On Intersections of Power and Vulnerability: A Critique of Nollywood, Heteropatriarchy, and Ideologies of Motherhood

Abstract

This article explores the representational politics of motherhood in Nollywood. It argues that a latent hetero-normative/patriarchal ideology shapes the construction of motherhood in Nollywood. Through a postcolonial media critique of both lived experiences and six purposively selected movies, I analyze the interplay of power and vulnerability in Nollywood’s portrayal of motherhood. Themes of heteropatriarchal fetishism, paradox of matripotency, and strategic silencing were identified. I propose a decolonial rethinking of normative ideologies, critique culturally sanctioned power imbalances, and invite more scholarship on queer politics and identities in Nollywood and postcolonial Nigeria. I conclude that to achieve equitable representation, Nollywood requires transformative reevaluation of how the mother-image is calibrated and negotiated. Producers must reflexively animate mother-affirming representations and critically examine the implied meaning of their portrayal of women/mothers.

Keywords:

• Decoloniality
• hetero-normativity/patriarchy
• matripotency
• motherhood
• postcolonial media

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my mum, an exceptional Abiyamo, who continues to inspire my scholarship with the values of love, kindness, and empathy she instilled in us. To my sister, thank you for all your love, support, and attention to making the world more inclusive and equal for all. Special thanks to Drs. Shinsuke Eguchi, Deepa Oommen, and Tosin Gbogi for their feedback, support, and mentorship. I appreciate the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their detailed feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 I use non-male here to typify the inherent I-Other meanings underlying gender and social justice politics in Nigeria.

2 See Lombard et al. (2021) on masculine defaults and the uneven playing of gender politics.

3 This assertion responds to nego-feminist assumptions about power negotiation in gender relations.

4 This denote family head Yoruba hierarchy, and Iya’le is the mother, ranking after baale.