Professionalism is the missing link in Nigeria’s book chain
The NLNG Prize for Literature just released her long list. President of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Denja Abdullahi in this interview with Benjamin Omoike discussed expectations of the future of the literary generation, among others.
President of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Denja Abdullahi was a foremost fierce critic of NLNG prize right at its inception in 2004. Acknowledging that he has not stopped criticizing vision, he has seen improvement on the part of the administrators.
“The good thing is that the administrators of the prize have been improving on the prize overtime. ANA administers prizes too, and we started that long before NLNG prize came into being. Whether anyone accepts it or not, the fact is that the initial template for the NLNG prize was borrowed from ANA,” he said to put the record straight.
Abdullahi said further: “ANA assisted the gas company in setting up the prize in 2004. Along the line, ANA has also been part of those who criticize the administration of the prize – when there is the need for that. It is also our members that have mostly been competing for the prize and winning it most times.
“So, we are interested in its survival and will also advise on its relevance and sustainability. Now, we are concerned about its winner-takes-all syndrome and what happens to the winner, the winning book and the sector that produced the book that wins each year.”
Abdullahi said NLNG is not doing anything worthwhile to support the sector and the associations that produced those books and the authors that win the prize every year which positively rubbed off on their image as a corporate entity.
“It is like NLNG feasts on ready-made products in the arts. Take a look at what they are doing in the field of science. At a point it was apparent the science end of the NLNG prizes was not living up to expectation and they now went into investing in the field by donating huge projects to research centres and Universities across the country.
“How much has NLNG invested in the arts and book industry in the country beyond doling out winning sum each year? It is time for them to move beyond that or the prize and the underlying objective will become irrelevant. ANA on its own has its own private history of dissonance with NLNG which I will not disclose here,” he said.
Nigerian literary festivals
“Nigeria is now a hot bed of literary festivals and book chats, which is good. We cannot have too many of such gatherings, which are opportunities for us to glamourise the book trade and posture for a knowledge-based society. Considering our population and peculiar composition as a nation, we do not even have enough literary festivals.
“However, these literary festivals should be self sustaining and not be tied to the benevolence of an individual or government in power. We have seen literary festivals built around a regime or a person dying fast after the exit of such person from power.
“I need not reel out names – we all know those hitherto lively festivals I am talking about, founded on the benevolent frown of one top hat or the other. It is time big corporations, foundations, institutions, trusts, etc., come up to fund literary festivals via eternally subsisting endowments.
“Organisers of literary festivals must also subscribe to working ideologies and adopt a business model to keep what they do alive. KABAFEST, which I attended for a purpose, was nice and welcomed in that environment and I am aware it has inspired some experiment in some young persons who will be organising a similar festival in Gombe State further North of Nigeria this September.
“But if KABAFEST is entirely tied to the EL-Rufai government, then be sure it will not last beyond his regime just as Port Harcourt Book Festival and MBA Colloquium did not last beyond the Amaechi and Bababgida Aliyu regimes in Rivers and Niger States respectively.
“ANA and CORA, in spite of their poor financial outlay, have survived in doing what they do all these years because they have models not tied to the good feeling of an individual or government. They are driven by passion, commitment and creativity.”
Of a robust literary calendar in Nigeria
“You should know by now that I am one ANA President that is in the field and play the field. I have kept ANA chapters alive with activities and I have been identifying with them and also with other literary groups across the country and beyond. ANA collaborated with CORA on LABAF last year and we will do same this year.
“Also, I attended KABAFEST this year and other smaller literary events and festivals to which I have had the chance to attend. To be modest, ANA is robustly alive with activities in spite of the dire economic environment. ANA also offers advice regularly to people who ask us to tell them how they can float innovative literary events and ventures.
“I can tell you also that Benue State Chapter of ANA bided to host the next convention of ANA at the last Convention in Abuja last year, and were awarded the rights to host in May 2017 at the 6th ANA National Executive Council Meeting with Chairmen and Secretaries of Chapters held in Ilorin.
“The theme of this year’s convention scheduled for 26-29 October, 2017, in Makurdi, is “Canons, Prizes and Boundaries: African Writings and Writers in World Literature”, with a keynote speech to be delivered by Prof. Saleh Abdu of Gombe State University.
“The Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has agreed to host the convention and the planning towards the convention is being led by a crop of distinguished Benue State-born writers and intellectuals such as Prof. Idris Amali and Prof. Jerry Agada, a former President of ANA and former Minister of State for Education.”
It would be recalled that this will be the third time Benue State will be hosting ANA National Convention in the history of the Association, and it is a State rich in arts and cultural activities. Abdullahi revealed that pre-registration for that convention is already on, “So we expect a memorable convention in terms of organisation and thrills,” he assured.
