Adediran Kayode Ademiju-Bepo

Netflix’s recently released film Jagun Jagun (The Warrior) is set in pre-colonial Nigeria and follows the story of a feared warlord named Ogunjimi. While playing out in the past, it is steeped in contemporary universal cultural, political and socio-economic realities.

The first 15 minutes of the movie establishes that the story is centred on a young man called Gbotija who decides to train as a fighter under the leadership of a powerful and revered warrior, Ogundiji, son of Ogunrogba. Ogundiji is a ruler unto himself. The first couple of scenes accentuate the ingredients required for a would-be warrior, such as courage, determination and focus to succeed.

Gbotija, determined to become a mighty warrior, joins an elite army, encounters a manic warlord and discovers the love of a woman.

As a theatre professor, author, playwright, and film scholar I follow the output of Nollywood. Nigeria’s thriving film industry