Though a Customer Relations Officer with Globacom Communication, Babatunde Olamitundun Onikoyi has distinguished himself as film critic, theatre artiste and scholar. At first glance, nothing about him will suggest his background as an artiste until he begins to talk about the medium and his experiences on the stage. He bears within him a certain passion for the creative art, a feeling that finds expression in writing, directing and acting on the stage and researching into theatre and motion picture. He is the initiator of Wole Soyinka/Dapo Adelugba Prize for Literature, which is in its sixth year. Presently a Ph.D candidate, the University of Ibadan Theatre Arts graduate shares with DANIEL ANAZIA the essence of the prize, his thoughts about film industry, and how his experience as a theatre art practitioner has continued to influence his career.What is the link between Theatre Art and telecommunication'They are interwoven in many ways, but not completely as the case maybe. I work with Globacom Communication as relations' officer but beyond that, I am also a researcher with interest in Theory of Film, which is my thesis as a doctoral candidate at the University of Ibadan. I worked with Bookcraft Publishing Company, editing theatre works, drama and other things before I left for Glo.I studied drama in my first degree and Master's degree level, I switched over to film. And I am also majoring on film in my doctoral degree (Ph.D), which of course is inextricably linked to the theatre. And to link it up with telecommunication, they are both imaginative communication of significant experiences. In other words, they are communication by default ' theatre and film.My instinct as a theatre or film person has given me the leverage on my job. And since I deal with people by taking down issues and trying to solve their problems, it is part of the functions of communication. So, my background as a theatre person offers me that opportunity to relate with people not just as a customer relations person but also as a public relations officer (PRO). The confidence that I have actually gathered overtime as a stage performer, while relating with the audience, helps me to actually flow easily on the job.What inspired you to set up the Wole Soyinka/Dapo Adelugba Prize for Literature'I would say it is out of my experiences as a Theatre Arts graduate and desire to give back to the society. The basic reason for the Wole Soyinka/Dapo Adelugba Prize for Literature is to promote reading culture among students and literature (literary works) and also give back to the department that made me ' you know giving back to society that made you. You can call it a social sustainable responsibility or CSR.The university made me so it was just like giving back to my school and I wanted the students to develop healthy appetite for reading. I felt that I had gained a lot from the University of Ibadan, especially the department of Theatre Arts. So, we (my wife and I) instituted the prize six years ago as a way of showing our love to the students.It is a cruel world now. Nigeria will not offer you anything; rather it will wait for you to offer it something without giving anything in return. So I thought it as a way to inspire the students that they can make something out of what they have. You can still be a hero basically with what you have.It is said that a nation that does not read lacks vision and it should be ready to go into extinction. Reading I believe is core part of every individual. This is why we name the prize after two eminent literary icons, who have contributed immensely to literary development, drama and arts criticism generally in Nigeria and across the globe.. This year's edition was held Saturday, August 25. And like we have always done, the winner always goes home with a plaque and his/her name, and the purpose of the prize inscribed on it. Apart from the plaque, the person also goes home with books and cash prize as well. There are consolation prizes for participants, and we also give out a prize for the lecturer of the year.For the first time since the institution of the prize in 2007, we produced a female winner. Her name is Sophia Agbasiere, she is from Theatre Arts department.What influenced your interest in arts'It started while I was growing up. My father, Rasheed Onikoyi, was an actor and that I think greatly influenced me. I have loved theatre from secondary school. I was a member of the drama, music and the press group respectively. So it was easy to delve into all these things. The experience prepared me to go into drama, although when I left secondary school l was more interested in writing. I have been writing for a long time but it has been on culture, film and film theory. I write both on European, American and African works with Nigeria in particular at heart..Theatre involves writing and so on; so there is no hard demarcation between the two. If you were not writing a creative work, you are doing a criticism of a creative work. So I find myself experienced in those areas, and then the love of the theatre began. But then I was always taking courses in English to build myself up.My father played Oba Danlola in Wole Soyinka's Kongi's Harvest. He played Abraham in the defunct television drama series, Sounds of Destiny. It was a very beautiful soap opera, and it made me know the other side of my dad very well. He also acted in Bisi the Daughter of the River and other plays. He was a very beautiful actor while he lived. He died in 1992. He was actually trained at the Royal Academy of Arts, England.Back in my undergraduate days, I featured in several stage drama productions including Kongi's Harvest, where I played the role of Organising Secretary. I was in Debo Sotiminu's Onion Skin, Ahmed Yerima's The Mirror Cracks, Ola Rotimi's The Gods Are Not To Blame (I played the role of Baba Fakunle). I also featured in Tea House, and a few American and British plays among others. As a director, I directed a lot of plays including The Gods Are Not To Blame, Kongi's Harvest, Beatification of Area Boys, and others. In 2005 when Harold Pinter won the Nobel Prize for Literature, I was opportune to also direct his play, Birthday Party.What is your take on Nigeria film industry (Nollywood)'The Nigerian film industry (Nollywood) is still at its development stage. It is growing but not fully developed. We are advancing little by little in the area of production. I think it is a welcomeparadigmatic shiftthat has been adopted by a few directors and filmmakers, who have specifically seen the need for more quality 'text'. I think gradually, Nollywood audiences are becoming rather tired of the status quo. It is good because, if we continue to accept the garbage we see every now and then, how then do we insist on a gradual overhaul of the mess' We must advocate in every way for the best of quality films that can standfirst amongequals with those works that can compete for the Oscars. Now, this is attainable and can be achieved. It is all a matter ofconviction, consistency and discipline.There is difference between growth and development. In other words, you are talking about increment and reputation. I cannot say Nollywood has fully developed but I must say it has grown sincerely. It is the largest employer of various chains of commands in production. It is the third largest film industry in the world, after Hollywood and Bollywood.Every culture is influenced by certain magnitude of attitude, behaviour, pattern of life and what obtains as the case maybe. In Nigeria, we are a communal people and we move in group, and this has actually affected our film industry. This is why we tend to produce so many films unlike Hollywood and Bollywood. It is not a bad idea actually but it doesn't help the industry . It is what we have come to see and live with within the Nollywood broad spectrum.
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