EJOTMAS: Ekpoma Journal of Theatre and Media Arts

‘We are aware but not prepared’: Broadcast journalists’ perception of challenges and benefits of digitization of broadcasting in Oyo State, Nigeria

Oyindamola Omotolani Akinola-Badmus, Babatunde Raphael Ojebuyi — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Nigeria is among the African nations expected to migrate to digital transmission by 2020 as proposed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Existing media and communication studies have focused on the benefits and challenges of the digital migration process. However, scanty scholarly attention has been paid to the levels of awareness of, and preparedness for, digitization of broadcasting among broadcasters in Nigeria especially in Ibadan, Oyo State, being the host to the first television station in Africa. Driven by the Technological Determinism and Diffusion of Innovation theories as the framework, the study employed survey and in-depth interviews as the research methods to examine broadcast journalists’ levels of awareness, readiness for, and perception of, the challenges and benefits of digital switchover. A total of 300 copies of the questionnaire were administered to broadcasters (208 were returned in usable form and constitute the basis of analysis and discussion in the study) who were purposively and conveniently selected from ten broadcast stations in Ibadan. An Administrator from the National Broadcasting Commission Abuja and one Administrator each from the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State and Diamond FM, Ibadan were purposively selected as interview participants. Findings show that most broadcasters (57.7%) were aware of the digital switchover. However, 49.0% of the broadcasters confirmed that they were not adequately prepared for digital transition. Moreover, the broadcast journalists confirmed that, apart from skills, costs of content creation and procurement of digital technologies required by digital broadcast were the major impediments to digital switchover while they identified job creation, more revenue generation, richer contents, stronger bandwidths, and enhanced patronage as the benefits of digital broadcast. Relevant government agencies in charge of digital switchover in Nigeria should, through training and equipment procurement, motivate and empower broadcasters and broadcast stations to prepare them for a successful digital switchover.

Exploring the effectiveness of theatre for peace building in glocal conflicts

Millicent Ahupa — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Conflict is an inevitable phenomenon in any human society because humans are driven by varied ideologies, interests and positions, which might clash time and again. Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigeria has witnessed many conflicts and violence fostered by issues of identity, citizenship and participation in national dispensations. The worst case scenario in this expression is the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009. Conflict in Nigeria has thrived mainly because the approaches adopted to address conflict have been inadequate and unsuitable. This article adopts the Participatory Theory to discuss the effectiveness of applying more subtle approaches such as the Theatre-for-Development (TfD) framework for peace building in Nigeria today. It focuses on the conflict between herders and farmers in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Plateau State and the experimentation of the TfD framework to facilitate dialogue and reconciliation between herders and farmers and presentsqualitative data to this effect. The paper concludes that conflict and conflict related issues can be addressed without the use of force.Therefore, TfD is the alternative strategy for entrenching peace and building inclusive societies. The study recommends that the Theatrefor-Development framework is pertinent for peace building as it is an investment in humans, both physically and psychologically towards reconciliation and durable peace. It also recommends that there is the need for capacity building within government agencies to improve their fundamental understanding of conflict related issues and enhance their ability to contribute to just and lasting solutions.

Shall our dance heal us? Thematic explorations of cultural diversity for national unity in selected dances at NAFEST 2012

Tosin Kooshima Tume — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, managing its cultural diversity has proved to be onerous. Hence, one of the tasks imposed upon the handlers of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) is to position culture as a tool to negotiate national unity. This paper examines the thematic treatment of national unity and peace through cultural integration in selected dance performances of the 2012 edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) in Nigeria. The study adopts the participant observation research method for data collation, and borrows insight from the theory of multiculturalism to interrogate the selected dance pieces. A descriptive and interpretative analysis of four States’ dance entries at the festival, reveal an exploration of the dynamics of the ethno-cultural and political interactions within each State. We also find that deliberate efforts were geared towards addressing the festival theme of peace and economic empowerment in the dance performances under study. The study, therefore, recognizes NAFEST as a viable platform to negotiate national unity. It also identifies that the artistic exploration that led to the creation of the dances under study, has positive implications for national cohesion, peace, and development. The study concludes by advocating a viable choreographic approach which could further entrench the ideology of NAFEST as a unity festival.

