Shouldn’t Nigeria’s Creative Artists Get More Involved in Addressing National Woes?
I was recently interviewed by NTA on the topic of whether well-known Nigerian artists have a duty to contribute to the development of their nation or not.
We have had artists engaged in exchanging political ideas in the veins of Fela Kuti, Majek Fashek and other artists from the earlier decades of our nation’s independence and they were well appreciated for doing so.
So, is the current generation different? Well, we are farther along in our democracy and in the decades since our independence so the issues of making our country right might not seem as urgent to this generation of artists as it did to previous generations.
These days the sentiment that activism is pointless may have taken hold to some extent, due to the damage that this generation has witnessed and the apathy and cluelessness many politicians exhibit toward social well-being.
Activism is sometimes easier when the goal seems within reach if just a few changes are made. When the problem seems like a grand disaster, people tend to detach and may think it’s better not to associate themselves with any of it.
A little bit of apathy is more fashionable sometimes – to stay focused on your business and avoid the confusing mess of the political landscape.
Also, people sometimes fear the consequences of supporting the wrong cause or unsuccessful activism. They fear they may somehow suffer the wrath of richer, more powerful players in the political landscape.
In previous decades that seemed less of an issue maybe because the right missions to support seemed clearer and maybe the artists were also more courageous.
I think it’s somewhat sensible for artists to do what they’re good at and not get boggled down in a cesspool where they don’t know how to navigate.
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