by Tunde Fagbenle

This year’s Countdown, expected to attract about a million people over the three-week period, is starting on December 7 when governor Fashola officially “switches on” the Lagos Festival of Lights, and runs all the way to 1st January 2014, climaxing in a magical display of fireworks and laser beam. That’s three weeks of dare.

Rounding off the year, each and every year, in big style and with a flourish of entertainment and lighting razzmatazz is not something new to the big cities of the world like New York, London, Paris, etc.

To be sure, in varying degrees of hoopla, celebrating the end of a ‘year’ is universal, something every human society does, perhaps right from the beginning of time. Yes, all of humanity may not (and do not) have a common calendar, but celebrating the end of a period, a season, an epoch, and ushering in another is arguably inherent in human nature.

In Nigeria, with the coming of the British, their religion and culture, the Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas became dominant and nationally pervasive as Christians spread to different parts of the country.  Now Christmas season marks the end of the year with the festivity spreading into and ushering in the New Year.

I remember my growing up years in Minna, in today’s Niger State.  Christmas season was the time for extravagant fanfare and revelry, when both the old and the young trooped unto the streets in groups or associations, adorned in the most colourful and brilliant of fancy dresses. It was the time of spectacular gaiety of drums and drummers, music and sheer hullabaloo. Bangers and fireworks rent the air and we lit the nights with our “biscos” – long broomsticks that ignite into sparks of stars.

Not much of these are happening these days. But I’m made to understand Lagos has found another way of recreating the mood, the fun, and the intoxicating revelry of sending one year off and welcoming another. And it began last year, I’m told, when the pace-setting governor of the State of Lagos, Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF), suggested the idea of Lagos starting its own “Countdown” razzmatazz to my good old friend (I won’t say aburo as some ‘bad-belle’ readers wonder how come everyone is my “aburo” – am I the oldest man on earth?), George Noah, the CEO of the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA); but of George and his creative mind I will speak shortly.

Certainly, official COUNTDOWN as a concept and event is not novel. It reportedly began in the State of New York, USA, way back in 1904, over 100 years ago! It’s an end-of-the-year celebration that holds at Times Square, New York and whose hallmark is the Ball Drop whereby a huge glittering time ball descends 141 feet in 60 seconds down a specially designed flagpole, beginning at a minute to twelve midnight and resting at the dot of midnight to signal the start of the new year, televised nationally and watched globally by hundreds of millions of viewers.The Countdown event attracts about a million revellers every year who fill the streets from Times Square all the way up to Central Park, generating billions of dollars into the economy.

Every year the event gets more extravagant with imagination and creativity stretched to their limits. Before the time ball drops, there are a series of star-studded live music performances and celebrity guest appearances in what’s an all day fare of balloons, pom-poms, confetti, and colourful pyrotechnic display.In the UK, Trafalgar Square, London, boasts its own Countdown with revellers milling in tens of thousands to witness spectacular fireworks display which starts after Big Ben (the big London clock) chimes midnight and goes on for about 10 minutes and televised to millions of viewers nationwide.

When governor Fashola muted the idea to Noah last year, December was only a few weeks to an end. It was crazy to embark upon such spectacle, on any scale, within such a short time frame. But George is no stranger to crazy possibilities.

I first met him when he and his friend, Richie Johnson, came to see me in my HomeNews newspaper publishing office in London, back in 1990.  The two young men wanted my views and possible support for a number of projects on their minds. One was a job-search newspaper, the other a Nigerian radio station. All they were armed it were their brilliant minds and rapacious hunger for trailblazing. They saw HomeNews as a shinning light. I was proud of them and gave them what encouragement I could. I think they were struck by my openness and pleasure in welcoming what could be a competitor to my business.

But back to Countdown. Within that short time frame last year George set out nevertheless with the 2012 Countdown. The focal point was the Lagos Bar Beach, a long stretch of Atlantic Ocean coastline in highbrow Victoria Island that BRF is transforming into EKO Atlantic City, an ambitious mega-project. In a frenzy George got artistes lined up, the Bar Beach glittered with dazzling lights, and the crescendo was a spectacular 45-minute fireworks display such as the country has never seen before. George imagines about N1billion was generated into the Lagos economy from that alone.

Now, the 2013 Countdown has begun with more time on his hands; time that flies. This Countdown business is a great idea, certainly for a city like Lagos bursting at the seams and badly in need of outlets for pent-up steam. It’s a city of intense energy and vibrant youths eager and ready to stamp their presence on the global map of ideas; music and culture. But the challenge must be daunting, of efficient organising and calming security!

George is brimming with enthusiasm and dreams. For him, the Countdown is not just about revelry of a few days or weeks, it’s huge business with a lot of ramifications that key-in into the overall BRF transformative agenda for Lagos. “It’s about instituting an enduring crossover tradition of commerce, employment generation, leisure, entertainment, and tourism,” says George.  He said about 1,000 people were employed last year, including caterers, retailers, entertainers, security personnel, etc., while over 200,000 people revelled in the 10 days it lasted.

This year’s Countdown, expected to attract about a million people over the three-week period, is starting on December 7 when governor Fashola officially “switches on” the Lagos Festival of Lights, and runs all the way to 1st January 2014, climaxing in a magical display of fireworks and laser beam. That’s three weeks of dare. Even in my little mind I can begin to imagine what it could mean to Lagos economy and life: the employment generation; the business enhancement – electricity, banks, brewers, confectioners, fast-food, transport, clothing, arts and crafts; the creativity; the opportunities. I can see billions of naira generated.

Nigeria has become a global force in the music and film industries. Our Nollywood is ranked the third largest in the world, after Hollywood and Bollywood. I can see the Lagos Countdown becoming televised nationally and all over Africa to become yet another global brand. That’s the dream of BRF and George. That’s my hope.

George Noah says over 40 top Nigerian artistes are expected for live performances, including: TuFace Idibia, Davido, Omawumi, Bracket, J Martins, Morell, Duncan Mighty, Timaya, Wizkid, Banky W, Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, D’Prince, MI, Ice Prince, Burna Boy and Iyanya.

It fills me with joy when I see creative minds at work. I stop at nothing to help where I can. This COUNTDOWN business is a damn good idea that other states should emulate. We need everything that can help lift us out of the rot of unemployment and poverty. And that’s saying it the way it is!

 

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This post in published with the permission of the author

 

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