A comparative analysis of morphological mutations-clippings and blends/portmanteaux in English and Urhobo languages

Princess O. Idialu — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Language, the major means of human communication, grows and changes in form as nations garner new experiences and engage in new technologies. The creation of new words to capture the new experiences and technologies becomes inevitable. This work researches into neologisms in the forms of clippings – shortening of words; and blends – combination of parts of two or more source words in both the English and the Urhobo languages. The exploratory, descriptive, quantitative and comparative research methods were used, while data collection was done through library search, interviews and extensive internet search. From the result of the analysis of accessed data, English has back clips (52%) and fore-clips (19%) as its two most frequently occurring types of clips; the Urhobo has the most frequenting occurring as the median clips (44%) and fore-clip (38%) as the next most frequent. Again, while the English language has the most blend as the (BE) (41%), followed by (WE) (19.1% and ((BW) at (13.7%), the Urhobo blend patterns are more varied with (BW) as highest (25.5%); followed by (MW) (15.7%) and (WE=O) (11.8%) respectively. This shows that there are word mutations appearing in clips and blends, and, therefore, recommend that these are studied and included in our daily use, especially in informal settings.

An analysis of pragmatic intent of written teacher feedback commentary on students’ project essays in Colleges of Education in Ghana

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The study is aimed at finding out how teachers of St. John Bosco’s College of Education, Ghana focus the pragmatic intent of teacher written feedback comments on students’ project draft essays. Drawing on Ferris, Pezone, Tade, and Tinti (1997), Discourse Analytical Model for teacher written commentary and key concepts like “written feedback commentary” and “feedback,” the study, which was essentially a case study, and a descriptive survey, randomly and purposively focused on a sample of 336 comments from 21students’ project drafts of the 2012 academic year in St. John Bosco’s College of Education. The study revealed that teachers of St. John Bosco’s College of Education employed the pragmatic intent (directive type) of ‘make suggestion/request’, as a way of getting students to rework their project drafts. The study raises some implications for writing instruction, theory and analyses of teacher written feedback commentary.

From the exchequer to the editorial suite: Dilating the intra-professional mutations of Onyema Ugochukwu

Tunde Olusunle — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This study seeks to dilate the professional enterprise of Onyema Ugochukwu, one of the most respected practitioners and influencers of contemporary media practice and specialised journalism in Nigeria. It investigates his professional background as an economist and banker, through his detour into the media as progenitor of a new genre of technicalized reportage, and a seasoned manager in one of Nigeria’s most important newspapers in its time, the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc. It also scrutinises his later undertakings in political communication and public information management in his polyvalent media career over a period of five decades. Deploying the historicanalytic method, this article probes the career course of Ugochukwu as a reporter, writer, editor, editorial director, political publicist and presidential communicator. This is to appropriately define his contributions to these aspects of the gamut of media practice, and to national growth. It successfully establishes that Ugochukwu has contributed immensely to the elevation and standardization of media practice and its repositioning as a profession which commands scholarship and intellectualism in the furtherance of national development.

A designer’s reading of directorial conformity and divergence in Soyinka’s death and the King’s horseman

Michael Ade Adeoye — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This study takes a critical look at the stage production of Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman, which Ahmed Yerima directed on July 13, 2004 at the National Theatre, Onikan in Lagos, Nigeria, with reference to the collaborative process through which elements of design and directing were engaged to produce meaning from the dramatic text to the theatre audience. Its objective is to assess the role of design elements in the technical process of achieving visual transmogrification on stage and explore the extent of the director’s interpretational conformity to, or divergence from, the original ideas of the playwright in the dramatic text. This work is situated within Merleau-Ponty’s concept of Embodiment and Body-subject, with a view to analysing and understanding theatre and drama as lived experiences, and visually embodied consciousness and perception. It seeks theoretical supports from Umberto Eco’s idea of semiotics. This study used a qualitative methodology, primarily including key informant Interviews, for the collection of data, which, in turn, received content analysis. The study concludes that stage design and its attendant elements are central to the process of retrieving meaning from dramatic texts to the audience because while Ahmed Yerima clearly diverged from Soyinka’s original intention in the text, he relied heavily on stage design and allied elements as the facilities of divergence.

