NIGERIAN PLAYWRIGHTS, CONDUIT FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION: A FOCUS ON SOYINKA'S TRIALS OF BROTHER JERO AND OGBECHE'S HARVEST OF CORRUPTION

Corruption is one of the most infamous phenomena in Nigeria's social, political and even religious realms. The aim of this paper is to examine the role of playwrights in exposing and ultimately dealing with the problem of corruption in Nigeria. This was done through a content analysis and critique of Wole Soyinka's Trials of Brother Jero and Frank Ogbeche's Harvest of Corruption. Government agencies have continued to battle corruption with little or no victory. Through an analysis of the two playwrights' treatment of the subject matter in the selected plays, the study revealed that Nigerian playwrights are teachers to their readers and audience. The paper showed that playwrights contribute to social transformation through their engagement with the fight against corruption. The study is a contribution to the ongoing discourse on the role of the writer by proving that the writer does not merely entertain but has a responsibility to society.