NOLLYWOOD AS INSTRUMENTS OF CHANGE IN SOCIAL VALUES

ABSTRACT

This study examined Nollywood as instruments of change in Social Values using “Diamond in the Sky” as a case study. Critics of Nigeria movie industries have argued that Nigeria movies reflect negative ways of life such as drug abuse, prostitution, and sundry immoralities which are often imbibed by their viewers and this in turn result in the audience’s display of negative behaviour, attitude and values. To this end, the research examined the positive values projected in Nollywood movies particularly as it relates to different aspects of the society and how this can create awareness and promote societal change. The research attempted to establish that irrespective of the negative content of Nollywood movies, some positive values are inherent in the movies too and when adopted could impact positively on different aspects of the society. The study analyzed the movie “Diamond in the sky” directed by Kunle Afolayan and picked cilient themes and how they could constitute messages that foster societal change in terms of the direction towards positive values. The study anchored on three theoretical constructs which are cultivation theory, medium theory and agenda setting theory. Results showed that instead of Nollywood industry focusing on telling stories that tackle important social issues, they have been portraying negative trends in their movies thereby giving the nation a bad image locally and internationally. Results also showed that scriptwriters and producers produce movies solely for their personal gains hence disregarding the content of the movies whether good or bad. The study concluded by recommending that the government provide legal bodies that checkmate the scripts and the production of Nollywood movie and it also recommends that Nollywood practitioners should produce movies for the purpose of impacting the society positively.