Social media disinformation and voting decisions during 2019 presidential elections in Nigeria

Koblowe Obono, Karimah Aminu Diyo — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Social media spread disinformation due to their characteristic features of anonymity and ease of producing, accessing, forwarding, and replicating media contents. Although studies have analyzed the influence of disinformation on voter choices, little is known about the false information that went viral on social media during the 2019 Nigerian presidential elections and its influence on voting decisions. Accordingly, the study identified social media disinformation about Muhammadu Buhari (All Progressives Congress) and Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party), and its influence on voting decisions. Content analysis of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube posts revealed 10 viral pieces of disinformation about the contestants. Although the messages looked authentic because of their attribution, they were tagged false by independent fact checkers and disclaimers. They were also ascribed as false by survey respondents. Despite their presence, the information had little influence on voting decisions. While Facebook is the most used social media platform (48.6%), Twitter (60%) is the core channel of political disinformation. Posts used multiple story formats and information sources to make claims appear real. A combination of text, video, and picture was used for the political messaging, with pictures accompanying most stories for emphasis and message authentication. Each news story had more than 2000 likes and shares, which has implications for the continuous spread of false information.

Forced migration and women as dispossessed gender: An appraisal of Soji Cole’s Embers

Ruth Etuwe Epochi-Olise — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Forced migration is generally inimical to mankind but particularly hazardous to women. However, these hazardous acts which make women vulnerable are hardly considered as substantial enough to warrant an outcry against the migration phenomenon. Women face major challenges resulting from forced migrations, which expose them to violence, rape and other anti-social behaviours imposed on them by the circumstances. All these tend to have significant impacts on their social, economic, cultural and environmental development. This paper, therefore, uses Cole’s Embers to critically interrogate the issues of forced migration as a gendered problem. This work shall expose the claims that the problem of forced migration is an offshoot of the opportunistic post-colonial Nigerian rulers who have assisted to change the narratives of the family structure and peaceful order of society to a chaotic world. The paper focuses on the IDP Camps that are highly fuelled by corruption and the challenges for womanhood.

The media and neo-colonisation: examining the relevance of African thought and philosophy in the discourse of decolonisation

Joseph Aketema, Joseph Yao Edem Homadji Ladzekpo — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The media and all that it represents have often had insidious content. People have often used the media to promote their own agenda be it in the area of marketing, finance, governance, entertainment and sports. In Africa, foreign media outlets have dwelled so much on Africa. On most occasions, the media content is fraught with damaging content, which only reinforces earlier existing imagery of Africa as backward continent needing forms of confrontation and actions. This is actually a form of neo-colonisation. In this discussion, we look at the media, an agent of neo- colonisation and how an appreciation of African thought or philosophy can enable a better understanding of the media. The discussion is grounded on cultural norm theory, personal observations of the media landscape in Africa and a brief content analysis of Kwaw Ansah’s Heritage Africa (1989). The discussions conclude that serious regulation of the media is one of the surest ways of reducing the ills in its content and recommends that avenues to promote indigenous knowledge forms through the media be strongly supported to boost African centered media content.

Media strategy and the impact of COVID-19 public awareness in Ekiti State: A cross-sectional study

Rasaki Ojo Bakare, Tayo Isijola, Lilian Eguriase Bakare — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic, which allegedly stemmed from Wuhan, China, had imposed far-reaching consequences on human existence across the globe. After Nigeria recorded its first case in February 2020, the death toll rose with increased number of confirmed cases. Notably, as experts strove to understand, track, and contain the pandemic, the media kept pushing the frontiers of public awareness faster than the spread. However, the proliferation of disinformation had continued to contend with global responses to the pandemic. It stimulated undesired public behaviours, such as non adherence and public protest, as witnessed in most parts of Nigeria. This research is an empirical study that examines the media strategy responsible for the different behaviours observed in Ekiti state, where the public acceptance of Covid-19 guidelines seemed to have resulted in the considerable containment of the sickness’ spread in the state. The study employs both the qualitative and quantitative research methods, and hinged on Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann’s model (1973) of Powerful effect theory and the “Source credibility theory” of Carl Hovland and Walter Weiss (1951). The researchers observed that in spite of the independent mindedness that characterizes Ekiti people, which challenges most public mobilization endeavours, the populace demonstrated high degree of adherence and compliance to Covid-19 awareness mobilization. In the interest of communal well-being, they volunteered information on violator to the authorities. We discovered that individuals with reckonable public credibility were used as sources of information for the awareness message of Covid-19. Apart from source credibility strategy, geo-coding, which exploited the ethical cultural tenets of the Ekiti world-view was another effective media strategy employed. The researchers hereby recommend the findings of this study as viable and effective media strategies for public enlightenment in the event of future public health crisis in Nigeria.

