ADAPTATION OF HISTORY IN NOLLYWOOD: A STUDY OF TUNDE BABALOLA’S HOUSE OF GA’A

This study, titled “Adaptation of History in Nollywood: A Study of Tunde Babalola’s House of Ga’a,” examines how Nollywood, Nigeria’s prolific film industry, reinterprets historical narratives for contemporary audiences, using the 2024 film House of Ga’a as a case study. Submitted by Japhet Taiwo Abraham to the Department of Performing Arts at Adekunle Ajasin University in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Arts degree in August 2025, the project explores the film’s depiction of the 18th-century Oyo Empire, focusing on the rise and fall of Bashorun Ga’a. Employing a historical qualitative methodology integrating document analysis, narrative synthesis, and ethnographic elements the research analyzes the balance between historical accuracy and creative liberties, the narrative strategies employed, and the cultural implications of such adaptations. The study finds that House of Ga’a effectively blends Yoruba oral traditions and historical accounts (e.g., Samuel Johnson’s The History of the Yorubas) with dramatic storytelling, offering insights into power dynamics and identity while appealing to a global Netflix audience. It concludes that Nollywood’s historical adaptations serve as a vital medium for education, entertainment, and shaping postcolonial discourse, with recommendations for enhancing authenticity and technical quality in future productions.