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By Simeon Mpamugoh
Groups of sound engineers and marketers of digital audio engineering equipment recently gathered at a hangout with industry bigwigs to chart a common front for the investment potential and development of the creative ecosystem. It was held at the Ministry of Youths and Sports playground, Gbagada Estate, Phase 1, Lagos State.
Chief host, Aigbovo Giwa-Osagie, regretted that the once vibrant art and showbusiness industry has nosedived, attributing it to the decline of activities, decreased participation of youths and lean sponsorship budget for events, among corporate organizations.
He agreed that it was not entirely dull, adding that the major drawback was a lack of proper equipment and funding by financial institution in Nigeria.
He said: “Currently, we are talking to some financial institutions to assist us with assets finance portfolios. A lot of members are interested in growing their art but this is impossible without equipment.
“On the other hand, we’ll like financial institutions to procure the equipment for us while we pay back by handling the sound needs of their events free of charge. Similar partnership module was brokered with Cross River State government. The state government bought her own sound equipment and they managed it for 12 years. It’ll be a mutually beneficial partnership. The idea helped to build a team in Calabar. Most of them in that team are today in Lagos doing well; some have improved with more equipment. So, if the banks can assist us, it’ll boost the creative and digital economy.”
Osagie, who has worked with A-list artistes and concerts in Nigeria and abroad in the last 35 years disclosed that the hangout has progressed in engagement over the years, pointing out that the idea was muted to highlight the welfare and health issues of members and their challenges.
“In this edition, we invited mental health expert to educate us on mental health issues. A lot of us have mental health issues without knowing it. We also invited insurance companies to take us through policies we can underwrite to secure our equipment against burglary and other hazards.”
He also spoke on the social perception of sound engineering profession: “The profession has taken me to different parts of the world with its attendant attractions. In abroad a sound engineer is highly respected but in Nigeria, it’s passion that is keeping those in it and that same passion is what one needs before venturing into the profession. The situation is worse because a lot of event planners don’t feel concerned with the challenges and battles of a sound engineer in respect of equipment to deliver on the job. And to put a good equipment in place requires a lot of funding.
“Some financial institutions also don’t understand the investment potential they can explore with a high yield in record time. We have sound engineers across different industries: Nollywood and so on, and we need the right people who understand the business in the right places. This event has exposed talents and we’ll harness such skills for the benefits and growth of the industry.”
He however acknowledged the fact that professionals in the industry had began to feel breath of fresh air compared to the past when they were ignored and treated shabbily.
He said: “It’s not that some of us have literally arrived but the fact is that some of us control multi- millionaire naira equipment. Someone who can afford equipment worth N50-N60 million cannot be ignored. And we have a lot of us that are certified sound engineers.”
He disclosed that the group’s official launch “comes up next year,” adding: “We have been on it in the past but it didn’t come clean because some feel they cannot be sedentary and controlled. But the actual fact is that if we don’t get regulated, we’ll have issues with government in the long run.”
He advised upcoming talents not to be discouraged, saying: “This is an emerging industry that needs a lot of hands-on in churches and other sectors. We also have to note that campaigns for 2027 election will soon kick off, it is sound engineers that will amplify the voices of the candidates for the election.”
He urged Lagos State government to encourage the teaching of sound engineering in schools, pointing out that it could generate a lot of revenue and also provide an avenue to rehabilitating the youths. “Nothing is wrong in selecting them from the streets and turning them to sound engineers. And before one knows it, they have turned the market around,” he stated.
Ifeanyi Achibiri, Paul Adefarasin’s House On The Rock and Experience concert sound engineer for over 20 years, noted that the hangout was what they used to travel abroad to enjoy, commending Osagie for bringing it about in Nigeria. “We do not need to travel abroad again for it. We now have a place we can come together to improve ourselves, inspire one another and discuss the future of our profession. We need to spread it to other cities in Port Harcourt and Abuja.”
A Political Science graduate of the University of Ibadan, Achibiri further shared the challenges of being a sound engineer: “It’s tasking and challenging. You are out in the field all day long. Sometimes you need to stay with colleagues to encourage each other, unwind outside of clients’ environment and events people, chats and banter. So, this is an interesting development we want to be happening every quarter.”
He stated that sound engineers were important in several areas of concern, especially churches, noting: “without a sound engineer, the church will be boring. If one doesn’t hear what the pastor is preaching, the essence of coming to church is null and void, and of no effect. The key reason for coming to church is to hear the message of the day. This happens when the sound engineer has inputed the right connections to the equipment and filters the sound such that believers could hear clearly from the recess of the speakers. Unfortunately, most people come to church to look at the aesthetics, forgetting the most important thing; which is to hear the word of God.
“Besides, they significantly help the atmosphere of churches with good lyric songs and top-notch sounds, which could bring down the move of the Spirit of God with believers falling under the anointing, healing and breaking through, and believers screaming: “.Oh thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.””
“A sound engineer can also frustrate the preaching of a pastor who spent weeks preparing his message. He mounts the pulpit and the sound engineer mutes the microphone, without him knowing that it has been muted may be because he is not happy with the way the pastor is handling his welfare. So sound engineers should be motivated to perform optimally to the glory of God.”
For Toluwalope, aka MC Coded, “the event is innovative and makes a lot of sense. It has been a convergence of sound engineers who came to form a united front so that they can learn of each other, the industry, equipment and how to launch themselves into the global space. We all know that without sound, there is no entertainment, no stage and no event.”
Highlights of the event included low stake competitions: “So you think you can mix,” “set up the system in 5 minutes,” and putting a session on logic and making it sound nice,” etc, which Goodluck Perekpo won one of them. They also had an exhibition of digital audio engineering equipment like mixing consoles, gears, earwigs, drums, microphones and others. Present at the event included Emmanuel Odu, Bishop Oyedepo’s Word of Faith Bible Church sound engineer and Savolaj of Pasuma music and film.
