Why Nollywood Scriptwriters Sometimes Write Nonsense (And What We Can Learn)
One Monday afternoon, I paid a visit to my uncle and his family. I noticed they were seeing a Nollywood movie on Africa Magic Epic (Channel 152 on DSTV) so I decided to join them. Ten minutes in, the main character was shot six times, pronounced dead by a doctor, wrapped up for burial—only for him to wake up in the next scene saying, “It’s the spirit of vengeance that brought me back.” We all screamed, not because it was exciting, but because it made absolutely no sense. Someone beside me hissed and said, “Who wrote this nonsense?”
Now, before we roast Nollywood scriptwriters completely, let’s be honest—some of them are trying their best under pressure. But the truth still stands: some scripts are just not it. Characters behave like robots, dialogues sound like recycled WhatsApp broadcasts and plots can feel like they were thrown together during a night of insomnia. But why does this happen?
First, it’s the rush. Many writers in the industry are working under unrealistic deadlines. A producer calls and says, “I need that full script in three days, we’re shooting next week.” In that kind of pressure cooker, even the best writers can lose steam and creativity. Instead of deep characters, you get flat ones. Instead of a plot that builds with meaning, you get miracles that don’t even make sense in fantasy.
Then there’s the copy-and-paste syndrome. You watch a movie and suddenly realise you’ve seen that same storyline ten times—with only the actors and village name changed. Writers sometimes feel safer recycling what already “worked,” but what’s popular isn’t always what’s good. And when the same tired tropes are reused—evil stepmother, money rituals, Royal Prince and Servant girl in love, among others —you know the audience will get bored or start laughing when they should be emotional.
Notwithstanding, even in the mess, there are lessons to learn. As writers—whether you’re working on screenplays, essays or even WhatsApp devotionals—there is a lot to gain from sound introspection. A good story isn’t rushed. A believable character should have a proper backstory. And dialogue shouldn’t sound like incantations from those native doctors that Mama G’s characters always visit in her movies when she’s about to kill her son-in-law.
Hahahaha.
Any ways, I trust that line made sense to you as much as it made you chuckle.
Also, we must learn to research. If your character is a lawyer, give them lines that sound like they know law. If someone has a medical condition, don’t just create random symptoms—do the homework. When we take storytelling seriously, the audience will take us seriously too.
The onus lies on us to always remember that every bad story reminds us how powerful a good one can be.
Always take the time to write with sense. Na there the real power dey.
Happy Easter my people.
