Naomi Yisa is a fast-rising Nupe artiste into Nupe films and musicals. Aside filmmaking, Yisa works in the Tourism Corporation under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in Minna, Niger state. In this interview with ABDULLAHI MUHAMMAD, Yisa speaks about Nupewood, its leadership and her resolve to move the industry to its promised land.
How did you get into the movies?
Though I was doing movies before I picked up a job in the tourism sector, but actually movie influenced my appointment and my appointment with the organisation has really improved my profession, even though it takes much of my time now than ever due to the fact that work keeps calling every now and then. However, I came into Nupewood through one Abdullahi Bida. As you know, one has to go to work every day, at times even weekends, but am really enjoining it even though I combine the two.
Where has the industry taken you to? I mean what are your gains in the Nupe movie industry so far?
Well, talking about where Nupe movies and where it have taken me to, I would say it is a wonderful experience being a part of the Nupehood. Firstly, it has given me a job, I have been to Ghana for some work performances, I have performed live for the former president of Nigeria President GoodLuck Ebele, alongside the Sibonbo Nupe cultural group in Aso rock Abuja, have met many stars in the kannyhood and Ghanyhood, and so many other places. I have performed with Adam A. Zango, and others in the Kannyhood.
Having attained this stage or achieved these from the industry, what do you have to tell the people out there in terms of support?
Except for the emir, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, the chairman Niger state traditional rulers, who has always been there for us as a father and elder. We will always appreciate him for his time and everything. After him, sincerely I will like to solicit for our people’s encouragement. Our people need to support us, the leaders, government and also our parents. We really need both the moral and financial support from you all out there.
We are seriously lacking support from our leaders most especially, when you check other movie industries they are fast growing even though there are challenges everywhere we know, but ours is too backward because of lack of support and motivation from our leaders. We need sponsors who will further give us scholarships to train further in this field and otherwise. We also lack basic technical equipments to build us, we need things like lights, cameras and standard studio to sing, shoot and edit our works but no one seems to be coming to our aid on all this. I don’t know why.
What about within the industry? Since it inception, is there anybody who has really supported in the industry financially, morally and otherwise?
When you talked about within the industry I felt a deep shock in me not because am scared but because the hero is no more. sincerely, in my opinion, if you continue to ask me this same question from now till the next fifty years to come if am alive, my answer will remain the same. of course late Sadisu Muhammad DGN, may his humble soul continue to rest in paradise Amin. he was famously known as Teacher Yekondunu. Sadisu was the Sarkin Wasan Nupe, crowned by the able Estu Yahaya Abubakar.
He was a God sent to our lives in general. He was always fighting for the success of this industry till his last breath. He was fighting for the industry He saw himself dying but held the industry tight.
Sadisu is a fallen hero he was a true definition of a hero. In fact, I lack words to use to describe him because he is a man that stood firm for the industry where ever he is he always want to carry everybody along where ever he is he want everyone to be there to no more. He was a leader per excellence and a teacher, he thought us invaluable things about movie industry, musicals and took us to so many places and thought us all about the industry entirely.
So do you see the industry moving forward ever since or not?
Seriously, it is moving backward some of the things drawing it back is poor marketing, lack of equipments like I mentioned earlier, no equipments to translate or subtitle our movies to make it relevant for societal consumption. For instance, when you look at most Yoruba movies, they are subtitled and so they get wider coverage and others do get to benefit from it and this is what is really pulling us back. Even though they have people sponsoring them, ours we have no one, you have to produce the money from your pocket and mostly you end up losing that money instead of gaining.
Does the industry have any leadership at this present time?
Yes it does but seriously the leadership is not working the new leader we have after the death of Sadisu muhammad as the Sarkin Wasan Nupe, one has been turbaned known as Baba Doko Sule Sarki who is the new sarkin wasan nupe but then the industry is really falling apart because it has lost it nutrient.
Though it is not easy to be a leader when you attain a leadership position you must be ready to face a lot of things from every angle, sycophancy, blames and what have you, but as a leader you just have to carry everybody along no matter what you need not take just few and sideline others no! it is wrong as a leader you should hear your peoples view, interact with them one to one to know what their cries are, what they want. He should learn from the past hero late Sadisu muhammad, he visited people at home interact with them know what they want at times he will even ask you some nasty question about the industry just to get something out of you and he will use that to build the industry.
Do you see yourself leaving the Nupehood to places like Noolyhood, Kanyhood or you want to remain here?
No! seriously no. If you look at it clearly we have a different cultural backgrounds if I try to go to those kind of places I will be going out of my way to showcasing another culture entirely and I can’t appease my own culture why? I dont think I want to be part of something that is totally different from my cultures and traditions. I want remain in the Nupehood movies and take it to its promised land that is my dream.
Are you saying that the way some of your artists showcase themselves that is against the culture?
Yes seriously. but it is all about the question of leadership. It is the lack of good leadership because if we had had a well organised house it will be a different thing. Imagine people dance, sing all sort of things, dress anyhow and say whatever dialogue they want in the movies and musicals which ordinarily is far from the culture of the Nupes. my advice to artist in the industry is that we should put ourselves into order let go back to our roots and ask our grandparents about our cultures and try to bring it to bear.
Film-making at times is related to preaching just like mallams and pastors do where most people find it difficult to listen but with movies you find out it almost practical that one may want to dedicate his time to watch and with that it teaches something so what I am saying in essence is that let us take our time to go deep into our cultures to learn more about our societies and bring it to view for people to get informed instead of creating irrelevant things.
Can you mention some of the movies you featured in?
Okay we have chinchin a’ na ye (Love is Blind), Boye( love), chinbo nna (The lost of a mother), Gibbi dede ( A sturbon Child), Zuzungi emi tachin (The enemy within) then some of the musicals include: The best of naomi, Nupe Asali (the origin of Nupe), Ewo Gboka, (Money is power), and so on.
What is your message for your colleages out there and also the masses?
First of all I want to say that my wish for this industry is to see us come together and unite so that we and the industry can grow, to our parents and the masses at large I will say please give us your utmost support don’t stop your children from coming into the industry the Nupe movies help our children to be able to speak their dialect perfectly especially those abroad or far from the state. And more so, to the government, we need your unalloyed support,Wet will interest you to know that Nupe movie industry also contributes it quarter to the society by creating employment opportunities to our teaming youth to a very large extent. so, please give us your time and support.
