IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 13, Issue 1 (Jul. - Aug. 2013), PP 25-33 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.Iosrjournals.Org www.iosrjournals.org 25 | Page Showcasing Nigeria through the Home Videos 1 Alawode, Sunday Olayinka , 2 Sunday, Uduakobong 1 (Ph.D) Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication 21 Olufemi Street, Off Nathan Street, Surulere - Lagos 2 Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication 21 Olufemi Street, Off Nathan Street, Surulere - Lagos Abstract: Despite the diverse potentials and opportunities available in Nigeria and with Nigerians, there seems to be lack of effective medium or mechanism to project them attractively to the world. The home video phenomenon being an emergent and celebrated art is a veritable and accessible means of communication which can be pivotal towards showcasing Nigeria to the world through its offerings. The need to showcase is further contingent on the increasing maltr eatment of the Nigerian citizens outside its shore due to the country’s negative image and/or perception by the misinformed. With the realization that home video has been widely acclaimed as being watched and appreciated all over the world, this study based on Agenda- setting as theoretical framework through content analyzing of fifty (50) video films televised by television stations in Lagos and Africa Magic (cable network) sought to determine how the film makers have showcased Nigeria through portrayals and representations in the home videos. The result reveals that the film producers extensively project the nation’s traditional societies with applicable cultures, beliefs, lifestyles, values, norms, dressing and sometimes languages, amongst other things. They have also done a great deal to show Nigerians as very religious people with diverse kinds of persuasions.The lifestyle and attitudes of Nigerians in urban settings as they portray are often flawed with exaggerations of flamboyance, affluence and elegance. Other kinds of exaggerations are in their exposition of corruption, violence, ritualism, thuggery and hooliganism as well as witchcraft, occultism/cultism and other kinds of fetish acts amongst others. Very little is done in the home videos to showcase the nation’s natural resources, agricultural produce, mineral resources, monumental and historical centres and settings, tourist centres and attraction as well as the nation’s flags , currencies, coat of arm to mention but a few.The impacts and efficacy of offerings of the home videos, being a medium for showcasing the nation and its people would be evidenced in the responses and attitudes towards Nigeria, its products and services as well as its people. Key Words: Home Video, Portrayals, Representation,Showcasing I. Introduction The home video in Nigerian has been recognized as an emerging art, a veritable and accessible means of communication (Ekwauzi, 2003; Alawode, 2003).It is a phenomenon prevalent in the Nigerian film industry popularly called „Nollywood‟, which Jean Rouch, a champion of indigenous art in Niger has compared to AIDS virus (The Economist, 2010). The home video is basically movie produced and stored in Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) which can be watched in the comfort of a person‟s home or any convenient place of choice. People can be informed and educated while being entertained through this medium. The films are usually produced in different languages spoken in Nigeria including English and vernacular (which are in most cases with subtitled). They normallyhave indigenous contents and address issues relevant to the mass audience. Through the Nigerian narrative techniques (African storylines) and western technology, the films document and recreate socio-economic, political and cultural events within and beyond the country‟s borders. The prices of the films range from 100 Naira to 400 Naira (less than $1.00 to about $2.50) depending on the age of the film. The industry has grown from obscurity to become an important phenomenon which has attracted not only world acclamation but has brought scholars, reporters, reviewers, journalists, investors and different kinds of people to the country. Some of the people come to investigate, invest and observe the industry or network with its people (Adenugba,2007). Indeed, popular opinion based on UNESCO report (2009), holds that the Nigerian film industry, which is dominated byhome videos is currently rated second in production of films after Bollywood (India) and over Hollywood (America). The Problem Lacey (2009) reflects on biological processes of perceiving the world around us and asserts that media studies, when analyzing text concerns with the factors that influence how we understand the world. The texts are created to communicate a message; holiday snapshot attempts to convey what it was like to be at a particular place at a specific time. However, whether we understand what was intended to be conveyed by a photograph depends upon how the audience interpretes the image. Theoretically, at the level of denotation, almost everyone