Nollywood in diaspora: A Cultural Tool

Françoise I . Ugochukwu

This paper, focusing on Europe and based on two sets of questionnaire and interviews dated 2009 and 2011, confirms the growing importance of the Nigerian Diaspora in those countries and the strategic position of the UK in the current building of a European network, as evidenced by the creation of ‘Nigerians in Diaspora Europe’ (NIDOE) and other groups. It examines the individual and corporate consumption of Nigerian video films by diasporic communities, considers its social, linguistic and economic impact among both first generation migrants and British youth of Nigerian descent, and reasons behind the success of Nollywood among resettled Nigerians. It highlights the premium given to the cultural aspect of these films by viewers, and its link to individual and collective memory and moral values, while showing a gradual shift in interest from the older generation to that of British-born youth. Given viewers’ insistence on the educational value of these films, considered by the majority as a fair reflection of the current Nigerian scene, the paper posits that producers should pay more attention to the content of their films and to their possible impact on other Diaspora-linked factors such as the attitude of Nigerians towards their home country and its wellbeing.