Nollywood in Glocal Perspective Bala A

Nollywood in Glocal Perspective Bala A. Musa Editor Nollywood in Glocal Perspective Editor Bala A. Musa Department of Communication Studies Azusa Pacifc University Azusa, CA, USA

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It is safe to say there is emerging a “New World Entertainment Order,” with its momentum from the Global South. For decades, pop culture discourse was dominated by the cultural dialectics between imperialism and anti-colonialism, between globalism and localism, between producer nations and consumer nations, between high art and popular art. With new media and globalization, communication networks have become the prevailing structures of social engagement; allowing for fuidity and dynamic exchange between groups. Instead of just a few entertainment cultural centres, there are a growing number of entertainment cultural centres, from Seoul to Rio de Janeiro, and from Lagos to Mumbai. The new market for pop culture and entertainment is defned by talent and software, rather than hardware and capital. The internet makes it possible to gain worldwide audience with minimal expense and fnancial investment. Global pop culture stars are born every day from all regions of the world, thanks to social media. While Hollywood remains the iconic movie capital of the world, it has since been surpassed by Bollywood and Nollywood, judging by the number of movies produced and the global distribution and consumption of their works. Nollywood, as Nigeria’s premiere movie and entertainment industry is popularly called, is a fast-growing glocal cultural force with large follower- ship and infuence across Africa and the globe. Nollywood movies, which were initially produced and distributed via VHS Cassettes and DVDs, are now widely screened in theatres in New York, London, Johannesburg and elsewhere. They are watched by millions on YouTube and are broadcast

vii viii PREFACE on network channels or streamed online. The industry has defnitely come of age in the quantity, quality and reach of its entertainment content. While it may have once been the case that Riverwood was viewed as “a pale shadow of Nollywood1;” Nollywood, a Shadow of Bollywood; and Bollywood, but a shadow of Hollywood2; those assertions no longer hold true. Each of these industries, particularly Bollywood and Nollywood, have come into their own, and can each claim a place in the pantheon of global entertainment and pop culture institutions. In this volume, scholars from Africa, Europe and the United States bear credence, from their scholarships and experiences, to the glocal giant that Nollywood has become in the space of over two decades. As new and social media transform what was once fringe pop culture fare into mainstream global entertainment, it is important that the public not only be avid consumers, but that the be literate and savvy consumers as well.3 The chapters examine the history of Nollywood, dating back to the colonial flms and Nigeria’s early indigenous Travelling Theatres and flms. They identify the social, cultural, economic and political factors that gave rise to today’s home video movie phenomenon, Nollywood. Authors, Adesina Azeez Lukman, Shaibu S. Hussein, Oloruntola A. Sunday, Glorian C. Ernerst-Samuel, Ngozi Udoma and Soji Alabi give us insight into the role of technology as well as global and local talent interface in the evolution of Nollywood. The reader is able to gain a unique understanding of Nollywood’s core identity as an institution that sheds light on the realities of Nigerian, African and African Diaspora pop culture and experience from an etic- emic perspective. It shows how Nollywood is authentically local in ori- gin, yet globally connected and relevant. Nollywood entertainment themes and personalities bridge the divide between the local and the global. Nollywood producers, writers, actors and actresses train their art on the good, the bad and the ugly of African society, without falling prey to what has been termed “Afro-pessimism”—the tendency to portray Nigeria and Africa as only characterized by violence, disease, doom and gloom. They are able to tell Africa’s story with balance and authenticity. They celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, exult in its triumphs, refect on its struggles, call out its ills like corruption, nepotism, dictatorship, human rights abuses and violence, while pointing the way out of poverty, disease, illiteracy and dependency. The diverse perspectives provided by the contributors, Olufemi J. Abodunrin, Ogungbemi C. Akintola, Morountodun Joseph and PREFACE ix

