Nollywood and Spiritism: Telling Unique African Stories

(By Femi Odugbemi) – Spiritism And Nollywood 

    AFRICAN cinema, particularly Nollywood, has gained international recognition for its vibrant storytelling and unique representation of African culture. One question that frequently emerges is the portrayal of spiritism and spirituality, which plays a significant role in the continent’s diverse cultural heritage. These representations often face challenges in being understood and appreciated by international audiences, who often mistakenly view them as fetish practices rather than essential elements of the African worldview. 

     Spiritism, or the belief in the presence of spirits and their influence on daily life, is deeply rooted in various African cultures. It encompasses diverse practices such as ancestor veneration, divination, and ritual ceremonies. Spirituality serves as a means of connecting with our ancestors, understanding the natural world, and seeking guidance in personal and communal matters. So incorporating spiritism into our storytelling captures the richness and complexity of our cultural heritage, portraying a worldview that is vastly different from Western norms. We have the power to reclaim the narrative surrounding spiritism and position it as a strength of our storytelling. By emphasizing the cultural significance and philosophical underpinnings of these spiritual practices, we can highlight their essential role in our ancient civilization.

Of Onyeka Nwelue and Phantom Cancel Culture

(By James Yeku) - On The Uses of African Literature: Onyeka Nwelue and a Phantom Cancel Culture Mob

    Prologue: I found it intriguing when Onyeka Nwelue, a fine writer who is always quick to declare he dropped out of university, began to use “Dr” in front of his name a year or two ago. It was fascinating because, based on professional etiquette and the stipulations of some awarding universities, it’s not common to flaunt an honorary doctorate. But when you consistently claim to teach for free at Oxford as a Professor of African Studies, as Onyeka told the satirist Dr. Damages last December, it invites more scrutiny! So I began to pay attention to him as part of my own current reflections on social media controversies, censorship, and scandals in the African literary community. When the Cherwell article came out, I considered writing about it and later did for The Lagos Review. This essay offers my sense of things, showing how relations of use and using inform a pattern of appropriating the literary/online prestige of Soyinka, Nwapa, and Pa Ikhide for the attention economy. As Soyinka remarks, the stakes of the Nwelue story go beyond Onyeka. They get at the heart of our unending fascination with Western institutions and their politics of valuation. Though long, the piece is posted here if anyone is interested in how many in our community use other people and their social capital. 

Africa, Christianity, and Proselytization: A Response

(By Onyemaechi Ogbunwezeh) - This is my response to Obinna Chinweokwu on a debate we were having on a thread on the evil of proselytizing. 

    He is for it and I am on the other side. 

    To one of the points he raised, I responded as follows; 

    The major problem with you; and indoctrinated folks like you in debates, is the swiftness to pretend that history does not matter because, it shows that the religion that was indoctrinated into you; was a vehicle of cultural, political and epistemic imperialism, to which you are still a victim. 

    And for you to denigrate history and attempt an atrocious whitewashing of it; so that people would forget, where this rain started to beat us; is really in bad taste. 

     History is so important even in the academy that you cannot submit an academic dissertation that does not have a literature review, in any serious university. 

     But for someone like you to denigrate the consultation of history; means that history is not kind to the position you peddle. 

     And in this instance; you sound like all that is wrong with Nigerian education; which has denigrated history to our chagrin and discomfiture. 

     I thank God that we still have Achebe to forever remind us, that those who do not know where the rain started to beat them, would never know where it stops.