TAMPAN: Stepping Forward Into The 2nd Phase Of The Bolaji Amusan’s Development Agenda

By Olanrewaju Falayi

Theatre Arts & Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) is the largest organization of allied professionals within the theatre arts and movie-making industries in Nigeria. 

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It is also the most prolific organization within the Nigeria’s creative and entertainment industries in Nigeria.

TAMPAN is an umbrella body of guilds of different professionals engaged in various creative enterprises within the arts of the theatre and movie-making in Nigeria. It has been estimated that TAMPAN provides employment opportunity for about 10,000 members spread across Nigeria. It also provides means of livelihood, through commercial sales of products, for hundreds of thousands of people. 

TAMPAN has legally existed for decades forming the larger percentage of the various organizations known as Nigeria’s Nollywood. TAMPAN has international chapters in countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ghana and Benin Republic.       

TAMPAN in the last four years, under the leadership of Otunba Bolaji Amusan, JP also known as Mr.Latin has successfully carried out internal re-organization with the view to equipping itself well enough to commence a full-scale intervention to reposition the Nigeria’s Nollywood.

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Having been adjudged as the most organized among other Associations within the entertainment industry in Nigeria by many of the industry’s stakeholders among whom is the Chairman of the Nigerian Films and Video Censor’s Board, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, TAMPAN is now fully convinced that the time is ripe to increase its visibility and make its impact more felt both within the industry and in the area of nation building and global advocacy.

In a special interview with the Chief of Staff to the Global President of TAMPAN, Prince Adebanji Adelusi, during the just concluded National Festival of Arts and Culture held in Lagos, he gave insight into the milestone attained by Otunba Bolaji Amusan, the global President of  TAMPAN. 

Otunba Amusan, according Adelusi has completed the first phase of his reformation plans. Adelusi explained that the first phase which has just been completed includes Revalidation of TAMPAN membership which is aimed towards authenticating the true membership status of every individual involved in the activities of the Association; Profiling of TAMPAN members and trainees which will to capture the data of every individual whose membership status has been successfully verified and the  Regularization of admission into the Association.

The Amusan-administration noticed that people find their ways into the association as members in so many unregulated ways. The indiscriminate entrance was viewed as unhealthy for the image of the Association hence the decision to put in place a well-controlled standard admission process that would make sure only qualify people are admitted into the association as members.

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On the Membership Identity Cards, it was observed that identity cards were being issued to supposed members by individual group or caucus leaders on the name of the Association in the past. By implication, different types of cards that carry an assortment of signatures from unauthorized signatories were everywhere. This made it easy for different species of characters to avail themselves with different shades and colours of identity cards with the name and logo of the Association. 

TAMPAN under the leadership of Otunba Bolaji Amusan has been able to provide a uniform valid means of identification of every bonafide member of the Association. Every Identity Card issued now could be traced and verified through the Association’s website. 

The computerized digital confirmation system now makes it easy to detect fake identity cards and people who falsely claim TAMPAN membership. 

Establishment of professional Guilds such as Guild of Directors and Guild of Producers has promoted professionalism and strengthened commitment of individuals. More qualify Directors now have more jobs. The output has also witnessed a remarkable improvement to the benefit of the general public.

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TAMPAN Corporate Synergy with Nigerian Films and Video Censor’s Board are now in order to check quackery and promote professionalism. TAMPAN today is into synergy with many corporate bodies among which is the Nigerian Films and Video Censor’s Board. Therefore with the formation of different guilds, only registered members of each of the guilds have the opportunity of benefitting from the services of those corporate bodies. 

Citing an example, Adelusi said, one must be a registered member of TAMPAN Guild of Directors before you can direct a movie. If not, such movies as directed by you would not be accepted for screening at the NFVCB.

Inauguration of TAMPAN Board of Trustees and Board of Fellow are also now In order to ease internal governance and promote all-inclusiveness in the sustainable progress of the Association, which is now more important to recognize the frontline leaders of the Association.

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It was necessary to honour those whose sweats and efforts pioneered what today is giving thousands of young professionals their means of daily survival. These and many more brought about the idea of instituting the Board of Trustees and Board of Fellows. Members of the boards include both the pioneers  of the  professional theatre businesses, the living legends and originators of the itinerant theatre culture known as the Alarinjos. 

There roles in the socio-cultural governance of the Association cannot be over-emphasized. They command respect by their knowledge and achievements. They also remain the link between the past and the present. 

The innovation and the Technology-based Governance of Bolaji Amusan led administration has been well focused on creating innovative and techonology-based platforms to enable the Association have more visibility. 

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Such include the TAMPAN website which now makes it possible for members to go online to check their membership status. 

TAMPAN in the next phase is expected to have a 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week interactive website platform on which enquiries can be responded to in a matter of minutes thereby Promoting Members Confidence and Pride.

Adelusi maintained that in the last 4 years, more efforts have been geared into building the confidence and sense of pride of the members of the Association. One of such is the rentage of a befitting administrative headquarters at the brow area of Bodija in Ibadan Oyo State. 

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Another is the bridging of official bureaucratic protocols that could have made the President inaccessible to an average member. The TAMPAN presidency is more accessible, responsive and sensitive to the needs of members across all existing chapters than any other similar Association in Nigeria. 

Establishment of Diaspora Chapters for the purpose of extending the coverage of the Association and for promoting our indigenous genre in the practice of theatre arts and filmmaking beyond our shores, the Amusan administration inaugurated foreign chapters. This has also helped in marketing our creative outputs. It has multiple prospects that include enhanced opportunity for exposure of our local talents to foreign opportunities. 

The 2nd Phase of Bolaji Amusan Development Agenda to the glory of God and thanks to the magnanimity of notable leaders and members of the Association, Otunba Bolaji Amusan has been given the automatic ticket to run unopposed in the next election slated for 3rd of December, 2022. 

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This is in  recognition of his immense efforts towards a total transformation of the Association. However, having completed his 1st Phase, the stride towards to the 2nd is expected to be with little or no serious challenges. TAMPAN, being an Association with a substantial spread across both regional  and national boundaries (a reputation that attracts to it the name, TAMPAN Global), is ready to partner with relevant bodies or organizations on various advocacies that touch on a wide variety of national and global issues. 

What qualify TAMPAN for this include the numerical spread, the genres of theatre and films, the language and the uncommon number of professionals working in alliance towards achieving consensus goals. TAMPAN also hopes to improve on its capacity building programmes  to further strengthen professionalism and enhance the ability of members to attract prosperity to themselves by breaking new grounds. 

To achieve this effectively, the Association would need to collaborate with relevant organizations, donor agencies  as well as the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. The Association would also be having a synergy with the National Council for Arts and Culture for a lot of other programmes. 

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Adelusi submitted that the Amusan administration is governed by the vision to attract prosperity to every member through the enhancement of corporate opportunities and the professional capacity of individuals. Therefore, the next administration is projected to witness both the building of the internal strength of the Association and its relationship with other corporate organizations within and outside Nigeria.

The administration would be establishing a Foreign Desk Office so as to foster its relationship with international embassies and consulate with the view to expanding the chance of access to more opportunities. These, Adelusi said, are just few of the projections of Otunba Bolaji Amusan, JP for the next phase of the Development Agenda for TAMPAN.

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