Bala A. Musa illuminate the local and global cultural forces that tug on the soul of Nollywood. Looking into the internal workings of the stories, readers are exposed to the entrepreneurial spirit, drive, talent and creativity that have fuelled the rapid development of the industry. The fact that Nollywood was birthed in the throes of national economic aus- terity is a tale of rising from ashes to glory. This is not only a metaphor of collective experience but for individual experiences that are captured in many Nollywood movies. The life stories of Nollywood stars, many of whom found success through hard work, determination and persever- ance refect but personal and collective narratives. Nollywood expanded opportunities for women, the youth, non-professional artists, and people of all backgrounds. Unlike Hollywood and Bollywood, which are associated with specifc geographic locations, namely, Los Angeles and Bombay, Nollywood has local, national and global identity and structure. It is centred in Lagos, but extends to Benin, Onitsha, Accra (in Ghana) and elsewhere. Osakue S. Omoera, Abdulmutallib Ado Abubakar and Sharafa Dauda show the reach of Nollywood’s tentacles to different parts of the world and its infuence audiences from Benin, in the Mid-West to Kano, in the North. Studios and artistes in these places see themselves as part of Nollywood. On Nollywood’s global reach and impact, Sandra Mooser, Gloria Chimeziem Ernest-Samuel, Bala Musa show the interconnectivity and mutual infuence between the local and global in inspiration, content, style, funding and values. Sandra Mooser illustrates how Nollywood’s infuence extends to Europe, with specifc reference to Switzerland. Nigerians and Africans in the Diaspora have taken Nollywood with them to their new societies. They are making movies in Nollywood tradition in other African countries, Europe, North America and Asia. Nollywood flm festivals are held in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, etc. Nollywood movies are the rave in the Caribbean. Movies, like Osuofa in London (2003) and Paradise in America (2016) are shot on location in Nigeria, the UK and America. Nollywood is truly a glocal phenomenon. Many Nollywood stars have become international icons. Some act and produce in Nollywood, Ghallywood and Hollywood. They have received awards at the African Movie Academy Awards and other international flm festivals. Nollywood has grown to be more than just a movie-making industry. Nollywood artistes’ crafts and the industry itself now encompass movie-making, music, comedy, fashion, etc. The stars are cultural ambassadors in the true sense of the word. They are brand x PREFACE ambassadors and spokespersons for global corporate brands. They are goodwill ambassadors for the United Nations, humanitarian organizations and philanthropies. Some have leveraged their fame, power and popularity to gain political offce. Nollywood is both an entertainment and economic institution. Next only to crude oil, it is arguably, Nigeria’s greatest export and economic pillar. It is the product of people’s ingenuity. In a country with high lev- els of unemployment, and where many look to government for jobs and political patronage, Nollywood stands apart as a product of the people’s creativity and entrepreneurship. Despite, or rather, in spite the challenges of lack of substantial support and investment from government or big business, Nollywood continues to fourish and provide employment and income for artists. This is an example of the success and vitality of civil society and grassroots initiatives. The Nigerian government, recognizing the power and strength of the industry, has tried to establish healthcare and retirement plans for Nollywood artistes in the bid to encourage its growth. Other efforts to support the industry have included the support of the National Film Institute in Jos, and a plan for establishing a Film Village in Abuja, the national capital. The expansion and success of Nollywood have inspired the growth of the likes of Ghallywood (Ghana), Riverwood (Kenya) and Bongowood (Tanzania). There are industry ethos that refect local and global perspectives in the making of Nollywood. The authors show how Nollywood looks inward and outward in processes and practices. There is robust cultural exchange between Nollywood or sister institutions in Africa and beyond. Nollywood defes some dominant narratives regarding the broader culture. It holds up African culture in ways that are positive and appealing. The mixing of English and local languages in many Nollywood movies is a specifc Nollywood norm. Other African media industry have followed that script. Nollywood can be seen to be encouraging gender equality and redressing gender disparity through the number of infuential female writers, actresses, directors and producers in the industry. Its format encour- ages aspiring artistes and entrepreneurs to enter the industry, even if they do not have signifcant professional background or fnancial resources. For some, this volume will be an introduction to Nollywood as a powerful cultural phenomenon. Those familiar with Nollywood will gain insights from the rigorous intellectual analyzes, giving them a better grasp of the industry, regardless of their positions as practitioners, fans, PREFACE xi stakeholders, policy-makers or new comers. The style adopted by the authors will engage and serve the general reader as well as the very literate in media, pop culture and movies. The authors offer pointers on the way forward for harnessing the potentials of the entertainment industry to continue to contribute to national goals of nation-build, cultural transformation, economic pros- perity and human development. As an evolving industry, the treatise provided enable readers to gain well-rounded knowledge and understanding of the raison d’etre, the workings, infuence and challenges of Nollywood. The volume shows the interface between Nollywood and the surrounding environment. As the most populous nation in Africa and its strongest economy, it is not unexpected that Nigeria’s cultural ware would have such mileage in the continent and beyond. Nevertheless, the success of Nollywood is a by-product of the effective cultivation of the diverse and rich elements of the symbolic environment. As an institution, Nollywood has attracted its fair share of both acco- lades and criticisms. This volume helps readers appreciate the strug- gle for self-identity and sense of purpose within Nollywood. It is to be commended for speaking eloquently to both local and global audiences. Readers are presented with how Nollywood serves a social glue, on the one hand, and while also threatening the social fabric by some of its ethos. This is inherent in the system and applicable to other media industries and cultural institutions as well. Nollywood insiders and outsiders, alike, will fnd the various perspectives highly illuminating, engaging and motivat- ing. It will leave the reader wanting to learn more about the industry and engage with it as a pop culture and entertainment institution.

