ZEB FROWNS AT INFLUX OF FOREIGN SOAPS
Multiple award-winning producer, director and script writer, Zeb Ejiro, has frowned at the influx of foreign soap operas being shown on Nigerian television stations.
Speaking on the issue recently, Zeb reiterated that no foreign soap should be encouraged by Nigerian television stations because it adds nothing positive to the country's cultural values.
He stressed that “when we started the home video thing, some people tried to sabotage our efforts by bringing into the country expired Mexican soap operas and syndicated them on TV stations around the country. But I led the fight against them by getting more determined and doing better quality home videos.”
But now that the foreign soaps are beginning to gain more prominence in the country, Zeb wondered what Nigeria stands to gain from them.
“What does this country stand to gain from these foreign stuff they are showing on the taxpayers' stations daily? Does it generate employment for Nigerians? Does it improve our foreign earnings? No! Instead, it impacts negatively on our youth and the nation at large.
“What we witness is a celebration of negative foreign culture on our TV screens which has nothing good to offer the present generation of Nigerians. What Nigerians don't know is that the importation of these foreign movies is out of selfish interest by some elements out there who make millions from the whole arrangement,” Zeb lamented.
However, Zeb Ejiro, fondly called the Sheikh of Nollywood, is not alone in this fight against the influx of foreign soaps on Nigerian screens.
The Chief Executive Officer of AK Media Concepts, producers of Family Ties and Face-To-Face, Mr. Benson Akindeju, also noted that the rate at which the foreign soaps are being celebrated is killing their local counterparts.
"I'm not saying that these foreign soaps should not be shown at all, but not to the detriment of our local ones, which obviously imparts more knowledge in the people. I think something should be done about this on time,” he noted.