Dr. Nkechi Mary Okadigwe
Dr. Nkechi Mary Okadigwe is a LECTURER I in THEATRE ARTS AND FILM STUDIES Department, Faculty Of Arts in Nnamdi Azikiwe University
|  |
Staff Profile
Mary Nkechi Okadigwe is a lecturer in the department of Theatre and Film Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Her research interests involve costume and makeup both for the stage and film, gender and performance studies.
Personal Information
Email: | |
Phone: | |
Address: | Theatre Arts And Film Studies, Faculty Of Arts, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. |
Faculty/Unit: | FACULTY OF ARTS |
Department/Sub-Unit: | THEATRE ARTS AND FILM STUDIES |
Social Profiles
Interest Areas
Academic Qualifications
| Degrees / Basic Certificates | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.. (Doctor of Philosophy, March, 2017) January, 2011 to March, 2017 PhD In Theatre & Film Studies/Costume & Makeup Theatre And Film Studies |
Creative Output
| Book Chapters | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe and Amany El-Sawy. (2021, ) Resisting Shame And The Male Gaze: Humour Evocations In The Acts Of Noha Kato And Real Warri Pikin |
| 2 | Okadigwe, Nkechi Mary, and Ebekue, Onyeka Emmanuel. (2019, ) Alex Asigbo’s Revolutionary Impulse In Once Upon A School And The Reign Of Paschal Amusu Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists |
| 3 | Okadigwe, Nkechi. (2015, ) Women As Change-Agents In Tracie Utoh-Ezeajugh’s Olamma And Everyday Is For The Thief… Kraft Books Ltd., pp 200-210. |
| 4 | Okadigwe, Mary N., and Utoh-Ezeajugh, Tracie. (2011, ) Cultural Sustenance Through Film Costume And Make-Up As Indicators Of Sustainable Development: An Assessment Of Moonlight Girl And Goddess Of The Sun Faculty of Arts,NAU, pp 702-712 |
| Journal Articles | |
| 1 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2025, May), "Between exclusion and escape: necropolitics, biopolitics, and queer narratives in Nollywood films", African Identities, pp 1-19 |
| 2 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2025, May), "Between exclusion and escape: necropolitics, biopolitics, and queer narratives in Nollywood fi lms", African Identities, pp 1-19 |
| 3 | Daniel Olisa Iweze & Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2025, June), "From Hapless Victims to Collaborators: Exploring the Janus Voices of Women in the Aguleri-Umueri Conflict in Igboland, Southeast Nigeria", International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, Vol. 14, (Issue 2), pp 120-128 |
| 4 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2025, April), "Queering Nollywood: Perspectives on same-sex relations in Nigerian filmmaking", Journal of African Cinemas, pp 1-16 |
| 5 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2025, April), "Queering Nollywood: Perspectives on same-sex relations in Nigerian filmmaking"", Journal of African Cinemas, pp 1-16 |
| 6 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2024, February), "SEMIOTICS AND THE LANGUAGE OF COSTUMES IN NIGERIAN VIDEO FILMS: A STUDY OF CRY OF A WIDOW AND ADAEZE", INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF AFRICAN & ASIAN STUDIES (IJAAS) VOL.10 NO. 1, Vol. 10, (Issue 1), pp 1-16 |
| 7 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe, Uche Ajiwe. (2024, May), "NOLLYWOOD AND NATIONAL HISTORY: A STUDY OF NOLLYWOOD HISTORIC FILM COSTUMES AND THEIR IMPACT ON COLLECTIVE MEMORY AND NATION-BUILDING", ESTAGA: JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES (EJIP), Vol. 1, (Issue 2), pp 130-145 |
| 8 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe & Okeke, Ikedinma N.. (2023, March), "“Exploring Trends in Music Enterpreneurship for Human Capacity Development in Nigeria: the Inherent Risks, and Management Strategies”", UJAH, Vol. 23, (Issue 2), pp 19-51 |
