Maureen Ngozi Ndu is a Nigerian who teaches in Madonna University Nigeria at the moment. She had her B.A from the University of Nigeria Nsukka ( UNN), MA and PhD from the University of Ibadan ( UI) Nigeria. Her research focus on Nollywood films, indigenous culture (Igbo), Drama and Theatre. She has published books, authored and co- authored book chapters and journal papers in reputable journals. She a Christian and a mother. Phone: 070 8694 3146 Address: Madonna university Nigeria Okija Anambra state.
Advanced Journal of Theatre and Film Studies , 2023
The Nigerian Image on the Nollywood Screen is that popular conception held of Nigerians, their in... more The Nigerian Image on the Nollywood Screen is that popular conception held of Nigerians, their institutions, and the nation through Nollywood films. Film is not only a form of art but also a tool for social Reformation, Transformation, and Decoloniality; as it expresses the feelings of humans and their ideas, seeks to liberate, make visible, and advance a distinct perception of the image of the creating society. The film of a Nation is a liberatory language for the future of the nation as it projects the identity of the nation to the world. The research examines and interrogates what image of Nigerians Nollywood projects to the world. Merton's theory of functionalism provides a fulcrum for the work and the survey method of data collection was employed. A questionnaire was administered to 500 respondents from the East (200), West (200), and North (100) who watch Nollywood films. Nollywood films portray Nigeria in a good light in the areas of lifestyle and infrastructure, but, considered the state as a stronghold in occultic practices. The respondents perceive Nigeria's image as developing (76.3%), technically advanced (53.2%), and as a state with rich cultural heritage (82.6%), and commended the exploration of Nigeria's heroic past and cultural heritage (62.0%). The respondents submitted that their interest in the country's affairs increased, the more they watched Nollywood films (50.1%), understanding of other cultures (75.1%). However, respondents perceive Nigeria as a society full of conflict (71.0%), supernatural (75.1%), and perpetrating all forms of violence (68.5%). It concludes that the image projected ties the country to the image as perceived by the Colonizers. It, therefore, recommends that Nollywood become a tool for decoloniality.
Madonna journal of English and Literary Studies , 2023
Nollywood is often charged by its critics with being insufficiently authentic in costuming indige... more Nollywood is often charged by its critics with being insufficiently authentic in costuming indigenous period and cultural films. This charge comes from the desire for authenticity; the desire to see indigenous Nigerian period films costumed in their pristine form and design. Costume aside authenticating the characters in space and time, establishes the class, status, gender, age and power of the actor. Authenticity in costume demands a full knowledge of the cultural and social identity of the era. This paper examines the authentic representation and presentation of costume in pristine movies. Two Nollywood Pristine movies, Adaeze, directed by Amayo Uzo phlips and costumed by Ogoo Okechi and the film Osun Sengese, directed by Adebayo tijani, Ojopagogo and costumed by Madam Goldspot are read. The paper identifies the place of Nollywood in creating authenticity in costume as there are tools for recording, preservation, and transmission of our cultural heritage in dress and accessories.
Women all over the world and in Nigeria play vital role in the maintenance and nurturing of peace... more Women all over the world and in Nigeria play vital role in the maintenance and nurturing of peace in homes and in the society. Despite this, in times of conflict, women are not represented in peace negotiations and in planning and execution of post- conflict reconstruction efforts and strategies. Women's participation and strong influence in peace building and maintenance bring about an immediate agreement. The influence of their intervention processes positively correlates with a great likelihood of the agreements implemented. Peace agreement, including women in reconstruction, rehabilitation, and negotiations for peace improves the quality of agreements made and increases the likelihood that they will be carried through. This paper examines the role and place of women in the maintenance of peace in rural communities in Nigeria. The paper adopts womanism as its theoretical framework as it looks into the activities of the Oshi ekwa leka, a women's group of the Eziobodo Alach...
