Title

Representations of Political Corruption in Nigerian Video films: A study of some selected video
films.

Abstract

Most of the existing literature on Nigerian video films deals with the general social themes running
through these works. In many cases, the treatment of these themes is at best perfunctory in scope. In view
of this, this study attempts to examine with specificity, social themes that have a bearing on how society
is ordered. This research investigates the representations of political corruption in some selected Nigerian
video film using the Social Responsibility Theory of the media as its theoretical framework. This study
has been conducted using a textual analysis of some selected video films which have strong political
motifs as a major thematic fare and data collected from personal interviews with leading scholars and
Nigerian video film practitioners – writers, director/producers and film critics. The research findings
reveal that the portrayal of political corruption in Nigerian video films is largely consistent with social
reality irrespective of the narrative approach. The stories, which interrogate the political strata of society,
are told in a compelling narrative that allows for empathy and audience identification and association with
the subject matter. This dissertation challenges the argument that films would lose their popularity if they
serve as a platform for engagement through their portrayals of societal ills.

Name of Author

Bemigho Awala

Institutional Affiliation

Graduate Student of the School of Media, Pan African University, Lagos, Nigeria

Email Address

bemighoawala@gmail.com

Phone Nos.

08025334722, 08056656949