| 9 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2023, October), "Blending Eclecticism and Specificity: The Art of Nollywood Epic Film Costumes", UNIZIK Journal of Arts and Humanities, UJAH, Vol. 24, (Issue 1), pp 1-22 |
| 10 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2023, October), "ANDROCENTRICISM IN IGBO FEMALE RITES OF PASSAGE: AN EXAMPLE OF THE INE-EZI OF THE ANAM OF ANAMBRA STATE, SOUTHEAST, NIGERIA", PREORC JOURNAL OF GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES, Vol. 2, pp 1-26 |
| 11 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2021, March), "Modelling Ritual and Performance for Political Change: An Examination of Igu-Aro Ndi-Umueri in Anambra State", UJAH, Vol. 22, (Issue 2), pp 108-126 |
| 12 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2021, June), "Verisimilitude as a Solutions for a Responsive Costume Design: A Critique of Nollywood's Presentation of Precolonial Igbo Characters in Hessian Fabrics", Nigerian Theatre Journal, Vol. 21, (Issue 1), pp 33-50 |
| 13 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2019, February), "ASSERTING THE DOMINANCE OF IGBO CULTURAL MOTIFS IN NOLLYWOOD COSTUMES: AN ANALYSIS OF SELECT NOLLYWOOD FILMS", Creative Artiste |
| 14 | Okadigwe, Mary N.,and Ebekue, Emmanuel O.. (2018, March), "Surviving Economic Recession Through The Production Of Internet Comic Skits: The Case Of Okoi Siphon And David Igwe", Nigerian Theatre Journal, Vol. 18, (Issue 2), pp 105-114 |
| 15 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2017, October), "Professionalism And Quackery In Costuming And Make-up For Nollywood Films: AStudy Of Royal Insult And My Loving Heart", Nigerian Theatre Journal |
| 16 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2017, February), "UNEARTHING COMMON UNCONSCIOUS THROUGH DRAMA: AN ARCHETYPAL READING OF TRACIE CHIMA UTOH’S COULDRON OF DEATH", Creative Artiste |
| 17 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2016, June), "GENDER EQUALITY AND THE NEED FOR AN EGALITARIAN SOCIETY: A STUDY OF TRACIE-UTOH'S OUR WIVES HAVE GONE MAD AGAIN AND J. P. CLARK'S THE WIVES REVOLT", New Frontiers: A Journal in the Humanities, Vol. 1, (Issue 1), pp 153-165 |
| 18 | Okadigwe, Mary Nkechi. (2016, June), "Gender Equality And The Need For An Egalitarian Society: A Study Of Tracie Utoh’s Our Wives Have Gone Mad Again And J.P. Clark’s The Wives Revolt", Sevhage Publishers, Vol. 1, pp 153-165 |
| 19 | Okadigwe, Mary Nkechi. (2016, February), "Semiotic Reading Of Costumes In Nigerian Video Films: African Bride As A Paradigm", Creative Artist: A Journal of Theatre and Media Studies, Vol. 10, (Issue 1), pp 82-108 |
| 20 | Obadiegwu, Cyprian C., and Okadigwe, Nkechi Mary. (2014, ), "Ethnic Identities Through Costuming And The Future Of The Nigerian Film Industry: A Study Of Moonlight Girl By Nonso Okonkwo And Goddess Of The Sun By Iyke Odife", AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies., Vol. 9, (Issue 1), pp 28-42 |
| Conference Papers | |
| 1 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe & Chibuike M. Abunike. (2024, June), "Nollywood Costume Design as Vehicles for Sociopolitical Commentary on the Nigerian Democratic Experience: A Postcolonial Reading", 2nd Biennial Conference of the Nigerian Academy of Letters |
| 2 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe, Stella Uchenna Nwofor. (2024, October), "Deconstructing Gender Norms: An Analysis of Select Nigerian Cross-dresser Skits on Social Media", CGS and CMS |
| 3 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2024, May), "The Risk of Cultural Assimilation in a Globalized Future: Examining the Representation of Nigerian Indigenous Clothing in Select Nollywood Films", The Association for the Promotion of African Studies (APAS) |
