BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT IN NOLLYWOOD, CHARTING A NEW FRONTIER IN THE PROTECTION OF A GIRL-CHILD: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF OKEREKE’S DRY

Abstract

The Nigerian film industry over the years has churn out films geared towards entertainment and one may say that the primary purpose of the industry is to entertain and market its products to numerous fans and supporters scattered across the globe who are becoming more and more interested in understanding the culture, philosophy and norms of Nigerian communities. Many scholars within and outside Nigeria have also interrogated, evaluated and analyzed the third largest film industry in the world. Therefore, Nollywood like other “woods” have become relevant when it comes to entertainment following American Hollywood and Indian Bollywood closely. Nevertheless, there is a gap that needs to be filled, the American government incorporated film studies into its curriculum as far back as 1960s because they understood the importance and relevance of film content in teaching, instructing and educating its populace, some Nigerians are yet to recognize such film relevance. Hence, in most cases, watching films in the comfort of your home or seeing films in the cinema is reserved as a pass time event. There is need to see films beyond entertainment galore and extract from its contents the modules to teach, instruct and educate the Nigerian masses. On the other hand, the practice of child marriage, one may argue is rooted in some religious and traditional practices in Nigeria, this study looking at the prevalent obnoxious practices against the Girl-child in Nigeria evaluates Stephanie Okereke’s Dry, underlying the essential benefits of using film to educate, and enlighten the public on certain loathsome practices against the girl-child and why it should be stopped. Qualitative Research Method is adopted in assessing the tenets of girl-child marriage. The research discovered that girl-child in Nigerian society (Especially in the Northern Nigeria) has suffered from neglect, abuse and also from the deprivation of her fundamental human rights. The researcher therefore recommends that the relevant authorities such as Northern Elders Forum, Nigeria legislatures/legislative bodies, AREWA Consultative Forum, and religious leaders from the North, should rise up to the challenges of girl-child marriage and question ill existing culture, traditions, and religious practices that debilitate the position of a girlchild in their geographical enclave.