Nigerian music video director and filmmaker Clarence Abiodun Peters has shared his opinions about international recognition in the Nigerian creative industry.
Speaking during Hot Topics Special on News Central’s Jasiri on Friday, Clarence dismissed the importance of awards like the Grammys and MTV Awards, focusing instead on the need for a thriving local market in Nigeria.
“I don’t care about the Grammys. I don’t care about the MTV Awards. I don’t care about any of these awards. They don’t do anything for me. They don’t do anything for my country,” Clarence said. He argued that Nigeria’s creativity and talent should be self-sustaining without seeking validation from the international community.
With Nigeria’s population of over 220 million and approximately 17 million people in the diaspora, Clarence believes the country has the potential to influence the world on its terms.
“The world would care about what we care about if we do it well. So that’s standard,” he added.
The cinematographer highlighted economic challenges as a major reason why Nigerians often look to foreign markets for validation. He lamented how the depreciation of the Naira has affected local industries, especially music and entertainment.
Comparing the present to when the Naira was stronger, he explained how artists previously thrived within Nigeria’s market.
“The only way we can be gatekeepers is to have a thriving market of our own,” he said, questioning why the local industry isn’t self-sufficient despite the country’s large population. He pointed to low purchasing power and the influence of multinational companies dictating market preferences as major obstacles.
“So how come we are not a big enough market? Because to answer the question of why we need the validation of the bigger market, we need to answer why we are not enough for ourselves here. Because we don’t have money. Our people don’t have money,’ he said.
Clarence also criticised the modern music scene for pandering to international audiences rather than focusing on what resonates locally. He emphasised that Nigeria’s creative sector once thrived independently and can do so again if economic conditions improve.
His words:
“That’s what they will keep telling you. Your numbers aren’t this. A lot of the multinationals keep coming and telling you, oh, this is not happening.
“You are not list watching your movies. You’re not doing this. You’re not doing that.
“And because of that, we have to ponder to what we think the international community wants to hear or see. We didn’t have this problem late 2010s, early 2011, 2012. We were sufficient.
“The music was here. Think about an artist that gets paid 10 million a show. I think the badge was making mouth about it at some point.
“At the time when the dollar was about 120, do the math to that. There were artists that a million dollars wasn’t the end of the world. Now that’s massive.
“The economics of the country has largely affected our mindsets. All right. And a lot of people are taking advantage of it.
“I think that, especially with music, the present modern-day space doesn’t really send Nigerians.”
