ODU BLACK
One of Nigerian leading light in multi-media production, Akin Alabi, is rounding off a project that will add up to the efforts of other scholars in inking the Yoruba culture in the sands of time.
In an exclusive interview with this writer, Alabi revealed that he is putting together age long Yoruba proverbs and bringing them to live true pictures and animation, “well, I have been working very hard by putting together images I have captured across the Nation-Particularly Yoruba speaking State with words of wisdom to help preserve our culture. According to my Igbo brothers; proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten. With this knowledge as a film maker and a photographer I deemed it necessary to not only document Yoruba proverbs but to document the three major languages in Nigeria(Igbo, house and Yoruba) as my own way of aiding and preserving our culture and value in the face of all these present moral decadents.”
The project, according to the ebony skinned film maker is not just for adult as he is preparing animated version in Igbo, yoruba and Hausa to help grab children attention, “you and I know that children hardly forget what they see on television, hence you can understand the reason why I am putting together an animated version for children, because there are the main target for this project since the kids are our future” Alabi enthused.
Is Akin Alabi doing this project on his own or he has been commissioned by a financial power house to do this? “This is a purely Akin Alabi project that has been met with a lot of support from friends and family. The only institution working with us for now is the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). We earnestly pray that States and Federal Government as well as cooperate Nigeria will make this happen before the end of the year, at least for our younger generation that are the cure of their business institutions” Akin Concluded.