CHALLENGES OF THE NIGERIAN WRITER

The story of the Nigerian creative writer is different and often pitiful, hence his battles and challenges. Both the published and the upcoming are seldom encouraged or supported. The sort of attention paid to those in the field of Journalism is quite different from that which is paid to a creative writer. Unlike in the western world where the writer does not experience this sort of disadvantage but for the support from their government and other organizations, in terms of the monetary percentage that the government sets aside for published authors and their works.
In Nigeria, the government and organizations are too busy with their own affairs to spare time and funds for writers. When a Nigerian writes and manages to publish, the next challenge becomes how to distribute and sell. There are no clear distribution channels. The writer is then forced to move from location to location in trying to attract sales. The audience also present another dead end. They hardly ever buy. Nigerians have a terrible reading culture. As a matter of fact, the reading culture in Nigeria is almost non-existent. The only books that sell or are read are those added to the school curricular. Here too, students are usually forced to comply, else they would not. What is funny is the fact that young people prefer to patronize foreign books. The creative books from Nigeria can rot for all they know. Ask a Nigerian to name Nigerian authors besides Achebe, Soyinka and perhaps two others and you will be asking for the 'holy grail.'
It is not as if the Nigerian writer has nothing to offer. He has plenty of experience, ideas and knowledge to go round. Moreover, the background of a Nigerian writer gives him a unique opportunity, given his day to day relationship with his society. You might be curious as to how Nigerian writers make their money. The sad and painful truth is they do not. At least not enough to redeem themselves in a society where money is the essential commodity needed for survival. Issues of piracy and plagiarism compound the problem. There seems to be an endless line of problems confronting the Nigerian writer.
This goes without saying that the Nigerian writer cannot depend solely on his profession. Perhaps, what might give the contemporary Nigerian writer hope is the introduction of the internet. The advantages of the net are enormous and provides writers with the opportunity to attract readership from around the world. Publishing on the net gives the writer something to count on because his/her work can be reviewed by his counterparts. Even if the sales do not skyrocket, his profile gets put out there.
Perhaps the modern writer in Nigeria can overcome these challenges sooner than later, better than the earlier generations of writers in Nigeria. There is nothing an upcoming writer would like better than to able to depend on the writing profession for a sizable income. However, just hoping that the Nigerian society will have a complete change of attitude, improve on her reading culture and start patronizing Nigerian fiction and faction will not solve these challenges. Government support is key to the survival of the Nigerian writer. Organizations can also volunteer their help. Basically, the total reorientation of the Nigerian persona in the area of literary appreciation is more than necessary. This last bit can only be achieved via intensive awareness campaigns in schools and through the public  media.
The Nigerian writer is the most vital contributor to the Nigerian development. His massages, recommendations and suggestions are potent medicines against social ills: ethnic crises, corruption, infrastructural decay, crime, lack of security, unemployment, oppression, leadership issues among others. So it is only fair to pay the Nigerian writer mind and a show of real support.



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