Victor Ezeja
THE Association of Nigerian Musicologists (ANIM) has elected new executive members at its Annual General Meeting.
The election ended the four-day annual national conference for 2021.
The new president, Prof. Christian Onyeji who was elected unopposed by members of the association, is of the Department of Music, University of Nigeria Nsukka.
In his acceptance speech, Onyeji said he and other members of the new executive would continue from where their predecessors stopped.
In a chat with Prime Business Africa, Onyeji said he was excited to be elected as President, adding that he looked forward to doing his best to serve the association to actualise its goal of projecting the positive values of music in the society by facilitating research, documentation and capacity building on music both as a discipline and field of practice.
He stated that the music industry in Nigeria was filled with a lot of people who lacked the requisite skills about music composition and performance, noting that the association emphasised acquisition of basic skills in music, rather than relying on just inspiration, as some would say while describing music ideas.
Commenting on the election, the outgoing President, Prof. Ovaborhene Idamoyibo, said it was free and fair, as due process prescribed by the association’s constitution was followed, adding that he had conviction that the new leadership would take the association to a greater height.
He highlighted some achievements of his leadership to include increasing the membership base of the association, extending it to music groups in the military, and frequent publication of the association’s journal to promote research, knowledge and development in various areas of music.
The conference which was hosted by the Department of Music, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka is an annual event and 18th in the series.
Prime Business Africa which streamed the opening ceremony live, earlier reported that various individuals who have distinguished themselves in the field of practice and made significant contributions to societal development were honoured during the conference.
Some of the awardees include: Chairman of Grand Towers Limited, Dr. Nze Chidi Duru; Vice Chancellor of Unizik, Prof. Charles Okechukwu Esimone and immediate past VC of the University, Prof. Eberendu Ahaneku; Bishop Owen Nwokolo of the Diocese on the Niger; Deaconess (Mrs) Ngozi Okoh, wife of the General Superintendent, Christ Holy Church International Most Rev Dr. Daniel Okoh; Former VC, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Joseph Atubokiki Ajienka; Group Capt. Ernest Richard Bassey of the Nigerian Air Force; and Member representing Anambra East state constituency, RT. Hon. (PHARM.) Chris Obinna Emeneka.
One of the honourary awardees, Mrs Okoh advised ANIM to push towards changing the value system prevailing in Nigeria’s music industry in the area of secular music which according to her, promotes inanities.
She however, noted that there were still secular music that conveyed good messages, and urged the association to move forward beyond what was happening in Nollywood.
She also enjoined ANIM to initiate campus classical music competition in order to create room for robust music scholarship and practice for students.
Other highlights of the event were plenary sessions, music composition forum, performers’ forum, music educators’ forum, music therapist forum, among others.
During the plenary sessions, the conference participants were divided into eight panels which discussed various areas in musicology that include: music theory and composition, music education and research, ethnic musicals, the business of music technology and production, music as a therapy, music and religion.
On music education, paper presenters discussed the need for adjustment of curriculum for music education in Nigerian schools to accommodate more topics that deepen knowledge of students about various kinds of music especially those dwelling on Nigerian culture and tradition for preservation of cultural values of various ethnic nationalities in the country.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
