By Ochereome Nnanna
When we were growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, there were many items on radio and television and around us that helped us to grow into what we have become today. The television itself was archaic.

The picture was in black-and-white and rarely clear (you had to sweat it out at the aerial pole outside with someone inside reporting when it was good enough to watch). In the 1970s the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA’s, various provincial stations were the only TV outlets, which joined the national studios from time to time for the news and prime programmes, especially drama loaded with social messages.

We had The Masquerade (which later became The New Masquerade when it was beamed to a national audience), The Village Headmaster, Hotel De Jordan, Cockcrow At Dawn, Icheoku, Samanja, and a whole lot of others.

They not only provided rich comedy entertainment, they also conveyed messages about right and wrong which helped to turn us into what we have become. There were so many other varieties on radio done in English, Pidgin English and the various local languages and dialects that afforded quality free entertainment. The irony was that the artistes displayed their prodigious talents for fun, and most of them died famous but broke.

Compare that with today, the digital age. There are digital media outlets everywhere you look: radio and television are on your colour TV screen, computer and even handheld smart phones. We now have our own world-acclaimed movie industry fondly known as Nollywood. Some of the artistes are not only rich but also famous unlike their 1970s and 1980s forebears. The media, the actors and the audience are there, yet something big is missing: the message.

Most of the stuff on our screens are banal, hackneyed and bankrupt. The local languages and dialects are rapidly disappearing, giving way to the English language, Pidgin English and mongrelised urban admixture of English with local languages. In short, we are not transferring value to our children the same way that we got when we were growing up.

The reason for this is obvious. There is too much pursuit of money; a rat-race in which only a few find the money and the rest end up as losers. The funny thing about the lack of message from the airwaves is that even government is no longer able to communicate with the people. What we see is propaganda and lies taken to a high art. Even government-owned media are also after money, money and more money.

It is, therefore, very cheering to learn that Professor Johnbull is coming to town. At least, our children will have something to remember when they grow up if Globacom, the sponsor of this television drama series does not drop the programme halfway as it did to a number of other innovative, socially-relevant initiatives it introduced in the past, especially the sponsorship of cultural festivals across Nigeria. That sponsorship brought out the glory and colour of Nigeria’s cultures, and if it had been sustained, it would have boosted our tourism and helped the economy through massive employment.

This television series which was billed to go on the airwaves on July 19, 2016 (though I have yet to see any episode) brings together the all-star screen personalities that made our movie industry famous around the world: actors Kanayo O Kanaya (who plays Professor Johnbull), Mercy Johnson-Okojie, Patience Ozokwor, Yomi Fash-Lanso,Ime Bishop Okon, Queen Nwokoye, Junior Pope, Funky Mallam, Bidemi Kosoko, Chiwetalu Agu, OC Ukeje, Muma G, Bovi, Helen Paul, Bimbo Akintola and others. Already, Afro hip-hop singer, Chinedu Okoli (Flavour) has done a signature tune for the satirical series which is produced by famous Tchidi Tchikere, with legendary Richard Mofe-Damijo as the series Consultant.

This is an opportunity to provide quality home-grown entertainment with relevant messages to our people, an item that has been lacking for sometime. Nollywood is unable to handle this assignment well because those who invest in it as a business are driven by what they feel “sells”, not socially-fulfilling themes. In fact, the industry had started losing so much weight of late. Many artistes who had other better things (such as “politics”) had moved on, while a lot of others have died due to poverty-related health issues. Nollywood urgently needs the kind of financial adrenaline that Glo is putting into Professor Johnbull (which is why the best of our best are eager to play).

We need the private sector to key into social activities like entertainment, youth, sports and care for the vulnerable members of our society. The telecom industry in Nigeria has done quite well in this regard. All the major companies – Airtel, MTN, Globacom and Etisalat, have engaged in artiste endorsements and helped our thespians and musicians to achieve material fullfilment, which is very commendable. Incidentally, it was Glo that kicked off the trend in the industry, apparently justifying their place as the indigenous pioneer. Others came on board and the entertainment industry has never had it so good, especially for those artistes lucky to be selected for endorsement.

The question remains, however, whether Professor Johnbull or any other series that might follow in its trail will be brave enough to confront themes that are relevant to life in Nigeria today. These include our rapidly diminishing social values, languages/dialects and cultures which are being swallowed up by Western and other strange foreign influences in this world of the Internet. Will it be ready to accommodate overtones that touch on terrorism, militancy, kidnapping, the baby factory syndrome, diabolical, dehumanising crimes, human trafficking, corruption in public office, inequity and marginalisation within the system?

It is the ability and willingness of the cast, crew and sponsors of this laudable programme to touch the lives of Nigerians that will make it a precursor to other great possibilities in future.