A grammatical investigation of possessive cases in English and Okpameri

Raifu O. Farinde, Happy O. Omolaiye — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Possessive cases are words that indicate or show possession. Hence, “hers”, “her” and “Ojo’s” are some examples of possessive cases. These possessive cases indicate grammatical property of language. The usage of these cases in utterance varies in languages. Hence, they variations often pose problem to ESL learners. Predicating on Contrastive Analysis Theory, the study generated Okpameri data from oral sources and participatory observation of the researchers in natural Setting. English data were got from the English grammar texts. The areas of investigation were Possessive Pronouns, Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Nouns. From the findings, the two languages under study are grammatically marked for possessive cases with reference to 1st, 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural numbers. However, the usage of these cases differs. While English is gender sensitive, this is not so in Okpameri language as Okpameri resorts to using uni-gender to indicate possession. Okpameri possessive pronouns and adjectives have different morphological forms representing persons (e.g 1st person singular). Not all forms of possessive cases are capable of co- occuring with every noun. While Okpameri distinguishes between subject and complement possessive cases, this is not so in English. The study, therefore, suggests that language teachers, particularly, English language experts should adopt systematic approach to the teaching of possessive cases as this will further broaden the Okpameri ESL learners’ knowledge on how to use the English possessive cases.

The use of literature as a veritable instrument for the teaching of English language

Itohan Ethel Ekhator, Peter Oghogho Aihevba — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This article discusses the use of literature as a popular tool for teaching basic language skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking and other language areas such as vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation in English as a Second Language classroom. It uses the literary method in its analysis of the Nigerian situation. The reasons and criteria for selecting literary texts are discussed. Also the benefits of different genres of literature such as poetry, short fiction, drama and novel to language teaching are taken into account. The paper recognized that all genres should be carefully selected and used in the teaching of English Language skills and language skills should not be taught in isolation.

Character as social semiotic in Wole Soyinka’s The lion and the jewel

Obinna Iroegbu — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Semiotics is context bound. Therefore, it is appropriate to situate the locale of any interpretation of art as veritable vehicle for proper understanding. In this regard, Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel as a dramatic text derives a better metaphorical essence when assessed as a semiotic correlative of the socio-political conditions in the Nigerian post-colonial experience. Beyond its engagement in the dramatization of events that constitute narrative, character plays a pivotal role as a means by which thematic concerns can be mirrored. In other words, in all ramifications of its application, character usually plays representative roles, especially considering the fact that fiction aims at reflecting what is obtainable, probable or conceivable in a given context. Relating the dramatic events that played out in the text, it is observed that The Lion and the Jewel in its characterization captures a proper representation of socio-political personalities in Nigeria, including the author, Soyinka. From the jewel of contest which is the political power to the predatory turncoats who plunder and rape the patrimony, the drama demonstrates how character can assume a mimetic essence that indicates prophetic act. Just as it is common practice to tag an overbearing political leader the Orwellian Big Brother, and considering how the drama has succeeded to relate or relay sociopolitical identities, it is duly recommended that examination of characters in literature, especially African literature, should account for their roles as counterpart identities of politically exposed persons. Thus, there is a Baroka in the politician who snatches power by unorthodox means; a Lakunle in the upstart whose feeble attempt to contest political power is laughable and a Sadiku who is an accomplice in spite of being a victim.