Azusa, USA Bala A. Musa

Notes 1. Mauri Yambo, Kenya’s Riverwood. Mauri Yambo Blog. https://mauriyambo. blogspot.com/2017/03/kenyas-riverwood.html. Accessed 10/25/2018. 2. Mauri Yambo, Kenya’s Riverwood. Mauri Yambo Blog. 3. Bala A. Musa and Ibrahim M. Ahmadu, New Media and (Il)Literacy and Prosocial Entertainment: Implications for Youth Development. In B. A. Musa & J. Willis (Eds.), From Twitter to Tahrir Square: Ethics in Social and New Media Communication, vol. 2, pp. 319–335. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2014. Acknowledgements

Special thanks to my wife, Maureen, and my children, Daniel, David and Sharon, for their all-round support, that have made this, and all my work, possible. Your affrmation, encouragement and understanding mean the world to me. Thank you, to colleagues and the administration at Azusa Pacifc University, for the professional support and enabling environment to conduct research and scholarship. The Writing Retreat sponsored by the offce of Research and Grants was invaluable in moving this project towards completion. Thanks, also, to colleagues Ivon Alcime and Agaptus Anaele, who were part this project at the initial stage before exiting due to personal constraints. Thank you to family and friends who provided logistic support at different stages of this project. Special thanks to all the chapter contributors for their excellent work, understanding, and patience with the lengthy process of creating this quality work. Thank you to Camille Davies, Glenn Ramirez, Shaun Virgil, the editorial staff at Palgrave Macmillan, the manuscript reviewers and colleagues who gave input necessary to making the project successful. Thank you to my students, for their interest in my scholarship and the intellectual exchanges that sharpen our curiosity for knowledge and inquiry. Thank you to the many professional colleagues, friends, community members, too many to mention here, whose care and support can never be repaid. May all your acts of kindly be richly rewarded.

xiii Contents

Part I Evolution and Historical Perspective

1 History and Evolution of Nollywood: A Look at Early and Late Infuences 3 Adesina Lukuman Azeez

2 From Nigeria Film Industry to Nollywood: Land-Marking the Growth of the New Wave Cinema 25 Shaibu Hassan Husseini and Oloruntola A. Sunday

3 From Informality to “New Nollywood”: Implications for the Audience 45 Gloria Chimeziem Ernest-Samuel and Ngozi Eje Uduma

4 Challenges of Technological Innovation in Nollywood Film Production 67 Soji Alabi

Part II Socio-cultural Perspective

5 Nollywood as an Agent of African Culture and Identity 87 Olufemi J. Abodunrin and Ogungbemi Christopher Akinola

xv xvi CONTENTS

6 Sexuality and Negotiation: A Nego-Feminist Reading of Keeping My Man (2013) 101 Morountodun Joseph

7 Nollywood and the Glocalization of Prosocial Entertainment 127 Bala A. Musa

Part III Local and Global Infuence

8 Genre Preferences Among the Benin Video-Film Audience in Nollywood 147 Osakue Stevenson Omoera

9 Socio-Economic Psychology of Nigeria’s Nollywood and Kannywood Film Industries 163 Abdulmutallib Ado Abubakar and Sharafa Dauda

10 Nollywood-Inspired Filmmaking in Europe: A Swiss Example 187 Sandra Mooser

11 Multichoice® Corporation’s Intervention in Nollywood: A Case Study in Glocal Partnership Expectations, Issues, and Outcomes 209 Gloria Chimeziem Ernest-Samuel

12 Digital Revolution and the Empowerment of Women in the African Movie Industry: Vistas from Nollywood and Riverwood 231 Bala A. Musa

