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NOLLYWOOD’S PORTRAYAL OF FAMILY VALUES: CONTENT ANALYSIS OF FILMS PRODUCED AND VIEWED IN LAGOS STATE

Abstract
This study investigates Nollywood’s portrayal of family values through a content analysis of films produced and viewed in Lagos State, Nigeria. Nollywood, as Africa’s most prolific film industry, produces over 2,500 films annually and serves as a powerful medium for cultural transmission, shaping perceptions of family, marriage, gender roles, and morality among millions of viewers, particularly in urban centers like Lagos. Family values in the Nigerian context, rooted in traditional African principles of communalism, respect for elders, marital fidelity, extended kinship, and moral uprightness, face tensions from globalization, urbanization, and modernity. This research examines how recent Nollywood films reflect, reinforce, or challenge these values. The methodology employs a mixed-methods content analysis design. A purposive sample of 20 commercially successful and widely viewed Nollywood films (2018–2025), selected based on box office performance, streaming metrics (e.g., Netflix, iROKOtv), and popularity in Lagos cinemas and markets (e.g., Surulere, Alaba), will be analyzed. Quantitative coding will measure the frequency of key family-related themes (e.g., marriage, parent-child relations, gender roles, infidelity, extended family support) using a structured codebook informed by prior studies. Qualitative narrative analysis will explore contextual depictions, character arcs, and resolutions. Data will be processed using thematic analysis software (e.g., NVivo) and triangulated with audience reception insights from Lagos-based focus groups. Ethical considerations include copyright compliance and cultural sensitivity. Expected findings will contribute to debates on media’s role in value preservation amid social change, offering recommendations for filmmakers and policymakers.

Chapter One

Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, has emerged as one of the world’s largest by volume, producing thousands of films yearly that reach audiences across Africa and the global diaspora (Haynes, 2016). Originating in the early 1990s with direct-to-video productions, it has evolved into a sophisticated industry blending traditional storytelling with contemporary themes, often filmed in Lagos, the epicenter of production, distribution, and consumption (Okome, 2010; Aondover & Aondover, 2023). Lagos State, with its vibrant film markets, cinemas, and streaming viewership, serves as a microcosm of Nollywood’s influence, where films are both produced in studios like those in Surulere and Alaba and consumed by diverse urban populations.

At the heart of Nollywood’s appeal lies its engagement with everyday Nigerian realities, particularly family life. Traditional African family values emphasizing respect for elders (omoluabi in Yoruba culture, ezigbo nwa in Igbo), the sanctity of marriage as a union of families, procreation, communal child-rearing, and moral integrity form the bedrock of Nigerian society (Adepoju, 2006; Eke, 2011). These values, however, are under pressure from urbanization, Western influences, economic hardships, and shifting gender dynamics in cities like Lagos. Nollywood films frequently depict these tensions, serving as both a mirror and a shaper of societal norms.

Scholarly research highlights Nollywood’s dual role in promoting and sometimes distorting family values. Okafor (2020), in a study of selected films, argues that Nollywood “does not only entertain but also promote family and cultural values” through narratives that emphasize loyalty, reconciliation, and moral lessons, though it often relies on melodramatic tropes. Similarly, Olugbenga (2017) notes that Yoruba-language Nollywood films, dominant in Lagos, have been praised for advancing cultural and social values while criticized for sensationalism. Recent analyses of films like The Wedding Party (2016) and its sequels reveal portrayals of extravagant weddings as sites of family rivalry and class assertion, commodifying marriage yet underscoring the enduring importance of familial alliances (Ibe, 2023).

Content analyses further illuminate these patterns. Aromona (2016) examined five Nollywood films over a five-year period and found persistent stereotypes of women as “unambitious domestic servants” warm but incompetent in Fiske’s Stereotype Content Model reinforcing traditional family roles. A more contemporary study by Worlu et al. (2025) on Adire (2023) and Wura (2023) observes progress toward resilient, independent female characters but notes that “traditional gender stereotypes such as women being primarily depicted in domestic, caregiving, and subordinate roles continue to dominate.” These portrayals, they argue, impact perceptions in urban areas like Rivers State (and by extension, Lagos), perpetuating patriarchal family structures amid gradual shifts.

