The Nigerian Musical Instrument Production Industry Sunday Ofuani *http://dx.doi.org//10.4314/ujah.v17i3.3 Abstract The quest for abundant job opportunity and unemployment resolution actually demand economic-diversification approach, which can enhance/advance the development of all the prospective economic industries in Nigeria. The ‘Vision 2020’ movements equally stress on it in order to achieve its targets. In this limelight, this research examines and assesses the various endeavours through which the Nigerian Musical Instrument Production Industry (NMIPI) contributes to the national economy. Through observation, interview, discussion and evaluation methods, it is identified that although the industry contributes to the Nigerian economy it requires technological, mechanical, cost-effectiveness, financial-viability, trade and industrial development to enhance optimal utilization of all its economic potentials. There is no Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or any official record(s) of the existing economic and cultural inputs of NMIPI. Hence it may be difficult for the Local, States and Federal governments and the populace to appreciate the impacts of the industry by recognizing, supporting, strengthening and making it work effectively. On this backdrop, this paper discusses and evaluates the NMIPI in order to expose its various economic and cultural importances. The problems and prospects of the industry were identified and examined. The findings can serve as basic evaluation information that can help to assess and appraise the economic prospects of NMIPI. Keywords : Nigerian, musical instruments, production, industry, economic, problems, development, prospect 48 Sunday Ofuani: The Nigerian Musical Instrument Production Industry Introduction Nigeria as a developing country with numerous resources yet with limited prospects for creating new job- opportunities has no other option that can relieve the over- stretched concentration on a very few of its sectors and industries than the need to have all its prospective economic sectors and industries recognized, strengthened and working effectively. Recently, the government has realized that economic diversification approach remains the only quick and effective method to advance the economy and creating job opportunities or enhancing the populace, thereby boosting its gross economic stratum to optimal utilization. To actualize this goal within a time frame of the year 2020; several agencies, stakeholders, funds and policies have been put in place to develop and/or revive all Nigerian prospective economic sectors and industries that have been ineffective, neglected, relegated to the background or not recognized as contributor to the national economy. The Nigerian Musical Instrument Production Industry (NMIPI) is one of the prospective industries that have hitherto received no recognition and support as far as its developmental aids are concern. It is obvious that no one has recognized or put-up reason(s) why it should be part of any developmental programs. The immediate factor that hinders its recognition, support and development is not that the technologists who are involved in the industry are unskilled, unadventurous or unproductive but the veracity that the Federal/States’ Ministry of Arts & Culture and the Ministry of Finance cannot ascertain (through Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and other official data or statistics) the level of existing contributions of the industry to the economic and cultural interests of Nigeria. Due to this negligence it might seem absurd for anyone to convince any developmental agency like National Economic Empowerment and 49 UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities Development Strategy (NEEDS), Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) etc. on the perception that NMIPI contributes to the national economy. Thus, the need to validate such perception with national/state statistics that attest its economic contributions remains the best approach. But which Ministry in Nigeria can one find the GDP statistics that features the economic benefits from the industry? So, except by mere natural occurrence it may be impossible for government to appreciate, uphold or support the industry through any of its developmental programs without record evidence of its existing input to the national economy. Husky Millar experiences a related problem in his country – St Lucia. So, he called on the aforementioned ministries for the GDP statistic of the St Lucian’s popular music industry but he was laughed at. He rightly notes that “It would be extremely difficult for governments and the population to appreciate the true value of the industry if we are unable to assess the industry’s worth as a sector which produces employment.” The negligence