Women and the Ownership or Use of Radio and Television in Nigeria

By

Obododimma Oha

Radio and television are important narrators in modern culture. As important narrators, they have to be identified with gate-keeping and their ownership or control also has to align with power or control. In Africa, this can differ from culture to culture. Whereas in some African cultures women can have property, for instance land and houses or have professions that could keep them away from home for a long time, like being a market woman in Yoruba culture (or iyaloja), women, in some cases, have some freedom to maintain radio sets. Previously in many Igbo communities, the narrative power of radio and television was expected to submit to the headship of the family. However, in recent times where cultures shift and many mobile phones have radio and TV as part of built-in multimedia application, ownership and control of these narrative devices are fast changing. Many women in African local communities could tune the radio and listen to news and even other favourite programmes like soccer commentary while waiting for customers in their shops.

 Also, as a way of managing daily stress in their daily lives and with the hold Nollywood films have on their lives in their typical narrations, they may have favourite television programmes like comedy series, sermons, or African Magic (which enacts s new form of magic in their lives, exchanging fiction for reality or presenting what they consume as reality, to reinforce the powers of falsehood in the African society.

Another interesting angle: yes, this ownership or control of the media is comparable to that exercised by governments and some very rich people in society. Don’t ask me whether they influence views or shape them for they do. Don’t ask me if they influence popular thinking and dominant logic for they do. They package and shape and disseminate meanings. The meanings suggested by ordinary and poor folks do not “hold water” and influence little, if they ever do, in society.

Yet, another interesting angle: the ownership and control of the radio set need to be seen also in relation to the ubiquity of mobile phones which many wives can buy and possess. They operate radio apps from these mobile devices, too, even while they work in the streets (sweeping, for instance) and while cooking. Of course, if they are not careful, the distraction from the phones could cause them to add too much salt or too much pepper to the food, Or even add the phones mistakenly to the boiling water! That means, calls and music while they work could be risky!

Whatever may be the case, it is getting very outdated to construct masculine authority as dominant narrative power that can even harness the gramophone, turn-table, television, radio, mobile phone, etc. Such a construction is also laughable. I believe that masculinity may have started leaving radio and television, or even the  computer, to look for other allies!