BETWEEN TRADITION AND TRENDING: CULTURAL RECEPTION AND MARKET PRESSURES IN YORUBA CINEMA

Abstract

This study examines the interplay between audience behavior and the decline of Yoruba language cinema in Nigeria. Yoruba films have seen a decline in production and perceived quality, raising concerns about the survival of this culturally significant industry. Drawing on Cultural Reception theory and Uses and Gratifications models, as well as a policy analysis of Nigeria’s film regulatory framework, the paper synthesizes empirical data and case studies to explain shifting consumption patterns. It finds that audience preferences have moved toward sensational, short-form, and foreign-language content; widespread tolerance for piracy and free online access; and intensive engagement on social media, all of which have undercut the commercial viability of traditional Yoruba home videos. Digital streaming platforms and diaspora viewing have had mixed effects, offering new reach while amplifying formulaic storytelling to cater to broad audiences. Nigerian film policies (e.g., lax copyright enforcement, limited subsidies) have failed to check these trends. The study concludes that audience-driven factors (not merely declines in talent or technology) largely explain Yoruba cinema’s contraction, and recommends media literacy, stronger enforcement, and incentives for quality cultural content as remedies.