What a sound! Diegetic and non-diegetic music in the films of Túndé Kèlání

Kayode M. Samuel, Samuel A. Adejube — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The agency of music to effectively convey ideas in movies and articulate visual-emotional experience of the audience during mise-en-scene has long been established. Existing studies have focused more on the elements that characterize film as a visual experience, than on the diegetic (foreground) and non-diegetic (background) music, especially along their aural aesthetic lines. This article, therefore, investigated the aesthetic connections between traditional and performative significations of music in selected movies of Túndé Kèlání, one of Nigeria’s foremost cinematographers. Using a qualitative (videographic) research design, three movies, Ti Oluwa N’ile, Saworo Ide and K’oseegbe, were purposively selected, based on their unique aesthetic traits and distinct cultural identity quality, for content analysis. A close reading of the musical and textual data was done. Findings revealed that cultural themes in the movies, bordering on entertainment, rituals, politics, philosophy, didactic, panegyric and dirge, were projected through African and Western musical instruments, while folklore and folksongs constituted major sources of materials and cultural signifier. The authors argue that examples of the dialectic and sequential troughs in the performance of music exemplify aesthetic reinforcement, not only in terms of the didactic functionality it expresses, but also in what it conceals.

Stylistic analysis of Nigerian prose: A reading of selected novels of Chukwuemeka Ike

Charles Alex Patrick — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examined the language, style and other narrative devices in Chukwuemeka Ike’s novels. The diagnostic objective of the paper is based on the interpretative analysis of Ike’s linguistic medium to determine how they aide in giving expressions to his vision as a writer. It reveals that colloquial and evocative language layered with oral resources provides the fertile medium through which Ike portrays the absurdities and decadence inherent in his society. His craftsmanship and talent glistens from effective and efficient deployment of literary style like the third person narrative point of view, dream motif, flashback, songs, metaphor, proverbs, adjectival density in which Ike piles up superlative and superficial adjectives while describing his characters which often make his language genial and turgid, etc. The paper explored some aspects of language in Henri Bergson’s theory of humour which sheds some light on Ike’s use of language. It concludes that contrary to the popularly held view that Ike belongs to the popular tradition in African literature; Ike is a consummate writer whose utmost concern is the propagation of a healthy society.

Theoretical analysis on persuasive communication in advertising and its application in marketing communication

Abari Ijuo Ogah, Dennis Oche Abutu — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The act of persuasion in advertising and the business world have become one of the most crucial elements in marketing communication. Advertising your business is therefore rooted in the ability of communication experts to come up with messages capable of persuading potential customers and clients to purchase the organization’s products. This implies that, messages that lack persuasion will hit only on deaf ears and the goal not attained. Accordingly, this paper centered on the theoretical analysis on persuasive communication in advertising and how they can be applied in marketing communication. The paper employed secondary data collection method, which is centered on compiled literature and researches relevant to this work. The paper positioned that persuasive communication employs the marketing mix as avenue of reaching potentials customers. The paper was further moored on common persuasive techniques such as plain folk testimonials, hidden fear appeals, social status approach and bandwagon effect. The paper was further anchored on four persuasive theoretical underpinnings that can be applied for effective marketing communication. These include the Persuasion theory, the AIDA model, Elaboration likelihood model and the Fogg Behavioural model. The paper conclude that, arketing communication thrives on persuasion and any advertising message without persuasive elements will yield no result as persuasion is the moving force of marketing communication. Lastly, the paper amongst other points recommends effective use of communication strategy designed to convince consumers, utilization of various media that meet the audience needs and to bridge the knowledge and action gap in the marketing process.

Discourse study of linguistic errors in Vanguard online readers’ comments on the alleged 2012 fuel subsidy committee bribery scandal

Chibuzor Franklin Akpati, Janet Abimbola Adegboye — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The study identifies common linguistic errors among online commenters. It analyses and interprets the identified errors. It relates the interpreted errors to the socio political context of Nigeria. This was done with a view to investigating how these discussed errors were used by online commenters on the alleged national assembly fuel subsidy committee bribery scandal. The study employed both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary source includes 20 purposively selected readers’ comments on news reports from the Vanguard online. The secondary source includes books, journal articles and the Internet. Data were analysed using Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar approach. The study discovers that errors such as faulty sentence constructions, wrong use of, punctuation marks and spellings were used by commenters.

