Theorizing “Odogwu Masculinities”: Nigerian Popular Culture and the Construction of the Empowered “Odogwu” Ideal Male

The word Odogwu has gained significant popularity in contemporary Nigerian discourse, particularly due to its pervasive circulation within the nation’s eclectic and creative popular culture. Upon this widespread recognition, this study theorizes and examines the construction and performance of Odogwu masculinities within Nigerian popular culture, focusing specifically on music and Nollywood as key sites of gendered identity construction. Rooted in traditional Igbo concepts of valor, leadership, and resilience, the Odogwu figure has been (re)configured in urban Nigeria. Employing a qualitative, multi-method approach through a detailed lyrical and visual semiotic analysis of Burna Boy’s hit song “Odogwu” (2020) complemented by a close reading and visual analysis of the Nollywood film Love in Every Word (2025), the study posits core traits such as economic power, social recognition, cultural legitimacy, and performative visibility defining Odogwu masculinities, further arguing that the performance of Odogwuness is diverse, reflecting varied enactments and not a “monolithic” ideal.