NOLLYWOOD AND GENERIC READING: SAMPLINGPUBLIC OPINION ON NIGERIA CHILDREN’S FILMS

Resumen

The Nigeria Film Industry tagged Nollywood is a multimillion dollar industry making waves all over the world. The industry came into limelight in the year 1992 with the production of Living in Bondage. Most film scholars believe that the film unearthed the country’s hidden talents and ushered in a lucrative business which many sectors of the Nigerian economy keyed into. Nevertheless, since the inception of the industry little efforts have been made in utilizing the industry’s many potentials in educating Nigerian children. This study examines the generic reading of children films and samples public opinions on Nollywood films. Oftentimes, most children watch films and go on to practice or imitate the film characters’ behaviour, attitudes, mannerism and so on and so forth. Therefore, it is pertinent to deduce that film could make or mar child’s character formation, as such, necessitating that whatsoever that should be presented to a child audience must be scrutinized to meet up with the educational and moral values of the child. The researcher adopted quantitative research method so as to sample consumers’ opinions on the relevance of Nollywood children film content. The study discovered that most adults do not take film rating and parental guidance seriously, as such; most children watch films meant for adults’ consumption and in most cases with no one saddled with the responsibility of explaining to the young audience the underlying metaphor of the subject matter treated in the films. The researcher recommends that parents/teachers/adults should endeavour to monitor and censor the content of films watched by children at home, schools, or at neighbours’ houses. The emphasis is on influencing the children positively for more reforming and beneficial effects on their character formation and ideological leanings.