Madonna Journal of English language and Literary studies , 2015
A film is not only a form of art but also a tool for social reformation/ transformation as it exp... more A film is not only a form of art but also a tool for social reformation/ transformation as it expresses the feelings of humans and their idea about contemporary society. Films are the mirrors that reflect society. They also reflect the changing scenario of the social, cultural, political, and economic status of a nation; hence, one can say that a movie is not only a visual treat to its audience but it's also an account of the societal, economic and political setup in which a person is living. Nigeria, in the recent past, walked through an era of rebranding campaigns. Still, in some parts of the world, Nigerians are seen as rogues, occultists, corrupt and untrustworthy elements, hence the discrimination, the victimization, the brutality and incessant deportations which the citizenry suffer. This negative perception about Nigeria by some of these countries was created out of a reaction to the actions of a few 'bad eggs' among Nigerians in the public sector or those that travel abroad. In the main, this negative perception and reaction are influenced and fueled by what the people see in Nollywood movies. Therefore, the strength of this research lies on its ability to investigate the image the Nigerian video film industry (Nollywood) makes of Nigeria and Nigerians, and project to the world.
Perspective sur Les autobiographies feminines d' Afrique et de la diaspora. Darkar: L'Harmattan Senegal , 2023
Résumé. Il existe un lien entre le discours académique et le récit de vie personnelle
(autobiogr... more Résumé. Il existe un lien entre le discours académique et le récit de vie personnelle (autobiographie). Bien que des impératifs tels que le besoin d'objectivité et de formalité du langage puissent rendre les études autobiographiques peu attrayantes, la lecture de l'autobiographie en tant que critique littéraire est possible et mérite une attention critique. Cet article examine les luttes introspectives des femmes et des hommes dans des situations de mariage, en utilisant un texte de film autobiographique de Nollywood, Body Bag. Il adopte la littérature ainsi que l'utilisation d'approches subjectives et objectives de l'autobiographie dans son analyse. Mots-clés : Mariage, Subjectivité autobiographique, Auto-définition, Body Bag, Lutte de genre introspective. Abstract. There is a connexion between academic discourse and personal life narrative (autobiography). Although imperatives such as the need for objectivity and formality of language may make autobiographical studies unattractive, reading autobiography as literary criticism is possible and worthy of critical attention. This paper examines the introspective struggles of women and men in marriage situations, using an autobiographical Nollywood film text, Body Bag. It adopts the literary as well as the use of subjective and objective approaches to autobiography in its analysis. Keywords: Marriage, Autobiographical subjectivity, Self-definition, Body Bag, Introspective gender struggle.
Journal of Communication and Language Arts University of Ibadan , 2019
Nigeria is a country endowed with lots of cultural heritages evident in its diverse cultures. The... more Nigeria is a country endowed with lots of cultural heritages evident in its diverse cultures. These heritages, material and non-material, suffer the risk of being extinct. There is the need for these heritages, documented through films, to be documented and discussed because they provide fertile grounds to elementary institution, advanced academic exercise and source of our identity as a nation, unified in our diversity. Intangible cultural heritages are vital cohesive factors in the maintenance of cultural diversity in the face of growing globalisation. Understanding these heritages of different communities, help with intercultural dialogue, and encourages mutual respect for other ways of life. The importance of these cultural heritages lie not only in its manifestation, but in the wealth of knowledge and skills transmitted from one generation to the next. It is within this cusp that this paper examines the function of Nollywood, the Nigeria film industry, in regaining, retaining, preserving and propagating the reality of our cultural heritages that give us that Nigerian identity and uniqueness in the films. The study adopts Robert Merton's theory of Functionalism. Three Nollywood films; The Traditional Marriage Season 1 & 2, 7 Rules of Marriage Complete and Traditional Royal wedding were randomly selected based on their titles to x-ray the Igbo traditional marriage, a cultural heritage and its representation; a reality of the Igbo tradition of marriage or a display of aesthetic fantasy were critical content analysed. The paper concludes that the representation is largely fantasy.