of the NMIPI in the national/state GDP indicates that its economic-prospects are left to develop at the pace and financial capacity of the crude technologists that are involved in the industry. Consequently, Nigerians valuable technological skill/talents, knowledge and cultural heritage in the industry are underutilized. Survey of Nigerian Musical Instrument Production Diverse societies, ethnic groups and cultures in Nigeria construct its musical instruments depending on materials (wood, animal hides and skin, metal, seeds and clay resources etc.) available to them coupled with their ability of technology of extraction and construction. But then, cross- culture of some Nigerian musical instruments is a normal practice among diverse ethnic groups of Nigeria. 50 Sunday Ofuani: The Nigerian Musical Instrument Production Industry Wide variety of membrane drums are made in every cultural facet of Nigeria. Yoruba people are renowned maker of talking-drums ( Iyaalu and gudugudu etc.). The Igbo people are known for their wooden-flute ( oja ), ngedegwu (xylophone), alo (big metal bell), ikoro (slit drum), udu (pot- drum) etc. The Niger-Delta people are famous for thumb piano and bell etc . The bowed string instruments ( goge ) and trumpet with reed(s) ( kakaki ) etc. of the Hausa people are not left out 1. The Nigerian musical instruments are as multi as its diverse culture, language, dialects and ethnic groups. So that in every Nigerian society or culture, indigenous musical instrument producer(s) can be located 2. Hence, the industrial activities of one of the major NMIPI workshop-markets 3 located at the No. 9, Urualla Street, Woliwo, in Onitsha of Anambra State is the focus of this paper as well as the representative of the numerous others across the country. The workshop-market occupies a land space of about 800 by 700ft. Construction/production and sales of diverse Nigerian musical instruments take place there. Although the Igbo musical instruments are most prevalent in the workshop-market, those of other Nigerian cultures and ethnic groups are scarcely available. The producers/sellers of the musical instruments are Nigerians who did not undergo any formal training of the construction of the instrument(s). In many instances the technology of construction is hereditary while in some other cases it is acquired through apprenticeship by observation and active participation. So most of them construct only the musical instrument(s) they inherited its technology of construction without going beyond the standard of the prototype. Some of the Nigerian musical instruments that are prevalent in the entire workshop-market are xylophone (the double-slab, multi-slab and chromatic types), wooden bells (okpokolo ), slit drums ( ekwe /ikoro ), metal bells ( alo , ogene etc.), 51 UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities mgbiligba (bell), ogenephone (chromatic metal-bells) wooden rattles, calabash/gourd rattles, basket rattles, udu (musical pots – the foam-pad and the hand beaten types), varieties of membrane drums ( igba , conga, ogwe etc.), thumb piano ( ubo aka ), Igbo ethnic wooden flute ( oja ), and the Yoruba talking- drums, etc. In addition, wide variety of traditional musical- arts props and costumes are available there. Tools and Techniques of Construction Tools like cutlass, hand saw, file, chisel and mallet are used to cut, bore, hew, scoop and smoothen wood during construction of musical instruments like ekwe, ikoro , ogwe , oja, ngedegwu (xylophone), okpokolo and igba/egede (wooden resonator membrane drums) while sunlight and air are sources of seasoning of wood. For construction of earthenware musical instruments ceramic tools like spade, hand-trowel, pallet, knife and rope etc. are used to mix, cut, erect and shape baked clay until it takes the desired shape of udu 4 (pot drum). Seasoning of udu is strictly the terracotta standard, otherwise known as baked-clay. In construction of metal musical instruments bellow-furnace, chisel, pliers, mallet, hammer and shear-scissors are used by the blacksmiths to smelt, liquidize, weaken the metal (in order to re-cast or bend metals to intended shape), cut, hit, open hole on metal or hold metals during heating. Musical instruments like ogene (metal-bell), alo (big metal-bell), udu and mgbiligba are made from the processes. Makers of shaken idiophones like rattles and maracas of diverse type e.g. ichaka (gourd rattle), ekpili (ankle rattle) etc. use common handicraft tools like knife, razor, needle and chisel to bore hole in the materials and weave any intended musical instrument. 52 Sunday Ofuani: The Nigerian Musical Instrument Production Industry Conservative Thoughts on Nigerian Musical Instruments It is observed from discussion sources that some school of thought holds the ideology that the Nigerian