Lagos is the heartbeat of Nigeria but one of Africa’s economically driven cities is on lockdown due to spike in Covid-19 and this has really altered the narrative of the creative industry for 2020.

Everyone knows the power most cosmopolitan cities wield and control. And just like Cairo, New York, Los Angeles, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Paris, London and other bustling cities, they’re all at ground zero because of the novel Corona virus also known as Covid -19. These cities were hit harder the most. One thing they all have in common just like Lagos, is they control their countries economy.

An Isoko tribe friend of mine once told me that Lagos is Nigeria. He will continue to thank his parents for given birth to him in Lagos. Another Owerri born neighbor said he dreamt of Lagos when he was still in his mother’s womb. And knew he would make it big once he gets in. Both of them actually realized their dreams. While one is a successful artist with highly connected commissions from private and corporate clients, the other one is a successful communication expert. In Lagos, dreams come true.

But, today, the city is dry and dried up, except for the morning downpour that jumpstarted the city from the sleepy mode. Truth be told, no one has ever experienced the city to be so sleepy. No biblical Jonah lives in Lagos. But this is the reality. Checkpoints have taken over the traffic menace associated with Lagos. Camouflaged officers flagged you down easily to identify your tag, that’s, if you have any or you’re one of the outlaws. It’s a zero tolerance to compliance by staying indoors and observing social distancing, these are the new lexicon of our time.

The Art of Africa has been shut down due to the Covid -19 pandemic. The organisers of Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards also called AMVCA, had barely rounded up the awards ceremony and engaging in the normal media duties of winners that the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, dampened the hearts of attendees when he tweeted that some of them may have been in contact with a guest or two at the award ceremony with the virus. And there was indeed total silence! And Nollywood automatically went into isolation.

The entertainment, tourism, art and music industries respectively have been shut down. Creative industry is in total silence. An action commonly used when a film director calls his shots. Everywhere is in total silence, even when the show must go on. A young visual artist had already scheduled his exhibition for Didi Museum but had to suspend it despite all the publicity till further notice.

Nollywood is a busy industry but the policymakers in the industry have asked their members to put on hold all their projects which is a common sense thing to do.

The music industry is affected in so many ways. Lagos concerts are heavier than any other. They’re energy driven concerts but that culture is on hold. Lagos jump and jamming has been stopped for the sake of public health.

The good thing is the essential service end of the business like Pay TV and mainstream media given lock up citizens entertainment to savour by reliving past entertainment events and movies to watch.

More so, Netflix and other online streaming platforms are generating more incomes, since they now have total attention because of the lockdown.

Locations for films and music videos are on break and obviously, location managers are counting their losses due to Covid -19. They have to go through it for the sake of public health.

At the end of these resolved, let’s continue to appreciate our health workers at the frontline. It’s indeed a medical war zone. Talents and creatives they are, we should continue to give them the applause and salutation they deserve.

Lagos shut down will surely turn into commercial revenue for talents with vision. Creativity is on hold at the moment but creatives don’t sleep in Lagos. They are dreamers. Talents in Lagos always get to the finished lines. Experience of the pandemic will bring back Lagos to the hustle and bustle atmosphere it is known for when the creative industry hits the road again.

Film lovers should prepare themselves for Nollywood after the lockdown with suspected narratives on the lockdown, stereotypes for Nollywood. Music venues are warmongering up for lockdown concerts and this concert tags will connect with concert lovers all over Lagos.
Likewise, visual artists are already striking and splashing on canvas for lockdown projects and definitely virtual meetings would have been going on, for exhibitions on Covid -19 and lockdown experience. Photographers are already having a swell time with empty and quiet Lagos images which will surely be a sell – out everywhere. The gains for writers of Nollywood stories are enormous. They own the show presently, as their creative laptops must be serviced to screenplay the lockdown experience.
Lagos despite the lockdown is a goldmine. Expect the drama.

Words /Ireho Aito/images /WALKARTROAD Productions/Google/Biodun Omolayo archives 2020