Madonna university international journal of Education and Arts , 2021
Traditional African marriage is a complex institution, involving several stages and characterized... more Traditional African marriage is a complex institution, involving several stages and characterized by the performance of constituted rites. These rites are as stipulated in the culture and tradition of a given African community. African marriage is a ritual performance, witnessed by the community. And it is between the lineage of the husband with the lineage of the wife with payment of the bride wealth and performance of certain ritual rites to seal the union. Traditional African marriage performance is like other traditional ritual performances in Africa-masquerade performance, traditional music and dance performance, rites of passage performance (in which marriage is an aspect of passage from bachelorhood and spinsterhood to married hood), initiation ceremony performance and host of others. These performances are aspects of our dramatic culture as Africans. This paper argues that the African traditional marriage performance contains the performance elements as seen in theatrical drama performances. The twelve dramatic elements of performance which are focus, timing, rhythm, contrast, mood, space, language, sound, symbol, conflict and climax are applied to the performance of the Ibu Oke ceremony. The study also adopts the Richard Schechner's performance theory as its theoretical framework.
Advanced Journal of Theatre and Film Studies , 2023
The Nigerian Image on the Nollywood Screen is that popular conception held of Nigerians, their in... more The Nigerian Image on the Nollywood Screen is that popular conception held of Nigerians, their institutions, and the nation through Nollywood films. Film is not only a form of art but also a tool for social Reformation, Transformation, and Decoloniality; as it expresses the feelings of humans and their ideas, seeks to liberate, make visible, and advance a distinct perception of the image of the creating society. The film of a Nation is a liberatory language for the future of the nation as it projects the identity of the nation to the world. The research examines and interrogates what image of Nigerians Nollywood projects to the world. Merton's theory of functionalism provides a fulcrum for the work and the survey method of data collection was employed. A questionnaire was administered to 500 respondents from the East (200), West (200), and North (100) who watch Nollywood films. Nollywood films portray Nigeria in a good light in the areas of lifestyle and infrastructure, but, considered the state as a stronghold in occultic practices. The respondents perceive Nigeria's image as developing (76.3%), technically advanced (53.2%), and as a state with rich cultural heritage (82.6%), and commended the exploration of Nigeria's heroic past and cultural heritage (62.0%). The respondents submitted that their interest in the country's affairs increased, the more they watched Nollywood films (50.1%), understanding of other cultures (75.1%). However, respondents perceive Nigeria as a society full of conflict (71.0%), supernatural (75.1%), and perpetrating all forms of violence (68.5%). It concludes that the image projected ties the country to the image as perceived by the Colonizers. It, therefore, recommends that Nollywood become a tool for decoloniality.
Madonna journal of English and Literary Studies , 2023
Nollywood is often charged by its critics with being insufficiently authentic in costuming indige... more Nollywood is often charged by its critics with being insufficiently authentic in costuming indigenous period and cultural films. This charge comes from the desire for authenticity; the desire to see indigenous Nigerian period films costumed in their pristine form and design. Costume aside authenticating the characters in space and time, establishes the class, status, gender, age and power of the actor. Authenticity in costume demands a full knowledge of the cultural and social identity of the era. This paper examines the authentic representation and presentation of costume in pristine movies. Two Nollywood Pristine movies, Adaeze, directed by Amayo Uzo phlips and costumed by Ogoo Okechi and the film Osun Sengese, directed by Adebayo tijani, Ojopagogo and costumed by Madam Goldspot are read. The paper identifies the place of Nollywood in creating authenticity in costume as there are tools for recording, preservation, and transmission of our cultural heritage in dress and accessories.
Women all over the world and in Nigeria play vital role in the maintenance and nurturing of peace... more Women all over the world and in Nigeria play vital role in the maintenance and nurturing of peace in homes and in the society. Despite this, in times of conflict, women are not represented in peace negotiations and in planning and execution of post- conflict reconstruction efforts and strategies. Women's participation and strong influence in peace building and maintenance bring about an immediate agreement. The influence of their intervention processes positively correlates with a great likelihood of the agreements implemented. Peace agreement, including women in reconstruction, rehabilitation, and negotiations for peace improves the quality of agreements made and increases the likelihood that they will be carried through. This paper examines the role and place of women in the maintenance of peace in rural communities in Nigeria. The paper adopts womanism as its theoretical framework as it looks into the activities of the Oshi ekwa leka, a women's group of the Eziobodo Alach...
