Glorification and Glamorization of Migrant Experiences in Nollywood Films: Challenges and Prospects for the Nigerian Youths

Abstract

Nigerian society in recent times has witnessed the exodus of its most promising talents, doctors, nurses, skilled workers, among others. The quest for greener pastures and the failure of the government to ensure the equitable distribution of its resources have necessitated and influenced most of the decisions of the Nigerian youths who have adopted the “Japa” mantra. This study looking at glorification and glamorization of the migrant experiences thus delves into the migration portrayals in selected Nollywood films 1 $ (2002) and Anchor Baby (2010). Consequently, the researcher adopted the content analysis approach of the qualitative research method in evaluating the Nollywood films. The researcher discovered that films’ contents can influence a migrant's choice of destination. The challenges presented in the case study call for a serious retrospect in decision making of the Nigeria youths who have embraced the Japa syndrome as the last resort in solving their economic and financial problems. The researcher thus recommends that the Nigerian government should improve the nation’s economic platform to provide viable opportunities for the youths grappling with unemployment and other local limitations that encourage mass exodus out of the country. The youths constitute the greater percentage of any country's workforce and therefore, while the government is making relevant policies, it should concentrate on job creation and skills development as enablers of personal and national development. It is possible for the youths to see that what they are seeking in other countries could be obtained in Nigeria through due process. This is the time for the collective resources of the Nigerian peoples to be utilized by the government in developing different sectors of the country’s economy, social and cultural spaces as well as creative industries to curb youths’ uprising and agitation.