A literary analysis of Yoruba-Ifá oral poetry and its implication for entertainment and cultural education in Nigeria

Bifátife Olufemi Adeseye, Harry Olufunwa, Afolabi Innocent Ariremako — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The article examines the potentials of Yoruba Ifá oral literature for entertainment and education, with an emphasis on the ways in which the desire for entertainment in narrative poetry can precede educational requirements. The study observes that Ifá narrative is an integral part of the complete Ifá divination process usually packaged in parable format. The inexhaustible nature of its source is affirmed by related studies done by Yoruba language and literature scholars. It is also observed that every attempt at translating any language to another often results in obliterating the imagery of the one being translated in the new presentation; hence, the study adopts the term transliteration. The literary stylistic devices employed in Ifá narratives are discussed; for easy reference, the study classifies the content of Ifá narratives into three principal genres; poetry, drama and music. This discourse is tailored to further appraise specific issues concerning the measurement and scoring Yoruba Ifá poetry using global parameters. The performance essence, as in dramaturgy, of the poetry is reserved for further investigation. Examples of Ese Ifá (Ifá verses) are subjected to repetition, parallelism and tonal counterpoint. The study affirms the applicability of Ifá oral literature to cartoon animation movies geared towards effective indigenization of the Yoruba child as a paradigm of the African child. The structure of the study is woven around folkism theory. The treatment adopts textual analysis in aesthetic evaluative style.

Fictional representation of facts: Memory and indictment in Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah

Onyeka Ike, Oyeh Oko Otu — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah has received a wide range of criticisms from feminist, postcolonial, even from psychoanalytic perspectives, etc., but not really from the New Historicist evaluation which usually offers the opportunity for a panoramic historical interpretations of literary texts. Such interpretations usually enable readers to have a broader understanding of some vital actual historical developments being fictionalized in a literary text to learn from the mistakes of the past with regard to certain actions of individuals and institutions in society. In an attempt to achieve this, the study establishes the relationship between the characters, settings, incidents, and even some discourses created and represented in the novel with factual historical and contemporary political figures and issues related to them. The crystallizing issues from the author’s literary searchlight in this regard principally border on former President Obasanjo’s controversial privatization programme, General Babangida’s political and economic maradonism, particularly his IMF/SAP-inflicted economic sores and sufferings and the historically suspicious plane crash under his administration, as well as several other sensitive and indicting issues associated with dictatorship, ethnicity and racism, among others. The study maintains that as an insightful creative writer and a reminder of history, Adichie dutifully stands on the watchtower of society, remembering and making certain significant indictments with the instrumentality of her novelistic art in focus, and that such representations can only be said to be fruitful or serve their cardinal intent when individuals in society learn from them and avoid recurrences.

Pragma-semiotic analysis of equivocality in Tess Onwueme’s drama

Olúwafúnminíyì Mábáwínkú — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This paper analyses the ‘meanings within meaning’ as it reflects in the use of language as a verbal sign signal that colours Onwueme’s drama and to which she explores part of semiotics as a vital aspect of her works. Onwueme uses cultural mimesis in expressing meaning in her plays. This is so as her drama is fashioned towards imitation of certain aspects of her culture. Her techniques match her intention as this reflects in her characters’ depiction and artistry aesthetics which is ebullient. This ploy assists in explaining and discovering in-depth meanings tucked within her works as a correlation of the realities in the society. A dose of her cultural mimesis consequently becomes a sign signal which is relevant and complementary to the main action as expressed by the spoken words. The signals provided by the verbal mode through the signs have opened up a wealth of new and revealing information on communication and dramatic principles.