Madonna Journal of English language and Literary studies , 2015
A film is not only a form of art but also a tool for social reformation/ transformation as it exp... more A film is not only a form of art but also a tool for social reformation/ transformation as it expresses the feelings of humans and their idea about contemporary society. Films are the mirrors that reflect society. They also reflect the changing scenario of the social, cultural, political, and economic status of a nation; hence, one can say that a movie is not only a visual treat to its audience but it's also an account of the societal, economic and political setup in which a person is living. Nigeria, in the recent past, walked through an era of rebranding campaigns. Still, in some parts of the world, Nigerians are seen as rogues, occultists, corrupt and untrustworthy elements, hence the discrimination, the victimization, the brutality and incessant deportations which the citizenry suffer. This negative perception about Nigeria by some of these countries was created out of a reaction to the actions of a few 'bad eggs' among Nigerians in the public sector or those that travel abroad. In the main, this negative perception and reaction are influenced and fueled by what the people see in Nollywood movies. Therefore, the strength of this research lies on its ability to investigate the image the Nigerian video film industry (Nollywood) makes of Nigeria and Nigerians, and project to the world.
Perspective sur Les autobiographies feminines d' Afrique et de la diaspora. Darkar: L'Harmattan Senegal , 2023
Résumé. Il existe un lien entre le discours académique et le récit de vie personnelle
(autobiogr... more Résumé. Il existe un lien entre le discours académique et le récit de vie personnelle (autobiographie). Bien que des impératifs tels que le besoin d'objectivité et de formalité du langage puissent rendre les études autobiographiques peu attrayantes, la lecture de l'autobiographie en tant que critique littéraire est possible et mérite une attention critique. Cet article examine les luttes introspectives des femmes et des hommes dans des situations de mariage, en utilisant un texte de film autobiographique de Nollywood, Body Bag. Il adopte la littérature ainsi que l'utilisation d'approches subjectives et objectives de l'autobiographie dans son analyse. Mots-clés : Mariage, Subjectivité autobiographique, Auto-définition, Body Bag, Lutte de genre introspective. Abstract. There is a connexion between academic discourse and personal life narrative (autobiography). Although imperatives such as the need for objectivity and formality of language may make autobiographical studies unattractive, reading autobiography as literary criticism is possible and worthy of critical attention. This paper examines the introspective struggles of women and men in marriage situations, using an autobiographical Nollywood film text, Body Bag. It adopts the literary as well as the use of subjective and objective approaches to autobiography in its analysis. Keywords: Marriage, Autobiographical subjectivity, Self-definition, Body Bag, Introspective gender struggle.
Journal of Communication and Language Arts University of Ibadan , 2019
Nigeria is a country endowed with lots of cultural heritages evident in its diverse cultures. The... more Nigeria is a country endowed with lots of cultural heritages evident in its diverse cultures. These heritages, material and non-material, suffer the risk of being extinct. There is the need for these heritages, documented through films, to be documented and discussed because they provide fertile grounds to elementary institution, advanced academic exercise and source of our identity as a nation, unified in our diversity. Intangible cultural heritages are vital cohesive factors in the maintenance of cultural diversity in the face of growing globalisation. Understanding these heritages of different communities, help with intercultural dialogue, and encourages mutual respect for other ways of life. The importance of these cultural heritages lie not only in its manifestation, but in the wealth of knowledge and skills transmitted from one generation to the next. It is within this cusp that this paper examines the function of Nollywood, the Nigeria film industry, in regaining, retaining, preserving and propagating the reality of our cultural heritages that give us that Nigerian identity and uniqueness in the films. The study adopts Robert Merton's theory of Functionalism. Three Nollywood films; The Traditional Marriage Season 1 & 2, 7 Rules of Marriage Complete and Traditional Royal wedding were randomly selected based on their titles to x-ray the Igbo traditional marriage, a cultural heritage and its representation; a reality of the Igbo tradition of marriage or a display of aesthetic fantasy were critical content analysed. The paper concludes that the representation is largely fantasy.