Index 249 Notes on Contributors

Olufemi J. Abodunrin is Professor of English Studies and Performing Arts at the University of Limpopo, Turfoop Campus, Sovenga, South Africa. He studied at Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria and holds a Ph.D. degree from Stirling University, Scotland, UK. He has taught at univer- sities in Nigeria, the UK, Germany, Malawi and Swaziland. His research articles in African, African-American and Caribbean literatures have appeared in scholarly journals such as Wasafri, Journal of West Indian Literature, The Year’s Work in English Studies, Journal of Humanities, Imbizo: International Journal of African and Comparative Studies, and The Yearbook of English Studies, among others. His other publications include Blackness: Culture, Ideology and Discourse (BASS, 1996, 2008), Black African Literature in English 1991–2001 (2007), The Dancing Masquerade (2003), It Would Take Time: Conversation with Living Ancestors (2002). He co-edited Character Is Beauty: Redefning Yoruba Culture and Identity (African World Press, 2001) with Olu Obafemi and Wole Ogundele. Abdulmutallib Ado Abubakar is a Ph.D. Candidate and also a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. Abubakar earned Master of Science Degree in Mass Communication majored in Print Journalism from the UNESCO Centre of Excellence in Media and Cinematography, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. Abubakar got his B.A. in Mass Communication majored in

xvii xviii NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

Broadcast Journalism from Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, where he was awarded with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Prize for the Best Graduating Student in Mass Communication. Abubakar also served as a political and court reporter in the Daily Trust Newspapers, Abuja, Nigeria. His research interests are social media and communication studies, political communication, media and Islam, media and confict, journalism and flm studies. Ogungbemi Christopher Akinola studied theatre at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria and holds a Master’s degree in Drama from Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa. He is a theatre expert with over twenty-fve years’ experience as playwright, director, theatre administrator and teacher of acting. His research interests are in African and post-colonial literatures, African Theatre and cultural studies. Ola-Kris, as he is popularly known is the author of Hakuna Matata (a play, premiered in 2008), as well as several unpublished plays and poems. He has featured in a number of Nollywood and South African movies such as Jacob’s Cross on MNet and Room 9 on SABC. He is the author of “The Shared Pain of a Culture’s Decline: A study of Femi Abodunrin’s The Dancing Masquerade” in African Journal of History and Culture. He teaches Acting for Performance as he rounds up his Doctoral studies in Applied Theatre at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. Soji Alabi, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer at in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. He has published numerous scholarly works in media studies, journalism and popular culture in Nigeria. Adesina Lukuman Azeez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. Besides his Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, he also holds B.Sc. (Honours) in Mass Communication, M.Sc. in Mass Communication, M.A. in International Law and Diplomacy, all from the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. He has diverse research and teaching interests in Communication Theories, Media Representation, Audience Studies, Politics of the Press, Newsroom Culture and the Emerging Film Industry in Nigeria. He has published in several reputable journals of communication and media studies such as the Journal of African Cinemas. NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS xix

Sharafa Dauda teaches at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Mass Communication. He equally holds a Master of Arts degree (Communication Studies) from the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where he is presently undertaking a Ph.D. degree in Journalism. His research interests include: Journalism, new(s) media, risk communication, semiotics and political communication, research methodology, and digital media literacy. He has published several journal articles and book chapters, some of which are available online. The author became a book reviewer for the Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly in 2015 and a reviewer for the Global Media Journal: African Edition in 2016. Gloria Chimeziem Ernest-Samuel, Ph.D. is a Lecturer in Theatre Arts Department, Imo State University, Owerri. She holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Calabar, Nigeria, and a Ph.D. in Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Her scholarship covers media, communication, cultural and flm studies. Shaibu Hassan Husseini, Ph.D. Candidate has considerable experience in Culture and Film Journalism, broadcasting and in Public Relations and Advertising. He is currently a Doctoral Student and a Fellow at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Nigeria. His research interest is in the economics of motion picture production, Consumer Affairs, economic and social issues in PRAD, Political and Developmental Communication and flm history. Morountodun Joseph, Ph.D. is a Lecturer in flm and flm production at the Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town, South Africa. She is an African feminist flm scholar and Girl-Child Activist. She does humanitarian work focusing on empowering the girl- child. Her research interests and scholarly work span the areas of African feminisms, transnational feminism, African Cinema and Nollywood. Sandra Mooser, Ph.D. Candidate is a media anthropologist and holder of a M.A. in Social Anthropology and History. She is currently working on her Ph.D. thesis at the Institute of Social Anthropology, University of Bern in Switzerland. Funded by grants of the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Dr. Joséphine de Karman xx NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