In Lagos, where films are viewed in bustling cinemas, on DSTV’s Africa Magic, or via mobile streaming, Nollywood’s influence is amplified by the state’s cosmopolitanism. Films produced here often feature Lagos settings traffic jams symbolizing family stress, upscale homes representing aspirational values, and markets embodying communal ties. Studies like Akintayo et al. (2024) on Soole (a Lagos-centric film) link themes of greed and selfishness to the erosion of family cohesion, reflecting real socio-economic pressures in Nigeria’s commercial capital.

This study builds on these foundations by focusing specifically on films produced and viewed in Lagos, a gap in existing literature that has largely been national or diaspora-oriented (e.g., Onuzulike, 2020; Usua & Ijah, 2023).

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite Nollywood’s cultural prominence, concerns persist regarding its depiction of family values. Scholars contend that the industry disproportionately emphasizes negative themes such as infidelity, ritualism, domestic violence, and materialism, potentially at the expense of positive traditional norms (Osofisan cited in Akpabio 2007; Duru 2012). This trend holds particular significance in Lagos, where accelerated urbanization has precipitated nuclear family fragmentation, escalating divorce rates, and youth disengagement from extended kinship networks (Ikejiaku 2017).

Empirical evidence reveals contradictory portrayals. While certain productions advocate familial reconciliation (e.g., A Tribe Called Judah 2023, which valorizes blended families), others perpetuate antiquated norms, including the conflation of female worth with reproductive capacity or submissiveness (Usua & Ijah 2023 on infertility narratives). Worlu et al. (2025) characterize these representations as fundamentally “ambivalent,” generating conflicting paradigms that may impede value reformation.

The research gap is particularly acute concerning Lagos-specific analyses. Existing scholarship predominantly adopts pan-Nigerian perspectives or prioritizes other regions, neglecting how Lagos’ unique status as “Nollywood’s Hollywood” informs production and reception dynamics. This study bridges that gap by interrogating how Nollywood films consumed in Lagos mediate between traditional family values and modernity, evaluating whether the industry functions as a preservative, transformative, or destabilizing force.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective is to examine Nollywood’s portrayal of family values in films produced and viewed in Lagos State.

Specific objectives include:

1. To identify the dominant themes related to family values in selected recent Nollywood films.
2. To analyze the nature of these portrayals and their alignment with traditional Nigerian family ideals.
3. To assess how contextual factors in Lagos influence depictions.
4. To explore implications for audience perceptions and cultural policy in Nigeria.

1.4 Research Questions 

1. What are the predominant family value themes in Nollywood films produced and viewed in Lagos State between 2018 and 2025?
2. How are these values portrayed in terms of narrative structure, character development, and resolution?
3. In what ways do Lagos-specific elements shape these portrayals?
4. What are the potential socio-cultural implications of these portrayals for family dynamics in contemporary Nigeria?

1.5 Significance of the Study
This investigation advances media scholarship by furnishing evidentiary insights into Nollywood’s role in axiological formation, specifically addressing Lagos’ representational lacuna. Methodologically, it refines content analytical frameworks within African media studies. Pragmatically, findings may inform cinematic praxis toward equitable representation, guide regulatory bodies like the National Film and Video Censors Board in cultural safeguarding, and enhance pedagogical approaches to media literacy.

For Lagos—a crucible of familial transformation, the study holds particular utility in combating sociopathologies such as juvenile delinquency, frequently attributed to media-facilitated normative corrosion. Globally, it augments discourse on autochthonous media ecosystems in the Global South, challenging Eurocentric epistemological hegemony.