Madonna university international journal of Education and Arts , 2021
Traditional African marriage is a complex institution, involving several stages and characterized... more Traditional African marriage is a complex institution, involving several stages and characterized by the performance of constituted rites. These rites are as stipulated in the culture and tradition of a given African community. African marriage is a ritual performance, witnessed by the community. And it is between the lineage of the husband with the lineage of the wife with payment of the bride wealth and performance of certain ritual rites to seal the union. Traditional African marriage performance is like other traditional ritual performances in Africa-masquerade performance, traditional music and dance performance, rites of passage performance (in which marriage is an aspect of passage from bachelorhood and spinsterhood to married hood), initiation ceremony performance and host of others. These performances are aspects of our dramatic culture as Africans. This paper argues that the African traditional marriage performance contains the performance elements as seen in theatrical drama performances. The twelve dramatic elements of performance which are focus, timing, rhythm, contrast, mood, space, language, sound, symbol, conflict and climax are applied to the performance of the Ibu Oke ceremony. The study also adopts the Richard Schechner's performance theory as its theoretical framework.
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Papers by Maureen NDU
(autobiographie). Bien que des impératifs tels que le besoin d'objectivité et de formalité
du langage puissent rendre les études autobiographiques peu attrayantes, la lecture de
l'autobiographie en tant que critique littéraire est possible et mérite une attention critique.
Cet article examine les luttes introspectives des femmes et des hommes dans des
situations de mariage, en utilisant un texte de film autobiographique de Nollywood, Body
Bag. Il adopte la littérature ainsi que l'utilisation d'approches subjectives et objectives de
l'autobiographie dans son analyse.
Mots-clés : Mariage, Subjectivité autobiographique, Auto-définition, Body Bag, Lutte
de genre introspective.
Abstract. There is a connexion between academic discourse and personal life narrative
(autobiography). Although imperatives such as the need for objectivity and formality of
language may make autobiographical studies unattractive, reading autobiography as
literary criticism is possible and worthy of critical attention. This paper examines the
introspective struggles of women and men in marriage situations, using an
autobiographical Nollywood film text, Body Bag. It adopts the literary as well as the use
of subjective and objective approaches to autobiography in its analysis.
Keywords: Marriage, Autobiographical subjectivity, Self-definition, Body Bag,
Introspective gender struggle.
(autobiographie). Bien que des impératifs tels que le besoin d'objectivité et de formalité
du langage puissent rendre les études autobiographiques peu attrayantes, la lecture de
l'autobiographie en tant que critique littéraire est possible et mérite une attention critique.
Cet article examine les luttes introspectives des femmes et des hommes dans des
situations de mariage, en utilisant un texte de film autobiographique de Nollywood, Body
Bag. Il adopte la littérature ainsi que l'utilisation d'approches subjectives et objectives de
l'autobiographie dans son analyse.
Mots-clés : Mariage, Subjectivité autobiographique, Auto-définition, Body Bag, Lutte
de genre introspective.
Abstract. There is a connexion between academic discourse and personal life narrative
(autobiography). Although imperatives such as the need for objectivity and formality of
language may make autobiographical studies unattractive, reading autobiography as
literary criticism is possible and worthy of critical attention. This paper examines the
introspective struggles of women and men in marriage situations, using an
autobiographical Nollywood film text, Body Bag. It adopts the literary as well as the use
of subjective and objective approaches to autobiography in its analysis.
Keywords: Marriage, Autobiographical subjectivity, Self-definition, Body Bag,
Introspective gender struggle.