By Ngozi Adetola
Yusuf Ishaya, a Nigerian documentary filmmaker, never intended to make a film about FESTAC. His journey began at a workshop in Lagos, where archivists, filmmakers, and creators gathered to discuss the possibilities of archival materials. The conversation unexpectedly shifted toward FESTAC, sparking Ishaya’s curiosity. “Up until that moment, I had not known that there had been an event like that,” he recalls. “I knew about Festac Town, and I knew that it was in Lagos, but I didn’t know why it was built or what it was built for.”
That curiosity led Ishaya to uncover the vast history of FESTAC — the Festival of Arts and Culture. Through his preliminary research, he discovered that the month-long event in 1977 unfolded across Lagos and Kaduna, showcasing African music, fine art, literature, religion, and performance to a global audience. “It felt like I was a history student,” Ishaya says. “Even from secondary school, this is the kind of information I wanted to know and [would have been] proud of.”
His documentary, FESTAC 77: Exploration of Heritage, created alongside fellow filmmakers and researchers Eiseke Bolaji, Olabode Moses, and Azeezah Adekanbi, sought to tell the sprawling but often misrepresented story of FESTAC. The film highlighted Nigeria’s ambitious role as host, including the construction of FESTAC Town to accommodate thousands of international guests. Old footage, photographs, and archival materials formed the backbone of the project — though accessing them proved to be one of Ishaya’s greatest challenges.
Initially, Ishaya assumed the National Film Institute would provide the necessary footage. Instead, he found gaps and missing pieces in existing documentaries, particularly regarding Kaduna’s role in the festival. Determined to tell a fuller story, he pursued materials from the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC). “There was a lot of red tape for me to get access,” he explains. “They have hours and hours of footage. I sent at least four emails over seven months, and eventually had to go there physically. I only got the footage five days before the deadline.”
Ultimately, Ishaya secured the materials through a personal connection with the director. His experience reflects the broader struggles Nigerian documentary filmmakers face when navigating the country’s fragile archival ecosystem. For Ishaya, FESTAC 77 was more than a subject — it was a rediscovery of cultural pride, and a reminder of the importance of preserving Africa’s heritage for future generations.
