Abstract
The paper interrogates the thematic preoccupations of Jeta Amata’s Black November on the vexed issues of the Niger Delta in Nigeria. The issues bordering on the quest for emancipation from injustice, environmental degradation, deprivation, inhuman treatment, negligence, are at the nexus of the agitations and militancy in the region. It draws inferences from what the movie overlooked and what it portrayed such as the failure of dialogue births violence. The objective is to highlight the problems in the Niger Delta and give credence to the thematic concerns raised by the director. Based on Relative Deprivation Theory (RDT), which sees violence as a product of frustration borne out of depriving people of their rights, denial of justice; a sense of oppression sets in that then leads to reactions that may be violent. The method adopted is descriptive analysis. Findings reveal that the Niger Delta region is much misunderstood, abused and betrayed by its own people, the media, Nigerian government, oil multinationals and the world at large. It concludes that the misunderstanding is largely a product of media misinformation and that of ignorance on the part of stakeholders and that the filmmaker succeeded in getting his message across.
Highlights
The Niger Delta is the heart of Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy
This is despite its economic potentials which have been exploited for several decades with attendant criminal neglect through a wicked conspiracy of government and the multinational companies operating in the area....” the Niger Delta represents a paradox
The answer response call of Theatre Arts students of a particular university in Nigeria, “Catch Me“ “Throw away” and the reverse, is completely out of place in the movie. Barring this and some other minor, if negligible blemishes like having the Western Oil Company executive light a cigarette at the scene of the crude oil spill thereby igniting the fire that caused the explosion; and the children holding balloons at such a tense scene, the film is a true reflection of the Niger Delta situation in Nigeria today
Summary
50 years, wealth from the region has sustained the nation’s economy and stabilized the political system. Oviasuyi and Uwadea argue that prior to when oil was discovered in the Niger Delta area, agriculture was the mainstay of the people and the major source of revenue for both state and federal government (Jim and Uwadiae 2010) The film demonstrates this issue as one of the major causes of conflict in the region. Ibagere asserts that the Niger Delta is an area in dire need of development in all spheres of life (Ibagere 2011; Idebe 2019) This is despite its economic potentials which have been exploited for several decades with attendant criminal neglect through a wicked conspiracy of government and the multinational companies operating in the area....” the Niger Delta represents a paradox (rich but underdeveloped and poverty stricken). This theory is quite appropriate as it lends credence to the central theme of the movie, Black November
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