Fellowship Trust, she focuses in her studies on media and migration, transnationalism, performance and identifcation processes. During her feldwork, she collaborated with a group of African migrants living in Switzerland in order to create a Nollywood-inspired flm. Over the course of four years, they realized together the flm Paradise in My Mind, which was shown at a number of national as well as international events and flm festivals. Bala A. Musa (Ph.D., Regent University), is Professor of Communication Studies at Azusa Pacifc University, Azusa, California. He is 2011 recipi- ent of the Clifford G. Christians Ethics Research Award. He is Fellow, National Mass Media Ethics Colloquium and Fellow, Multi-Ethnic Leadership Development Institute. He is author of Framing Genocide: Media, Diplomacy and Confict (2007), and Co-editor of From Twitter to Tahrir Square: Ethics in Social and New Media Communication (2014), Communication, Culture and Human Rights in Africa (2010), and Emerging Issues in Contemporary Journalism (2006), among others. He serves on the editorial boards of many peer-reviewed academic journals. Musa serves on the Trustees Board of Life Pacifc University and on the Board of Directors of many non-proft organizations. Musa has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Africa, North America, Europe and the Caribbean. His research interests include media ethics, new and social media, communication and confict, communication and human rights, media and popular culture, and development communication. Musa enjoys hiking, travelling and volunteering in the community. Musa, his wife Maureen, and their three grown children live in Southern California. Osakue Stevenson Omoera, Ph.D. is Professor in the Department of English and Communication Studies, Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, where he teaches and conducts research in Sociology of the Media and Nollywood Studies with a particular focus on the social impacts of the media, African flm, cultural studies, and English for mass communication. Dr. Omoera is widely travelled and has over a hundred publications in specialist books and leading journals across the world. He is credited to have pioneered scholarly inquiry into the Benin video-flm rib of Nollywood Studies. Also, he enunciated the “Active Volcano Paradigm” for the study of English as a language of mass communication, with reference to broadcast media news in Nigeria. He has served as a resource person to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the National Council for Arts NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS xxi and Culture (NCAC), the European Union Technical Assistance to Nigeria’s Evolving Security Challenges (EUTANS) Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Media Roundtable, among others. Most of his works are available at ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profle/ Osakue_Omoera. Oloruntola A. Sunday, Ph.D. is a seasoned Journalist and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He has several publications in local and international journals as well as chapters in books. His research interest is in the area of ethics of mass communication and development communication. Ngozi Eje Uduma, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Mass Communication, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo, Abakalike, Nigeria. The State Director of National Orientation Agency, Abia State, Nigeria. She holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communication. She holds a B.A. (English) and M.A. (Mass Communication) from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and Ph.D. (Mass Communication) from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria. Her research and scholarly interest focuses on Organizational Communication. List of Figures

Fig. 6.1 Zion waking Tokunbo up for work after preparing him breakfast 110 Fig. 6.2 Tamar and Lanre’s frst scene. Lanre is set to leave for work while Tamar settles for a bottle of wine 115 Fig. 6.3 Tamar feigns being sick to avoid being touched by her husband 116 Fig. 6.4 Rasheed hands a dejected Maya his trouser and wristwatch and then turns his back on her 120 Fig. 6.5 Disappointed Rasheed lashing out on his wife 121 Fig. 10.1 Nollywood-inspired flmmaking in Switzerland (Courtesy: African Mirror Foundation) 191 Fig. 10.2 The “Paradise in My Mind” team at work (Courtesy: African Mirror Foundation) 197 Fig. 10.3 Discussions and negotiations on set (Courtesy: African Mirror Foundation) 201 Fig. 10.4 Discussions and negotiations on set (Courtesy: African Mirror Foundation) 202 Fig. 10.5 Discussions and negotiations on set (Courtesy: African Mirror Foundation) 202 Fig. 11.1 Diagram of Nollywood—Multichoice collision 223

xxiii List of Tables

Table 3.1 RemmyJes video productions and distribution between 2005 and 2011 57 Table 8.1 Statements on the regularity of audience viewership of Benin video-flms 154 Table 8.2 Statements on audience preferences of Benin video-flm genres 155 Table 9.1 Licensed distributors’ fgure of flm produced in Nigeria (2008–2013) 178

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