| 4 | Mary Nkechi Okadigwe. (2024, October), "Exploring the impact of digital platforms on collaborations between Nigerian and non-Nigerian musicians: the case of Burna Boy.", VAD |
Academic Leadership Qualities
| Grants | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Awardee: "DFG. Funding" (March, 2023 to June, 2023). Completed sponsored grant by German Research Foundation (DFG) |
| Editorships | |
| 1 | Editor, "UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities Vol. 24, No.1" (October, 2023) |
| Reviewerships | |
| 1 | Reviewer, "Staging Politics and Motifs for Cultural Action: A Directorial Argument for Nwabueze's the Dragon's Funeral" (January, 2023) |
| 2 | Reviewer, "Adaptation of Drama to Storytelling for Classroom Teaching: the Modern Training Institute, Uyo Experiment" (August, 2022) |
| Contributions to the University/Society | |
| 1 | Member, "Sexual Harassment Committee, Unizik" (April, 2025) |
| 2 | Departmental PG Coordinator, "Postgraduates College, Unizik" (December, 2024) |
Membership of Professional/Relevant Bodies
| 1 | Full Member, "Centre for Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation (CEMRI)" - Member Humanities and Social Science Research Group (member since 2021), https://www.cemri.org |
| 2 | Full Member, "The Lagos Studies Associate" (member since 2020), http://lagosstudies.org/ |
| 3 | Affiliate Member, "Society of Nigeria Theatre Artist (SONTA)" (member since 2016), https://sonta.org |
Relevant Events Attended
| Conferences | |
|---|---|
| 1 | "The State of African Studies in the 21st Century: The Lagos Studies Association@10", (Lagos Studies Association (LSA)), 16th June, 2026 to 20th June, 2026; Trinity University, Yaba, Lagos |
| 2 | "2026 Conference of the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS)", (Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS)), 9th June, 2026 to 12th June, 2026; Zoom |
| 3 | "Reconfigurations in Africa - and in African Studies/Exploring the Impact of Digital Platforms on Collaborations Between Nigerian and Non-Nigerian Musicians: the Case of Burna Boy", (The Association for African Studies in Germany e.V. (VAD)), 30th September, 2024 to 2nd October, 2024; Zoom |
| 4 | "2023 African Digital Frontier: An International Conference on Digital Technology and Consumer Behaviour in Africa", (Department of Marketing, Unizik in Collaboration with The Centre for Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation (CEMRI)), 9th November, 2023 to 11th November, 2023; UNIZIK, Awka |
| 5 | "Arts and the Art of Nation-Building/Nollywood and Nation History: A Study of Nollywood Historic Film Costumes and their Impact on Collective Memory and Nation-Building", (Unizik Faculty of Arts), 19th October, 2023 to 20th October, 2023; Unizik, Awka |
| 6 | "European Conference on African Studies", (Global South Studies Centre (GSSC)), 31st May, 2023 to 3rd June, 2023; University of Cologne, German |
| 7 | "2016 Annual International Conference of the Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists (SONTA)", (Department of Theatre and Film Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka,), 9th November, 2016 to 12th November, 2016; UNIZIK |
| Workshop | |
| 1 | "Career and Character Counseling: Project 200 in Perspective", (Centre for Counselling and Career Development), 30th October, 2023 to 1st November, 2023; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka |
| Webinars | |
| 1 | "Excellence in Peer Review: How to be an Effective power Reviewer", (Taylor and Francis Reviewer Training Network), 19th October, 2021 to 21st October, 2021; Zoom |
| 2 | "How to Publish Open Access and Succeed with your Publication", (Taylor and Francis Group), 9th May, 2021 to 11th May, 2021; Zoom |