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Why we’re organising IKODASS Playwriting Competition, by Erogbogbo

IKODASS Playwriting Competition?

Call him a man of culture, and you are, no doubt, stating the obivious. Rotimi Erogbogbo is the current chairman, Ikorodu–Oga Development Association (IKODASS), a socio-cultural and developmental organisation that has under it over 300 clubs, societies and associations in Ikorodu.

 

In this interview with TONY OKUYEME, he talks a out the IKODASS Playwriting Competition, the IKODASS Literary Initiative among other issues about culture and tourism

What inspired the of IKODASS Playwriting Competition?

When we came on board about one and half years ago, we came up with the idea of changing the narratives of the story about Ikorodu. We are not going to pretend about it. There a lot of negative stories about Ikorodu. But I grew up here; I am indigene.

And at this age of my life, at least, I know that most of the stories you hear about Ikorodu are not true. I know that Ikorodu has a lot of potential, it has a lot of cultural activities, a lot of tourism activities that can help the community grow. But the negative stories you hear, you begin to wonder if it is intentionally done to suppress the stars of this metropolitan city.

Ikorodu is not a town; you don’t refer to Ikorodu as a town, if you are being sincere. Ikorodu is a cosmopolitan city, it is a city of over five million people. So we felt that we need to change this narrative because people call you names, that doesn’t mean that that is the name you bear.

So, it is important for us to remodel what we want them to see, expose to the world what we want them to know. And that’s why we  came up with this idea of Ikorodu Literally Initiatives, which involves playwriting, poetry and prose.

It is also to get the young people busy to let them see the potentials that you find in the literary world.

Who are those qualified to participate in this competition?

 

In the first instance, what we are doing right now is for everybody, all over the world.

But the most important thing is that it must be a story about Ikorodu. So you do your research, not just what you think you know. You need to do your research, find out more even what you think you know about Ikorodu. So, when we say do a play about Ikorodu, you do your research. That’s the idea.

What are the criteria for participation?

What will the jury be looking our for? You can see that the consultant is a renowned film director, somebody who is a household name in the film industry. And we a panel of judges from the university, from the art world, and even the media, to ensure that we give it credibility. So, we are very sure that we’re going to give it the best shot.

Is it going to be an annual event?   If it is, how do you hope to sustain it?

 

Yes, it is to give too an annual event, because we felt we have too much to give to the world; so much to be written about Ikorodu. There is so much work to be done. And I think, when you say an annual event, it is even an understatement. A year is not enough for us to do a story on Ikorodu.

So it’s going to be annual event. When we talk about funding, this is a competition that attracts fund for itself naturally. And we are talking to people who are in this category, who want development for the town. We are talking to publishers; and we are talking to individuals who can help in that direction.

 

Any plans for collaboration wuth the state or local governments?

We are going to get the state government involved because we want the play or the poetry to be such that it is standard enough to get into the curriculum of schools Lagos State. When schools adopt it, definitely, it can fund itself. That is the idea.

 

You said the competition is open to anyone, right. Is it there open to all age group including writers in the Diaspora?

It’s opened to everybody, every age for now.

 

This is the first instance, you know we are just starting. But by December 2022, you must have attained the age of 18. It is not child’s play. When we talk about being open to everybody, even to people in the Diaspora, the fact is that Ikorodu is blessed with a lot of people outside Ikorodu, and if you don’t push it to people in diaspora, how do you expect the competition to go globally? We want it to go globally, that’s our mission, that’s our ambition. So it’s for everybody.

 

In terms of Prizes, how much is at stake for the participants?

For now, the total prize money is N500,000. There is something bigger hidden under that N500,000. The prize winner will get N300, 000, including publishing contract and performance of the winning play. When you get a publishing contract, even if it is just N100 that is your money in each copy, you are sure of millions of money for winning it.

 

That’s the idea. So we want the winner to actually do a good job.

Since your assumption of office as the chairman of IKODASS, there is, it seems, a deliberate effort and focus on not just culture and tradition but also the creative arts and youth empowerment…

In Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS), basically, the focus is Culture and Tourism. You see this year edition of Ikorodu-Oga Day, the theme is going to be ‘Cultural, Tourism and the New Economy’. So it’s intentional and we also try as much as possible to bring other sphere of life into it, both on the economy, politics and so on.

What are some those things or features about Ikorodu that stand it out a major tourism destination in Lagos State?

Having attained the status of a metropolitan city in view of the nature of Ikorodu, and like I always tell people, the economy of Ikorodu is so high, such that the economy of Ikorodu is equal to the economy of two states in the South West. But, yet, the cultural setting is not readily affected. It is still there the way it was, highly preserved.

 

That’s what we are trying to do, in May next year, we want to put all of them together where people will come from all over the world to see the tourism potential of Ikorodu. We have several festivals in Ikorodu – over 18 of them. We just ended this year’s edition of Agemo Festival that took place for over seven days, and it involved children, families…

In my university day, when I was a graduating as a student of the University of Ibadan, my project was on Ebi Festival. The economic importance of such festivals cannot be over-emphasised.

 

What should we expect in this year’s Ikorodu-Oga Day?

Something new; something fantastic

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