Papers for Vol. 32(4) 2024

Fragility of Tradition: Ngozi-Omeje Ezemas Terracotta Dry Leaves and Postmodern Nigerian Art

Abstract: This paper examines Ngozi-Omeje Ezemas Terracotta Dry Leaves within the context of the 2021 Kó Art Space exhibition in Lagos, Nigeria, titled “The New Nsukka Art School: Between Continuity and Change.” Grounded in the ideological and experimental traditions of the Zaria Art Society and the Nsukka Art School, Ezemas work reflects a dynamic synthesis of Nigerian artistic heritage and postmodern sensibilities. Tracing the historical roots of artistic radicalism in Nigeria, beginning with the Zaria rebels resistance to Euro-centric pedagogy in the late 1950s, the discussion explores how Uli motifs and local materials became central to a new form of artistic expression. Ezemas ceramic practice extends this trajectory of experimentation by transforming terracotta into a medium for conceptual exploration, emphasizing fragility, impermanence, and environmental themes. Positioned at the intersection of tradition and innovation, her work challenges the boundaries of ceramic art, signposting the evolution of contemporary Nigerian art in a globalized world. This study situates Terracotta Dry Leaves as a radical reimagining of materiality and artistic expression, embodying both continuity with and deviation from cultural traditions. Keywords: Ngozi-Omeje Ezema, Terracotta Dry Leaves, Nsukka Art School, Uli motifs, Nigerian contemporary art, fragility, ceramic art

Nkem Fortyunes Alu, Mary Chisara Opara, Jovita Charles Ogu

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2024.32.4.1-16

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A Bio-fictional Reading of Adaobi Nwaubani's Trauma Narrative of
the Chibok Girls's Kidnap in Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree

Abstract
This paper examines the narrative strategy adopted by Adaobi Nwaubani to tell the story of terrorism, abduction, and trauma in her prose text, Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree, and how effectively she used it. In addition, and as a result of this, the paper attempts a critical diagnostic reading of the text to reveal narrative encoding of trauma symptoms as experienced by victims of the Boko Haram insurgency and documented in the stories of survivors. These include symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other associated mental health disorders. Adaobi Nwaubani adopts a bio-fictional narrative strategy to create a vivid, graphic, traumatic, and realistic narrative of what it was like to be kidnapped and to be in the custody of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents that terrorize northern Nigeria and particularly the north-eastern part of the country. Using the trauma theory, an exploration of the effectiveness of Adaobi's narrative strategy to encode and depict manifest evidence of traumatic experiences and the psyche of the survivors shows a skillful bio-fictional weaving of facts and fiction, history, and effective imaginative biography. The paper concludes that Adaobi Nwaubani's biographical novel presents an effective awareness of trauma experienced by the victims through the use of symbolism, imagery, and language of trauma. It foregrounds the need for the rehabilitation of survivors of war and terrorism.
Keywords: Bio-fiction, Trauma narrative, Boko Haram, Chibok Girls, Terrorism

Ayodeji Isaac Shittu, Funso Ariyo-Agbaje, Anya Ude Egwu

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2024.32.4.17-30

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Reimagining Storytelling: Nollywood's Digital Revolution against
Hollywood Structures

Abstract
During Nollywood's formative years, the Nigerian film industry faced significant challenges in formalization. Scholars often classified it as an informal industry due to the short production-to-distribution cycle, insufficient funding, poor record-keeping and accountability, limited archival systems, and the absence of an effective distribution structure. This study critically examines Nollywood's digital transformation and formalization processes, focusing on the impact of platformization on narrative trends. Using critical reviews of scholarly works, participant observation as a filmmaker-researcher, and interviews with key Nollywood filmmakers, the research explores these developments in detail. Additionally, a comparative analysis is conducted between selected Nollywood films from the video's formative years in the 1990s—such as Living in Bondage 1 (1993), Living in Bondage 2 (1994), Rattle Snake (1994), Glamour Girls (1994) and its sequel, Italian Connection (1994), Nneka the Pretty Serpent (1994) and The Return of Nneka the Pretty Serpent (2001)—and their recent digital-era remakes: Living in Bondage: Breaking Free (2019), Rattle Snake: The Ahanna Story (2020), Nneka the Pretty Serpent (2020), and Glamour Girls (2022). This analysis highlights how the remakes adopt classic Hollywood narrative techniques to appeal to a global audience. The study concludes that while the narrative quality of the remakes shows significant improvement, the themes of both the original and remake films often remain consistent, focusing on topics such as the quest for rapid wealth, crime, and greed.
Keywords: Digitization, formalization, narratives, Nollywood and Hollywood

Charles Okwuowulu

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2024.32.4.17-31-46

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Entrepreneurial Curricula in University of Nigeria and National Youth
Service Corps (NYSC): An Investigation for Art Inclusivity

Abstract
This study evaluated the existing entrepreneurship curricula for Nigerian undergraduates and graduates, focusing on the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as representative on-school and off-school institutions. The Action Research aimed to: (i) determine whether entrepreneurship is integrated into the undergraduate and graduate programmes for Nigerian youth, (ii) compare the structure and development of art entrepreneurship in undergraduate and graduate programmes, and (iii) encourage art conferences and exhibitions among NYSC members to promote the cultural heritage of their host communities. Data were collected from 485 respondents using two instruments: (i) the UNN-NYSC Art Entrepreneurship Curricula Assessment Opinion Poll (UNN-NYSC-AECAOP) and (ii) the UNN-NYSC Art Entrepreneurship Curricula Assessment Data Graph (UNN-NYSC-AECADG). Findings revealed that, while entrepreneurship is included in the curricula of both UNN and NYSC, art entrepreneurship has not been adequately prioritized as an independent sector. Respondents across various disciplines indicated that acquiring basic art skills could enable graduates to become self-reliant in the absence of white-collar jobs. Furthermore, art was identified as a valuable tool for projecting the cultural identity of NYSC host communities.
Keywords: Entrepreneurship, exhibitions, skills acquisition, curricula, exhibitions