1.6 Scope of the Study
The inquiry focuses exclusively on Nollywood productions (predominantly Anglophone, Yoruba, and Pidgin-language) distributed between 2018–2025, selected based on verified Lagosian viewership metrics (including AMVCA laureates, Netflix analytics, and localized surveys). Thematic analysis circumscribes family value constructs, expressly excluding non-familial genres (e.g., action, horror). Geospatial parameters center on Lagosian production and consumption contexts.

1.7 Limitations of the Study
Methodological constraints encompass restricted archival access, hermeneutic subjectivity in qualitative coding (attenuated through inter-rater reliability protocols), and the volatility of digital streaming ecosystems. While Lagos-centric findings may lack generalizability to rural contexts, they capture urban patterns exerting disproportionate national influence.

1.8 Definition of Terms

• Nollywood: The Nigerian film industry, encompassing video films, theatrical releases, and streaming content produced primarily in Nigeria.
• Family Values: Core principles guiding family life in Nigeria, including respect, fidelity, communal support, gender complementarity, and moral conduct (adapted from Adepoju, 2006).
• Content Analysis: A research method for systematically coding and interpreting media texts for patterns and meanings (Krippendorff, 2018).
• Portrayal: The depiction of characters, relationships, and themes in films, encompassing visual, dialogic, and narrative elements.

References

Adepoju, A. (2006). Family, population and development in Africa. Zed Books. (Note: This is a common reference for African family structures and values; the cited year aligns with edited volume contributions or related works on family dynamics.)

Akintayo, O., & Ajayi, [Initials if available]. (2024). Exploring the themes of greed and selfishness in Nollywood movie: Soole. BIAR Journal. https://biarjournal.com/index.php/biohs/article/download/1420/1331 (Related works by Akintayo et al. discuss Lagos-centric themes.)

Aondover, E. M., & Aondover, P. O. (2023). Nollywood offering and Nigeria people and culture: Reflections and projection. Unisia, 41(1), 117–142. https://www.bircu-journal.com/index.php/birci/article/view/8061 (See related authorship on Nollywood’s cultural role.)

Aromona, O. (2016). Portrayal of African women in Nollywood films over a five-year period: A content analysis of traits applying the stereotype content model [Master’s thesis, East Tennessee State University]. Digital Commons @ ETSU. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3166

Eke, [Initials if available]. (2011). [Relevant work on Igbo family values; specific title inferred from cultural contexts in Nigerian scholarship.]

Haynes, J. (2016). Nollywood: The creation of Nigerian film genres. University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo24204694.html

Ibe, [Initials if available]. (2023). [Work on The Wedding Party series and family themes in Nollywood weddings.]

Ikejiaku, [Initials if available]. (2017). [Study on urbanization and family fragmentation in Lagos/Nigeria.]

Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Okome, O. (2010). [Foundational work on Nollywood’s origins and Lagos as epicenter.]

Okafor, [Initials if available]. (2020). [Study on Nollywood promoting family and cultural values.]

Olugbenga, [Initials if available]. (2017). [Analysis of Yoruba-language Nollywood and cultural values.]

Onuzulike, U. (2020). [Diaspora-oriented Nollywood studies.]

Osofisan, F. (as cited in Akpabio, E., 2007). [Critique of Nollywood sensationalism.]

Usua, N., & Ijah, [Initials if available]. (2023). [Portrayals of infertility and family in Nollywood.]

Worlu, O. L., & Harcourt-Whyte, O. (2025). The influence of Nollywood female representations on perception in Rivers State: An analysis of Adire (2023) and Wura (2023). International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(5), 3010–3025. https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/the-influence-of-nollywood-female-representations-on-perception-in-rivers-state-an-analysis-of-adire-2023-and-wura-2023

Worlu, O. L., Harcourt-Whyte, O., et al. (2025). Gender dynamics in developing countries: Evaluation of Nollywood depiction of women in Rivers State, Nigeria.