Anambra State’s slogan is ‘The light of the Nation’. The state, truly, is living up to its motto and slogan. Are the sons and daughters of Anambra State not excelling in their chosen endeavors? Anambra State holds aloft the compass, which shows other states in Nigeria the right path to follow.
A great number of people, who hail from Anambra State, are trail-blazers in their undertakings and endeavours. In the 1980s, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, the springy African sprints Queen of the tracks, who dominated the sprint races in Africa hails from Anambra State, which is the home state of Chimamanda Adichie, a globally known and award-winning writer; Chike Obi, an internationally renowned mathematician; Nnamdi Azikiwe, a freedom fighter, etc.
Anambra people have contributed in no small ways to the evolution and growth of different genres of music in Nigeria. Osita Osadebe, a high life music maestro is one. His songs are philosophical teachings that serve as lodestars for the people. He took the high-life music to a great height, globally. Not surprisingly, his musical accomplishments reverberated across the globe. Music is part of the entertainment industry.
The entertainment industry is composed of film-acting, modeling, music, comedy shows, and others. Anambra State is ably represented in the Nollywood, as the Nigerian film industry is called by the likes of Pete Edochie, a man with deep guttural baritone voice loved for his film acting prowess. Wasky Oguegbu (Akaeze Obosi), is another.
And, there is Bobmanuel Udokwu. Dapper and always well-turned out, Bobmanuel Udokwu has combined film acting with political leadership. Right from his secondary school days, he has been an ardent lover of creative arts. And, over the years, he has garnered leadership experience.
Now, Bobmanuel Udokwu is the Senior Special Assistant (Creative Media) to the Anambra State governor. His current political post is a holdover from the immediate past government in the state. It is a testament to his leadership qualities, versatility in the entertainment industry, and competence.
He is saddled with the responsibility of reviving and strengthening the movie/entertainment industry in the state. And, Governor Obiano has created a safe environment for the blossoming of artistic activities in the state, having purged and rid the state of kidnappers and armed robbers.
A crime-free state is an incentive to the flourishing of artistic activities such as musical shows, film acting, modeling, comedy shows, and others. As the state is not having security challenges now, Bobmanuel Udokwu has mapped out programmes that are aimed at discovering people who are gifted in modeling, film acting, music and others.
Among the programmes is NAIJA NEW DAWN SHOW: RAISING NEW STARS AND CREATING JOBS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. Participants for the programmes were first auditioned on May 22 and 23, 2015 at the Summit Splendor Hotel, Awka, and the final five days later at the same venue.
The NAIJA NEW DAWN SHOW took place on May 30, 2015 at Marble Arch Hotel, Awka. Over one million naira cash prizes were on the offer for the participants. The date for the show coincides with the period of the change of leadership baton between PDP and APC.
It will herald the resurgence of artistic activities in the state. The show served as a platform for the discovering of people gifted in the areas of music, film acting, modeling, and comedy shows. I have no doubt that the SHOW produced new stars, who could hold their own in the entertainment industry in the future. The influx of new entrants into the entertainment industry will reduce the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria.
The entertainment industry has been offering jobs and employments to teeming millions of Nigerian youths, both directly and indirectly. Some globally acclaimed artistes of Nigerian descent were discovered and poached at such shows as the NAIJA NEW DAWN SHOW.
They are now Nigeria’s Cultural Ambassadors in the Diaspora. It is a known fact that there is a nexus between unemployment and criminal activities. An adage says that “an idle mind is a devil’s workshop”.
A lad who is obsessed with writing songs and singing will not have the luxury of time to indulge in criminal activities. NAIJA NEW DAWN SHOW will help to re-focus the attention of our youths on sharpening and honing their latent artistic gifts and skills.
When they were rewarded with financial gifts for their excellent performances at the NAIJA NEW DAWN SHOW, it would motivate them to seek careers in film acting, modeling, music, comedy shows, and others.
The NAIJA NEW DAWN SHOW is one of the programmes in a series of programmes mapped out by Bobmanuel Udokwu. Okoye, a poet and book editor, wrote from Uruowolu-Obosi, Anambra State.
National Mirror
