Nollywood’s digital transition and the global reception of value- oriented narratives

This study explored how Nollywood’s value-oriented narratives are reconfigured and interpreted in the age of digital streaming. Focusing on a purposive sample of eight films released between 2020 and 2024 on platforms such as Netflix and iROKOtv, the research examined how moral storytelling was shaped by platform mediation and how it was received by audiences within Nigeria and across the diaspora. Grounded in convergence theory, Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) - a persuasive media strategy—and reception theory, the study adopted a mixed-methods approach that combined narrative content analysis with surveys and interviews involving 100 culturally distinct viewers. The findings revealed that while Nollywood filmmakers embedded deliberate moral messaging consistent with BCC frameworks, streaming platforms influenced audience reception through paratextual elements such as subtitles, metadata, and genre tags. Nigerian viewers generally aligned with the films’ intended moral themes, whereas diaspora audiences often negotiated or contested these messages, reflecting hybrid cultural identities and differing expectations. The study concludes that Nollywood’s moral narratives, though locally rooted, are subject to global reinterpretation, underscoring the complex interplay between narrative intent, digital distribution, and audience agency in shaping the global circulation of African screen cultures.