Music, entertainment industry, remain hope for Nigeria’s economic mainstay – reggae star

Music, entertainment industry, remain hope for Nigeria’s economic mainstay – reggae star

The Federal Government and state governments may have ignored the nation’s biggest economic sector; music and entertainment including sports, drama, film, broadcasting, live performing arts, video gaming, interactive digital media, and location-based amusement.

Jah Device, a reggae star of many years with over 80 songs who has large following in Jamaica, told BusinessDay in Port Harcourt the earlier government returns to promotion and investing in music and entertainment industry, the faster the Nigerian economy would shoot up fast.

Jah Device is a celebrated songwriter, producer, performer, and producer. He was one of the biggest guest performance at the recently concluded 45th Bob Marley festival in Port Harcourt. He also embarked on media tour of the Garden city thereafter.

Jah Device, who was born Vincent Kaweng Nyam, said music has big roles in the economy of Nigeria and the states. He also said Rivers State could be Nigeria’s reggae hub and compete with Jamaica. “Music cannot be overemphasized in the buildup of economy or in the mainstay of any economy.”

He said there is no way Nigeria could hope to build an economy without music as the plank. “The FG and even the states seem to have forgotten what the music industry can do to the economy. The ecosystem of employment keeps going up. Some people look down on music industry not knowing how it’s a job booster. The truth about it is that we are one of the biggest employers that people don’t really know. Let’s look at Lagos or Port Harcourt.

“The biggest name in music in Port Harcourt would be employing many people. Somebody like Buchi even has an office. I have been to his office in Lagos, and I have seen the number of staff that work in that office. And when he goes on stage, I’ve seen the number of people that go with him. He has an event center somewhere in town in Ikeja where people go around every month and have a good time.

“Fela Anikulapo was almost an industry. So, there is no way we can run a country or an economy without music. So, the government can use this as a tool, as an avenue to boost a sector of the economy and create jobs.”

Jah Device made it clear that Government can actually zero in on the music and entertainment industry like Jamaica. “Government can no longer fold its hands and watch. If they promote music and entertainment, they will watch the economy grow exponentially. Look at Jamaica. They have no mineral resources but they sell music. And go and see Jamaica today. Everybody wants to go to Jamaica. If you’re going to Jamaica and you do not book a hotel a month ahead of time, you are not going to have accommodation.”

He said Jamaica has moved from music to sports entertainment. They invested in the short races and now they compete or even overtake the US. Some of Jamaica’s best include Usain Bolt (regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time); Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce the “Pocket Rocket,” Elaine Thompson-Herah, the first woman in history to win the 100m and 200m sprint double; Asafa Powell, a former 100m world record holder; Yohan Blake, one of the youngest 100m World Champions in history; Veronica Campbell-Brown, a seven-time World Champion; and Merlene Ottey, first woman to win medals in six consecutive Olympic Games.

So, you can use music to build and raise funds to expand to other sectors like Jamaica did, he stated.

Pillars of Nigeria’s music industry:

He said; “Music in Nigeria survives on private efforts and pillars of the industry such as the Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China. He happens to be a brother close to the heart. He also was my classmate, my schoolmate, my friend, in fact a bosom friend. We were in the same dormitory back in the days. Also in same music group. We formed a music group afterwards.

“I can see that his philosophies have never changed. He believes everyone can become bigger and greater, and you can always grow. That’s his philosophy and he has never changed. I can see how attached he is to the growth of the entertainment industry and housing. He’s passionate about housing, he’s equally passionate about the entertainment industry.

“So I just want to thank him for holding strong to the baton, and running the race without looking back. He’s holding the plough and he’s going ahead. He actually is the reason why I’m able to make it to Port Harcourt because when the organizers of this 45th Bob Marley’s celebration in Port Harcourt approached me, I introduced them to the Mayor of Housing for support. Kudos to him. I just pray that people realize the potential in such a person, and key into his business which is real estate. I’m so happy with what he’s doing with Alesa Highland Sustainable Green Smart City project and pray that everything goes well with the whole venture.”

PH huge on music and entertainment:

Jah Device said the Bob Marley remembrance show was a huge success. “This is because those invited showed up and the crowd was something else.

“Secondly, I saw enthusiasm and consummate interest in the crowd. I thought people would run away but they stayed back to enjoy the whole thing and you can imagine an event going all the way from 6pm all the way to about 5am. Wow. It’s been a while since I saw anything like that.

“The only time I saw this was in Jamaica. And I’m seeing it here in Port Harcourt, which means Port Harcourt really has the potential of becoming a big music city and investment hub. It will mean that people from all over the world can come to Port Harcourt and celebrate themselves and have a good time.”

I was born Vincent Kaweng Nyam, but my stage name is ‘I Am Device’, aka, Jah Device. Well, ‘I Am’ is the name of God. Finally, I go by Jah Device, meaning the device in Jah’s hand.

I hail from Jos, Plateau State. I am Berom by tribe, the largest tribe in Plateau State, spreading over the Middle Belt as well.

My primary and secondary education was all there in Jos, Plateau State. And, that was where I met My-ACE China, the Mayor of Housing. We were schoolmates and went through the school together all the way to secondary school. It was there he left Jos for the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and I went to ABU Zaria for about a year on a sports programme and later came to Jos and studied Accounting and Finance and graduated at the Plateau State Polytechnic as an accountant.

Afterwards, I held on to music with my education, and started recording soon after I graduated from school.

Even before then, I had done two singles (or so) using President Olusegun Obasanjo’s speech about ‘The Hope of Nigeria’. He said he saw hope. The song didn’t do well but it gave birth to an album, Hope.

So I kind of released a 13-track album, which was locally released in Nigeria. So the “Hope Reloaded” project went out, and I continued recording singles like that until 2015 into 2016.