Nollywood and Human Security in the Niger Delta: Hilda Dokubo's Asawana as Paradigm

Abstract

The enduring fight against terrorism in global and local spaces has drawn attention to the crucial need for security in its preventive and  curative measures. In developing nations, such as Nigeria, terrorism has undermined good governance with negative consequences;  fostering further underdevelopment. Particularly, insurgency in the Niger Delta region does not only terrorise its populace, but also  impact negatively on the nation‘s economy. In pursuant of the Presidential Amnesty programme of 2009, to curb the menace of  insurgency in the region, Hilda Dokubo‘s Centre for Creative Arts Education (CCAE) was charged with creating ways of developing the  creative talents of ex-militants meaningfully. In 2015, Dokubo embarked on a film production, titled Asawana, with quite a number of  trained ex-militants on the production team, both as cast and crew. This study examines Dokubo‘s Asawana as a paradigm for  counterterrorism through human security in the engagement of ex-militants in the Niger Delta region. It is an analytical study that employs the descriptive research approach to achieve the set objectives of examining strategies for the classification, development, and  the process of engagement of the ex-militants in Asawana. Thus, primary data is derived from in-depth interviews and non-participant  observation. The study utilizes the emerging theory of Human Security, which presupposes that human vulnerability diminishes with self- empowerment and observes that job-placing is a challenge to the Amnesty programme, and the Niger Delta genre of Nollywood is rich  for a robust exploration that can integrate creative hands in the region. Thus, there is the need for Government to investment in this  regard as job creation strategy for young people in the region, especially creative hands amongst the exmilitant who seek reintegration  into the society.