Abstract

This paper discusses Dadin Kowa, a popular Hausa film series on Arewa24, as an agent of national integration and peaceful co-existence in the Nigerian plural society. It presents the ethno-religious, and socio-cultural diversity in Nigeria and injects the role of narratives to change perception of unity and identity of the viewers. The research is conducted based on Krippendorff’s (2018) Content Analysis and Stuart Hall’s (1980) Encoding/Decoding Theory. The study is qualitative-oriented through thematic analysis of the particulate episodes, coupled with personal interviews of viewers and practitioners in the media. The results show that Dadin Kowa can go beyond pulling off entertainment to promoting their inclusive stories that promote inter-ethnicity and social elements. The most important narratives, e.g. the inter-religious marriage between a female and north Muslim called Alawiyya, and a female Yoruba Christian also called Bode, as well as scenes whereby the two religions celebrate togetherness and demonstrate how common values can close the cultural gap. The series also uses Hausa as a common language in portraying other cultures in a respectful ways. The paper concludes by proving that the example in Dadin Kowa proves that indigenous media can perform the functions of nation building and cultural diplomacy. It suggests an increased representation of the minority voices and languages in the film industry because of their integrative potential. The work adds to the debates about media, identity and unity within multilingual and multicultural societies such as Nigeria.