The Nigerian Film, Spectatorship and Globalization

Abstract

Every national art form deserving of the name, should say something about the culture that produces it, not just in local, but in international dimensions. Nigerian literature, for instance, has demonstrated such ability to connect Nigeria to the global circuit, mainly through the quality and the quantity of its output. Thus, Nigerian literature now has a global audience that is keen to identify with its accomplishments, its portrayal of Nigeria, especially its postcolonial aspects, and its determination to join the global conversation. The Nigerian film establishment, popularly known as Nollywood, has achieved in glowing terms, all of the above specifications, especially on its own terms-its peculiar characteristics. The fact of Nollywood's overwhelming success has been widely documented-billions of naira in revenue, a prolificacy that has ensured its place as the third most prolific national film establishment in the world, an audience reach that has made it one of the most popular and important entertainment outfits in the world today, etc. This paper is interested in how Nollywood has eventually become a global phenomenon, from its very modest beginnings, and how it has maintained that enviable status.