Constraints of set design in three selected educational theatres in Nigeria

Olusegun K. Abodunrin, Olufemi E. Atarase — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Set design in educational theatre houses in Nigeria is an important area of theatre studies that assists the designer to interpret the play’s message during performances to make the audience understand both the message of the play and the directorial vision. However, it has suffered serious neglect. The neglect affects the experts and nonexperts in different areas of the theatre profession. This study takes a look at set design in Nigerian universities with emphasis on University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and University of Abuja. A descriptive method that entails observant participatory approach was adopted. Observations and conclusions reached were through visits to the mentioned institutions above as well as the functionality of the set construction of plays watched. This provided the opportunity to assess the functionality of the equipment used and the quality and value of the sets constructed. The following findings were reached: equipment was obsolete, the staff and the students relied on improvisation and recycling during performances in most cases. Many departments of theatre arts lacked adequate set design equipment which reduced the quality and value of their productions. The funding required to procure or acquire design equipment was a paltry sum and this also led to lack of regular training of designers. The recommendations of this study, therefore, are that play directors and set designers should have a sense of history of their theatre structure. They should also bridge the gap between the expected and actual set design and their roles towards success in play production. Furthermore, set designers within the academy should be sent for training regularly to enable them update knowledge in the constantly evolving area of automated theatre design and technology.

Socio-political consideration of Kunle Afolayan’s directorial experiment in October 1

Nicholas Efe Akpore, Adewale Oyewo — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This article posits that Kunle Afolayan’s directorial experimentation in October 1 had socio-political underpinnings. Among others, it X-rays the directorial style of Kunle Afolayan and initiates a syncretism of Afolayan’s directorial experimentation in October 1 and the sole objective of galvanizing the masses towards a radical socio-political change. The paper brings to the fore that Kunle Afolayan’s directing is hinged on the via- media theory which allows the director to negotiate freely; this in turn made his film a huge success. The paper submits that Kunle Afolayan as a director roots his directorial experiments in October 1 on the socio-political rejuvenation of Nigeria and his penchant for the projection of African cultural aesthetics was not left out.

Nollywood as an elixir for drug misuse among students of Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Achor F. Akowe — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The Nigerian entertainment industry tagged Nollywood, which began on a staggering note, has evolved to only trail behind Hollywood and Bollywood that started many years before its advent. This medium has equally mainstreamed itself into competing favourably with other media struggling for human attention. Therefore, even in an era when the youths have found fun with internet services, this medium is equally compliant with social media. It is on this locus standi that this article investigates The Lost Soul in an attempt to scale down the misuse of drugs by students of tertiary institutions, which truncates their educational pursuits, rendering them redundant and their families and by extension Nigeria sorrier for it. Armed with this report, this discourse adopts an analysis and deduction approach by way of qualitative research of the movie under study with the view to stampeding the spread of this anathema on our campuses. Consequently, this article recommends the mass production of movies with this thematic relevance, among others, by the various Theatre Arts Departments in Nigerian universities where students themselves account for the largest part of the cast and crew members. This will definitely command more youth viewership and hence, scale down to some reasonable extent the vices threatening to militate against their educational development since they will become or are the fulcra of any labour force and the leaders of tomorrow.

Beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning-hooks: Transforming the traditional media of communication from drivers of conflict to instruments for peace and security: Examples from Hakamat singers in Sudan’s Darfur

Daniel Terzungwey Adekera — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The Hakamats, a group of traditional women singers and poets from Darfur, Western Sudan, contributed greatly to fueling the decade old Darfur conflict using their traditional war songs and poetry. Using the same instrument to appeal to the ego and romanticisms of their male counterparts they also blocked several proposed peace initiatives. Through education and advocacy, they now sing for peace; a clear case of beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruninghooks. This study examines the factors that influenced the Hakamats’ choice to promote war and conflict rather than peace and peaceful co-existence, and the motivation that sustained that momentum. The focus is on how they were convinced to abandon an old-time traditional role and embrace the search for sustainable peace in an area they held sway for a long time. The study is based on series of workshops, sensitization campaigns and personal interviews with some women Hakamats. The data generated from the workshops and interviews was critically examined using content analysis. The findings show that economic benefits and, the quest for societal recognition greatly influenced and sustained the Hakamats’ choice of trade, motivation, and activities. The study recommends that a new set of value system and other means of economic survival for the Hakamat are an imperative in order for the transformation to be sustainable. It also recommends the deployment of traditional media as a very critical tool for conflict resolution.