Victoria Uche

THERE IS A GAME INSIDE THE GAME Nigerians are funny people. Tell them entertainment can be used to influence society, and they will laugh and say, “Abeg, na music.” Tell them films can shape political thinking, they will say, “Na film, relax.” Tell them foreign powers can use culture to influence a country, they will call you a conspiracy theorist. Meanwhile, the same Nigerians will buy a shoe because Rihanna wore it, copy American slang, human hair, relationships, fashion, politics and even mannerisms. But somehow, the media does not influence them. Osisko! I have worked in entertainment for years. So I know one thing very clearly: Entertainment is never just entertainment. America knows this very well. The United States openly uses what it calls cultural diplomacy. Music, film, journalism, scholarships, fellowships, festivals and creative-industry programmes are all part of how countries build influence abroad. Even the U.S. State Department has programmes specifically using film and music to advance American foreign-policy objectives. So this thing is not hidden. Na we dey pretend not to understand. And it goes beyond Hollywood. Some Nigerian filmmakers attend American-funded programmes. Some Nigerian journalists and news organisations receive grants, fellowships or institutional support from American organisations. Some Nigerian music executives and creatives are brought into American mentorship and industry programmes. Some Nigerian record labels and entertainment companies have received foreign investment or entered partnerships with major American companies. Does that automatically mean they are CIA agents? Of course not. But does money, access, training, distribution and international recognition create influence? Use your tongue to count your teeth. America doesn't need to enter a Nigerian newsroom and say, “Write this.” Or call an artist and say, “Sing that.” Modern influence is smarter than that. Funders decide what they fund. Platforms decide what they promote. Festivals decide what they celebrate. Labels decide who gets an international push. Streaming platforms decide what appears on your screen. Algorithms decide what millions of Nigerians repeatedly see. And repeated exposure eventually becomes culture. That is the real power of media. If I can control what your children watch, what your youth dance to, who they admire, what lifestyle they desire, what country they dream of escaping to and what values they consider sophisticated, why exactly do I need to invade your country? You will colonise yourself. Voluntarily. This is why I laugh when people say entertainment is “just entertainment.” Entertainment is business, culture, propaganda, diplomacy, social engineering and entertainment is soft power. Sometimes it is all of them at the same time. The problem is not that America understands this. The problem is that Nigeria does not. America promotes American interests. China promotes Chinese interests. France promotes French interests. Britain promotes British interests. Nigeria? We are still arguing on Twitter about tribes, jollof and Davido vs. Wizkid😂 Meanwhile, our music, films, news, platforms, distribution channels and cultural gateways are increasingly connected to foreign money and foreign institutions. And we are expected not to ask questions? Please. Follow the money. Follow the ownership. Follow the distribution. Follow the platforms. Follow the grants. Follow the fellowships. Follow who controls access. Then draw your own conclusions. Because, like I wrote under that angry music executive’s post: “Well, well. There’s a game inside a game. You might have been played without knowing it.” And knowing Nigerians, some people will still finish reading this and say: “Abeg, na just entertainment.” Exactly. Ptcheewwwww One day you will know that your American dream is America's dream.