RitaDoris Edumchieke Ubah

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2024.32.4.17-47-64

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Rural Youth Empowerment through the Innovative Blend of
Biotechnology and Theatre for Development

Abstract
This study explores the potential of combining biotechnology with Theatre for Development (TfD) to empower youth. By leveraging biotechnology to address local agricultural and environmental challenges, and TfD as a participatory method of communication and education, the research created an inclusive platform for youth engagement and capacity building. In collaboration with over 100 community members, mostly youth, the project successfully developed a sustainable cassava peel-based animal feed using readily available waste materials. Guided by the Diffusion of Innovation theory, the findings suggest that this integrated approach enhances community awareness and fosters a sense of agency among participants, offering a replicable model for youth-driven, sustainable development in rural communities.
Keywords: Rural Youth Empowerment, Biotechnology, Theatre for Development (TfD), Sustainable Development, Agricultural Waste Management, Community Engagement, Capacity Building

Jonathan Chidi Ezeh, Austin Chibueze Okeke, Uche Okey Ofoedu, Nelson Torti Obasi,
Kasarachi Collins Okpe, Ijeoma Prudence Orji, Cynthia Chinenyenwa Nwabueze, Nneka Alio

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2024.32.4.17-65-78

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Transgressed Spaces: Okey Ndibe and the Dynamics of Class Bordering

Abstract
Borders do not only represent fixed and state-centred physical territories, they are also constructions of social life beneficial or detrimental to the individual, and to group cohesion. In literary studies, border poetics are mostly textual presentations and representations of social, cultural, or symbolic constructs that mediate or affect people's sense of collective belonging. Focusing on Okey Ndibe's Arrows of Rain (2000), We demonstrate how class subjectivity is constructed by the geo-economic and spatial logic of the city-space, and we read class borders as processes of socio-economic distinctions, and as managed institutions. We investigate acts of exploitation and social violence as systemic measures of class border management; a structural means of keeping the underprivileged at the margins. Secondly, we discuss bodies (corporeal and non-material) and voices as locations of successful or hindered border crossing. Finally, the paper suggests resilience and persuasive telling (voicing) as models for engaging socio-economically constructed identity for class debordering.
Keywords: Border poetics, class border, resistance, silence, body, voice

Mary J. N. Okolie, Nkama Obo Akaji

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2024.32.4.17-79-90

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Exploring the Cultural Shifts in Olaudah Equiano's 18th Century Igbo
Women: Some Matters Arising

Abstract
Women in 18th-century Igbo society, as documented in Olaudah Equiano's classic autobiography The Interesting Narrative, were highly industrious and self-sustaining. Today, this gendered image increasingly appears to be an illusion, as some able-bodied Igbo women are visibly taking to the streets of Igbo land as beggars. Notably, many of these women either suffer from or feign various forms of deformity. This reality presents a stark contradiction to Equiano's depiction of early Igbo society, where women thrived in agriculture, trade, and craftsmanship, and where begging and deformity were virtually unheard of. What accounts for this dramatic reversal? This article explores how begging, once unknown among women in Igbo society, emerged and evolved into a widespread phenomenon. It argues that this shift is not a product of mere laziness or a dereliction of cultural values but rather a catastrophic consequence of the Nigerian-Biafran War (1967–1970). Specifically, it examines how the war disrupted traditional gender roles and suggests that women's largely passive combat involvement left enduring socio-economic vulnerabilities. Employing a qualitative historiographical approach, the study adopts a thematic-narrative, comparative, and exploratory framework to analyze this transformation. By understanding the historical roots of this issue, societies can better safeguard the dignity and future of their women by addressing the balance of gender roles in both peace and conflict.
Keywords: Cultural, street, women, matters, beggars

Obinna Dominic Ezaku, Okoro Onu Ewa, Ogechi Akure Ikem, Ngozika Anthonia Obi-Ani

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2024.32.4.17-91-103

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Church Missionary Society and Anti-Alcohol Consumption
Campaigns in the Era of Herbert Tugwell's Episcopacy, 1894-1919

Abstract
This study explores the anti-alcohol consumption campaigns spearheaded by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) during the episcopacy of Herbert Tugwell (1894–1919) in colonial Nigeria. Under Tugwell's leadership, the CMS sought to address the rising social and moral challenges posed by the widespread consumption of European spirits, which were introduced through colonial trade. Grounded in Christian moral teachings, the campaigns emphasized temperance as a cornerstone of spiritual and communal discipline while advocating for legislation to restrict the import and trade of alcohol. The CMS's efforts were driven by the belief that alcohol consumption undermined both Christian values and societal order, causing health concerns and contributing to social instability. However, these campaigns faced significant challenges, including resistance from colonial authorities who profited from the liquor trade, cultural tensions with African traditions surrounding alcohol use, and mixed responses from African communities. This study examines the interplay between missionary ideology, colonial economics, and African agency, shedding light on the limitations and legacies of the CMS's anti-alcohol efforts as part of a broader moral reform agenda during the period. Both primary and secondary sources have been utilized in the analysis.
Keywords: Alcohol, colonialism, episcopacy, resources, moralists