their attempts to bring these types of creative media to the forefront. There was a time in Nigeria where the Music industry was also virtually non-existence. With most music artists-even the more prominent one’s- of those times, struggling and grossly unappreciated. Perhaps that’s what this country needs, someone or some big corporation (like MTV base did with the music industry) to swoop in and give the weak and ailing body of this particular sector of creative media, a much needed shot in the arm. Perhaps, if someone could just make the break, then these money grubbing entrepreneurs would see that there was a vast wealth of untapped talent sitting under their noses all along. I believe the market is out there….waiting. All someone has to do is come and pluck the apple from the proverbial tree.
Meanwhile…here’s a little peek at the kind of apples some of these apple trees have been able to produce with so very little nourishment.
COCONUT ISLAND!
click here for more info
THE ADVENTURES OF ALAYO!
click here for more info
Update: 2nd of October/2009
It’s been recently brought to my attention that I may not have been exactly clear as to my beef with the problems facing animators in Nigeria. The crux of my argument was not to suggest that their weren’t enough animators or people doing animation in the country. Quite the contrary, Nigeria has an ample (if sometimes under-used) amount of talented people in several areas involving creative media. However, while the country boasts the largest t.v network in Africa- and some say the world- and the presence of a number of satellite cable companies, it has yet to provide home based animators with the platform from which to launch themselves. It’s more than a little sad (and there’s a slight, but hardly notable chance that I may be wrong) to accept that none of these networks carry any Nigerian made animations on their broadcast schedule. Having said that, a recent visitor to the site alerted me to this trailer of another Naija based animated feature in the works, which is set to be released in 2010 and I was more than reasonably impressed with the prospects of what I saw to be compelled to post it here. (I hope the animators don’t mind?)
So a big thanks for this:
THE O TWINS!
To visit the online site click here
