Akor Sylvester, Abuja
Professor of Dramatic Literature and Film Studies, Professor Oja Paul Egwemi, has called for a fundamental rethinking of performance curricula to address Nigeria’s complex social, economic and political challenges through a Polycrisis-Responsive Curricular Theatre for Development (PRCTfD) Model.
He made the call while delivering the 27th inaugural lecture of the Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, titled, “The Gowns We Wear, The Towns We Go: Rethinking Performance Curricula for Development in Nigeria Amid a Polycrisis,” at the University Auditorium, Anyigba, Kogi State.
Prof. Egwemi explained that despite decades of training and investment in drama and film, much of what is taught in academic halls fails to translate into practices that adequately respond to the immediate realities confronting local communities.
He noted that Nigeria is currently navigating a polycrisis; a set of interconnected and mutually reinforcing challenges across governance, economic instability, insecurity, environmental stress and social fragmentation.
The inaugural lecturer maintained that theatre must not remain enclosed within institutional walls, asserting that when embedded in university curricula, Theatre for Development (TfD) serves as a pedagogical philosophy and ethical stance connecting theoretical scholarship with lived social realities.
He stressed that Theatre for Development is a vital pathway to responsible scholarship, transforming the movement from classroom to community into a two-way learning process where the university and local communities act as co-creators of knowledge.
Presenting findings from past curricular TfD projects, Prof. Egwemi highlighted the 2019 Ayah project, where students and residents used participatory needs assessments to tackle failures in the local school system, healthcare, water and market structures.
He noted that while community committees kept the local school functional, water and market initiatives stalled due to weak maintenance and inadequate follow-up, demonstrating that long-term community ownership determines sustainability.
On the 2021 Odolu TfD project, he revealed that while community participation was strong during problem identification, it declined during script development and rehearsals due to changing storylines, domestic responsibilities and language barriers.
He emphasised that consultation does not automatically equal genuine participation, recommending that community members remain active collaborators from research through to post-performance dialogue and follow-up.
On the 2022 Ofabo Project in Ofu LGA, Prof. Egwemi reported how participatory research uncovered that a severe local water crisis stemmed from neglect, limited public awareness and excessive dependence on government intervention.
The lecturer highlighted the interdisciplinary potential of TfD, noting how collaborations with fields such as Microbiology for scientific water testing and external NGOs can strengthen technical support and project longevity.
On the 2024/2025 TfD programme in Ajagwumu, Dekina LGA, Prof. Egwemi demonstrated the continued evolution of applying community-based performance to address pressing local issues.
Proposing the Polycrisis-Responsive Model (PRCTfD), Prof. Egwemi explained that it rests on five core pillars: Participatory Knowledge Production, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Digital and Community Communication Integration, Sustainability Through Community Ownership, and Impact Evaluation with Reflective Learning.
He explained that universities must move away from short-term, semester-bound projects and invest in continuous, context-sensitive engagement that equips students to become reflective, socially conscious practitioners.
He argued that the gown (academic authority) and the town (lived experience) must interact continuously, ensuring that academic expertise listens to and learns from community wisdom.
Egwemi recommended that university, state, and national bodies provide sustained administrative coordination, funding, and structural backing to integrate TfD into broader sectors like health, education, environment and governance.
He proposed that evaluation metrics for performance studies expand beyond conventional academic metrics to value relational outcomes, process depth and long-term community impact.
He cited indigenous media, folk traditions and local languages as essential communication tools that should be prioritized over externally imposed or purely technical performance structures.
He stressed that performance education cannot be reduced to mere entertainment or economic utility, but must serve as a national development imperative to build civic consciousness, foster dialogue and inspire collective action.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Inaugural Lecture Committee, Professor S.S. Arogba, congratulated the lecturer on attaining the distinguished academic milestone and commended his immense contributions to scholarship in Dramatic Literature and Film Studies.
In an address delivered on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Professor Salisu Ogbo Usman, by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Rufai Sani Abdullahi, described the lecture as a significant institutional milestone delivered barely one week after the 26th lecture.
Prof. Abdullahi noted that the lecture was the tenth (10th) inaugural lecture delivered under the current administration since its assumption of office on 11th February, 2026, describing the sustained momentum as proof of a vibrant research culture taking firm root in the university.
For a better society
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