Abstract

The Nigerian film industry that is popularly called Nollywood, like Hollywood and Bollywood, has come into its own in terms of quality and quantity of film productions. It has a huge market potential occasioned by an enthusiastically teeming population, which is largely youthful. Unfortunately, the filmmaking tripod of art, science and business has not been fully harnessed for the benefit of Nigerian youths who are largely unemployed going by current statistics that put the country as the poverty capital of the world.  Theoretically anchored on the Triple Helix model of innovation (THmI), this study uses the historical-analytic, direct observation and systematic literature review methods to argue that filmmaking is a boundless vocation because of the unlimited opportunities and possibilities inherent in it. As such, relevant government agencies, industry players as well as the academia should combine efforts to build the capacities of Nigerian youths in the various creative matrixes of filmmaking as a way of empowering them to be self-employed and possibly employers of labour. Consequently, Nigerian youths should train and acquire technical competencies in the different aspects of filmmaking for self empowerment, entrepreneurial and cultural development of Nigeria.

Key Words: Filmmaking, Youth Empowerment, Youth Unemployment, Nollywood, Smartpreneur  

JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 13, No. 2, October 2021, pp. 33-45.

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

About the author

Osakue Stevenson Omoera, Ph.D. is a Professor and an expert in mass media, theatre and communication studies at the Department of English and Communication Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. His research interests include social impact of the media (sociology of the media), Nollywood studies, development communication and dynamics of African cultural performance. Scopus ID: 56052398700; ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1086-7874. Web of Science ResearcherID R-7440-2019. 

Acknowledgements

The first draft of this paper was presented at the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) Annual Roundtable on Cultural Orientation with the theme, “Optimizing Opportunities for Youth Empowerment in Cultural and Creative Industries” held 15 December 2020, at Nasarawa State University, Keffi. I wish to thank immensely Alhaji Ado Muhammed Yahuza, the Executive Secretary of NICO, Professors Emmanuel Dandaura, Sunday Ododo, Nicholas Iwokwagh, among other organisers, resource persons and participants, for their useful comments and observations that have helped to improve the work.

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Article Citation

Omoera, O. S. (2021). Filmmaking as avenue for youth empowerment in Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 13 (2): 33 – 45.