Paper long abstract:

The development and the growth of Africa have been in various phases and stages socially, economically and politically. The efforts of both gender has contributed immensely towards building a better society. Human contributions to the general development of Africa are therefore, a major achievement even though a lot more is still very much required. Different quarters and channels, both within and outside the African continent have emphasized the importance of proper advancement of both participants; that is, the male and the female, towards building a better society in which we live in, by bringing in new innovations, which will lead to a progressive environment.

People from various walks of life have and are still playing series of vital roles in re-building Africa in different capacities. Among those who are well-known in literature and theatre are the two Nigerians who have played vital roles in advancing Nigeria are Prof. Wole Soyinka and Late Prof. Ola Rotimi. Both have written good numbers of plays that centralises its thematic pre-occupation on different subject matters that are connected to human development. The Lion and the Jewel and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again are just two out of those hundreds of plays that uses the medium of drama to disseminate important messages and information to both local and international communities on the past, present and future of African development. The Nigerian society for example, has fully allowed the participation of the womenfolk into politics and into the Nigerian administration and governance. This contribution is being felt positively and can not be disassociated from the campaign of Soyinka and Rotimi’s works.

In this paper, I will use the two plays by the two notable Nigerian theatre Icons to discuss different levels and phases of African development and the involvement of both gender. To narrow down my discussion, I will be using Nigeria as a case study.

The aim of this paper is to identify and discuss the various phases which Nigeria has undergone especially after her independence in respect to development. This will be done, using Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again and Wole Soyinka’s The Lion And The Jewel as case study, while its objective will be to do a proper academic documentation of my analyses for the future use of other scholars who may want to research into the same or similar topic(s) in the nearest future.

Relevant books other forms of literatures will be consulted. Interviews with selected scholars in literature, theatre and drama will be an added advantage in achieving a thorough research work. Lastly, information from the internet will also be considered for the purpose of buttressing my points.