Media that Matters
Entertainment Education* (or “edutainment”) is mass media harnessed to effect positive change. The Workshops aim to bring this increasing popular and tested strategy to Nollywood, and to develop local edutainment skills and resources. Educational messages will be incorporated into Nollywood films to raise awareness, increase knowledge, shift values, and motivate people to take socially responsible action in their own lives.
The Opportunity
Nollywood offers a unique and powerful vehicle for edutainment. Based on the number of films produced it’s the second largest film industry in the world after Bollywood. The average audience per film is 15-20 million. Nollywood’s appeal reaches far beyond Nigeria – its films are watched all over Africa and beyond. The films are sold on DVD and VCD format in film shops and market stalls for $2, and its audiences include Africa’s urban and rural poor, many of whom live on less than $1 per day.
To Have an Impact
The Workshops will bring Nigeria’s most successful producers, directors, and writers together with local and international NGOs to find compelling ways to communicate critical information about Africa’s most important social and public health issues. We will identify issues where information can make the critical difference. A few examples:
- Child malnutrition is as high as 25% in some areas of Africa, yet a significant impact can be made by providing nutrition education to mothers
- HIV/AIDs: Africa is estimated to have more than 88% of people living with HIV and 92% of all AIDS deaths in 2007. Myths and misinformation abound about causes, prevention and treatments, and good information can literally save and extend lives.
- Tribalism: Outbreaks of tribal violence have killed more than 14,000 people and displaced over 500,000 since 2000. Nollywood can be address feelings of division and increase tolerance and respect for others.
*for more information on Entertainment Education visit our Links page