Addressing Restiveness Through Theatre-for-Development: The Gbuji Paradigm

Abstract

The quest to bring education to global standard and for it to compete favourably in the
international space remains a challenge in today’s Nigeria. Theatre Arts as a discipline accommodates
all ideas that make society functional, because it is progressively becoming a more functional tool for
sensitisation, and mobilisation and thus, resulting into massive development. Theatre-for-Development
(TfD) is an aspect of theatre which is highly applied in solving societal problems. TfD however applies
the interventionist approach in sensitising and conscientising the people; nevertheless, it is anchored on
the search for appropriate means of addressing the issue of industrial disharmony in Nigeria especially
between ASUU and FGN. Consequently, advocacy crusade which is more fashionable and focal in
social engagement and critical discourses has emerged in scholarship more than ever as an alternative
forum for community dialogue and action. The aim of this study is to address the issue of industrial
disharmony in Nigeria especially between ASUU and FGN using “Gbuji” TFD workshop experience.
Hence, it will encourage collective participation in decision making with the use of “Gbuji” production
workshop. The realities of the state of Nigerian universities are pressing demands for all hands to be on
deck in order to get it redeemed. The study interrogates the use of strike actions by ASUU in confronting
the Federal Government of Nigeria on issues that affect the Ivory Tower. This study adopts Paulo
Freire’s “Teaching Theory” (Critical Pedagogy)”. This research discovers that theatre can always be
taken as an alternative means of conflict resolution. “Gbuji” graphically demonstrated efficient and
effective ways of attaining peaceful resolution between the ASUU and FGN without any blood bath or
closure of the universities for a second. The research therefore recommends that henceforth Nigerian
government should take the issue of funding university education seriously, as constant nose-diving of
her budgetary provisions in this sphere will forever portend doom.