Abstract

This paper is a qualitative textual analysis of Jenifa, a Nigerian Nollywood film produced by Funke Akindele.  Within the purview of the global strategies of interventions targeted at combating the scourge of HIV/AIDS world-wide, Jenifa provides an entertaining contribution to the narrative in contemporary Nigerian society. The analysis showed that the film is rich in edutainment messages that promote behavior change especially among the youth. The film also reflects the prevailing socio-economic and patriarchal issues surrounding HIV/AIDs especially in a male-dominated society that pile the blame of the spread of HIV on women, both as victims of the disease and as economic underdogs. The film also captures the economic and gender imbalances in Nigeria as well as their negative impact on the average Nigerian woman. Three major themes emerged from this analysis of Jenifa - the crisis of social identity, societal victimization of the Nigerian woman and the sexploitation of women by women.

Key Words:  Entertainment-Education, Jenifa, HIV/AIDS, Patriarchal, Sexploitation.

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, October  2013, 159 – 170 

©Delmas Communications Ltd.

About the author

*Nancy Nanchin Katu-Ogundimu is a doctoral student of Mass Communication at the School of Media Arts, Scripps College of Communication, Ohio University, Athens 45701, U.S.A. and an Arts Fellow in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria

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