2004 Letter from National Theatre Practitioners’ Association Described the Entertainment Industry Database as “Long Overdue” and Commended Frank Ikegwuonu for the Vision
LAGOS, NIGERIA — 22 November 2004 — The National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Lagos State Chapter, formally expressed its “unalloyed support” for an ambitious project to create a comprehensive database of Nigeria’s entertainment personalities, describing the initiative as long overdue and commending the vision and mission behind the project.
The recognition was contained in a formal correspondence dated 22 November 2004, issued by the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, Lagos State Chapter.
The letter was addressed to: Attn: Mr. Frank Ikegwuonu
The correspondence concerned:
Who Is Who in Nigeria Entertainment Industry 1995–2005 Encyclopedia
and was signed by Seyi Fasuyi, Chairman, NANTAP, Lagos Chapter.
NANTAP Expressed Its “Unalloyed Support”
In the letter, NANTAP stated: “We in NANTAP wish to state our unalloyed support for the initiative of a database for the entertainment industry’s Who Is Who.”
The statement represents a clear contemporary expression of institutional support from a professional association representing theatre arts practitioners in Lagos.
The association recognised the initiative as an effort to create a structured record of the people contributing to Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
An Initiative NANTAP Considered Long Overdue
The letter provides an unusually strong contemporary assessment of the need for such documentation.
NANTAP stated that it viewed the initiative as: “purely private initiative as long overdue” and described the ambitious nature of the project as: “commendable.”
This is historically significant because it demonstrates that, as early as 2004, a recognised professional association within Nigeria’s performing-arts community regarded the creation of a comprehensive entertainment-industry database as an important and overdue undertaking.
Recognition of Frank Ikegwuonu’s Vision and Mission
The association specifically acknowledged the vision behind the initiative. The letter states: “While appreciating your vision and mission…”
This provides a contemporary institutional record of recognition directed toward the project and its initiator Mr. Frank Ikegwuonu.
The document therefore provides an important early record connecting Ikegwuonu with the development of the entertainment-industry database.
The 1995–2005 Encyclopedia
Perhaps one of the most historically significant details in the correspondence is the exact project description: Who Is Who in Nigeria Entertainment Industry 1995–2005 Encyclopedia
The title indicates that the project was conceived as a retrospective documentation of a ten-year period, covering developments and personalities associated with Nigeria’s entertainment industry from 1995 through 2005.
A Proposed Database for Nigeria’s Entertainment Industry
NANTAP described the initiative as a: “database for the entertainment industry’s Who Is Who.”
The wording reflects an effort to systematically document the people involved in Nigeria’s entertainment sector at a time when comprehensive digital databases of creative professionals were not yet commonplace.
The project was therefore positioned as a structured information resource covering the personalities who had contributed to the development of Nigerian entertainment.
Recognition of Theatre Practitioners and the Arts Community
The correspondence also enclosed a list of NANTAP’s most valued members who had contributed to the advancement of the association and the wider arts community.
The inclusion of this list demonstrates the association’s willingness to participate in the documentation initiative by identifying important contributors within the Nigerian theatre and arts sector.
This further illustrates the potential breadth of the proposed Who Is Who project.
A Significant Early Record of Nigerian Entertainment Documentation
The 22 November 2004 NANTAP correspondence is historically significant because it predates the later official institutional recognitions associated with Who Is Who in Nigeria Entertainment Industry.
It demonstrates that the project was already being developed and receiving institutional support within Nigeria’s theatre and arts community in 2004.
The subsequent documentary record includes recognition from Nigeria’s film regulatory authorities, national broadcaster, National Assembly, National Library, Federal Ministry of Information, diplomatic mission and National Sports Commission.
The NANTAP letter provides an important starting point in that chronology.
Preserving the Original Historical Record
The original signed correspondence dated 22 November 2004, issued by the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, Lagos State Chapter, and signed by Seyi Fasuyi, Chairman, is preserved among the historical records associated with Frank Ikegwuonu and The Nelas Academy.
The original document is not being reproduced publicly as part of this article. It may be made available for legitimate academic, journalistic, institutional, historical or documentary verification upon appropriate request.
