Bada Akintunde-Johnson
As we rejoice one other 12 months of nationwide independence, it’s crucial that we take inventory of what’s, what has been and maybe what might be – particularly because it considerations our most defining and cherished asset: tradition. Surprising? Tradition in its undiluted type is the component that defines us as a individuals, influencing the way in which we work together with one another, soak up new concepts, innovate and even entertain. Mainly it's the primary customary from which we draw as we innovate and evolve. Subsequently, its preservation is the very best responsibility we are able to undertake, an obligation we’ve got not all the time revered.
Traditionally, we’ve got been a individuals who have tailored to different cultures, on the threat of shedding our personal. There was a time when being Nigerian was not one thing of status or delight; however slightly an identification that needed to be hidden and discarded – maybe as a result of we had been taught to take action. That every one began to alter, with cultural champions refusing to whisper 'Nigeria' at the price of feeling inferior when requested to determine their nation of origin. These phenomenal individuals, I dare say, paved the way in which for the revolutionary work that Paramount Africa has began within the nation.
In 2005, we at Paramount Africa created the imaginative and prescient to reshape Africa. Reimagining it as a rustic bursting with unimaginable expertise, thrilling improvements and proud tradition – not as a result of it hadn't all the time been that manner, however as a result of we had in some way discovered to see it as flawed and second-rate. We launched into the formidable journey of offering leisure and edutainment platforms that empower Africans to personal their narrative and inform their tales the way in which they wished.
We had been conscious that whoever controls the media controls the narrative. With out giving the actors the chance to inform their very own tales, there was subsequently the looming hazard that their tales could be rewritten, modified and maybe misplaced. So we began with essentially the most unifying pillar of tradition: music.
In 2005, we launched our flagship channel, MTV Base, on the African continent, Nigeria to be exact, with the goal of showcasing Africa's vibrant expertise. With this channel we began placing African abilities within the highlight. Harmless 'Tuface' Idibias African queen was our debut decide, and inside an hour of airing, the music video was considered greater than 1.3 million instances. From there, we laid the inspiration for what’s now one in all Africa's largest leisure markets, beginning with the required upgrades to one in all music's strongest advertising instruments: movies.
A cursory have a look at the standard of movies being produced on the time, in comparison with what was being produced by main worldwide acts, assured us that adjustments wanted to be made. For African music to turn into mainstream, we have to improve the standard of movies in order that African creatives could make the tales woven into music movies extra compelling. Our discovery additionally revealed the deadlock we discovered ourselves in: Africa on the time lacked the native capability essential to elevate African-produced music movies to international requirements.
To resolve this drawback, we began coaching and upskilling videographers to enhance the standard of their video and manufacturing high quality. In 2007 we labored with Shell on the “African Video Undertaking” to enhance the standard of African music video manufacturing. Via the venture, MTV Base offered indigenous acts with entry to the experience of worldwide expertise, together with British music director Nick Quested and sensational singer Amerie. Now we have additionally given African artists the chance to have their movies shot, edited and produced by an internationally famend music video crew. Via these efforts, MTV Base helped indigenous creatives construct the capability to provide phenomenal movies regionally.
Greater than seventeen years later, thanks to those investments, it’s common for African creatives to win awards comparable to Video Director of the Yr. However not earlier than beginning the custom of celebrating Africa's unimaginable abilities. In 2008, we initiated the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs) – the primary worldwide awards platform to rejoice the brilliance of African music acts. This platform has been a beacon of types that has introduced much more consideration to indigenous artists. Since its inception, the MAMAs have showcased and celebrated many artists who’ve been nominated for or gained a number of critically acclaimed worldwide awards, together with Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Davido and Tuface Idibia.
It isn’t stunning that greater than a decade after we made the choice to spotlight, spend money on and rejoice African abilities, sounds created on African soil emerged. As we speak, the world is consuming the eclectic sounds of Afrobeat, Amapiano and Afro-soul – sounds which have undeniably taken the world by storm and rapidly gone mainstream. A testomony to what we believed all alongside that African abilities had the potential for the world stage and that if Africans may embrace their identification and tradition with out reservation, they might unlock unimaginable ranges of creativity.
Our mission to reshape Africa didn’t cease on the music business, however expanded to different segments of the leisure business. Leveraging what we began with MTV Base, we expanded the channel's providing to incorporate drama. Over time, we’ve got launched a number of academic and leisure sequence overlaying completely different genres. The preferred of those is our MTV Shuga sequence.
We launched MTV Shuga to have tough conversations, conversations that previously had been handled as taboo matters and must be prevented or whispered. Via the primary sequence of MTV Shuga, which launched in 2009, and its subsequent spin-offs together with MTV Shuga Down South, MTV Shuga Naija and MTV Shuga Alone Collectively, we’ve got tailored episodes to handle a variety of points to sort out: HIV prevention, HIV testing, gender-based violence, gender equality, psychological well being and fashionable contraception, amongst others.
Research evaluating the affect of the edutainment sequence discovered that it has prompted a big behavioral change amongst viewers. A examine from the London Faculty of Drugs and Tropical Hygiene (LSHTM) discovered that publicity to the sequence led to a rise in consciousness of HIV self-testing (60%), PrEP (Pre-Publicity Prophylaxis) (52%) and HIV -self-testing. situation (71%). Publicity to the MTV Shuga Alone Collectively episodes – which targeted on debunking COVID-19 myths and highlighting lockdown coping mechanisms and prevention strategies – additionally had a big impact, with 90% of viewers reporting new discovered details, whereas 85% had adopted new habits.
In addition to the affect it has had in bringing about behavioral change throughout the continent, MTV Shuga has been the springboard that launched the careers of a few of Nigeria's most sensational actors. Because the sequence was launched in 2009, the sequence has featured many who’ve now turn into family names together with Jemima Osunde, Rahama Sadau, Timini Egbuson, Amal Umar, Tomiwa Tegbe and Abayomi Alvin.
We transcend edutainment and have showcased a few of the continent's finest content material via reveals comparable to Inside Life with Erica, Behind the Story, Celeb Residing, Slayed or Shade, Match Fam, The Larger Friday Present and lots of extra. These reveals have portrayed Africans as they’re: vibrant, formidable and tenacious. It has been a refreshing departure from the one narrative that was as soon as mainstream within the media materials of many worldwide NGOs.
To broaden our imaginative and prescient to incorporate one other group of creatives whose strengths weren't precisely in music or drama, we launched the MTV Base VJ Search. The search, which was launched in 2012 to supply creatives who take pleasure in enjoying hosts and get alongside properly with audiences, created a platform able to catapulting abilities onto the world stage. As we speak, earlier winners of the MTV Base VJ Search – Ehizojia 'Ehiz' Okoeguale, Stephanie Coker and Ada 'Folu Storms' Ogunkeye – haven’t solely had the chance to host a number of MTV Base and BET reveals and packages with unimaginable attain , however they’ve graced worldwide scenes many instances.
Along with this outlet, our VJs type the spine of the Paramount Africa pan-African Tradition Squad. Via the tradition crew, we’ve got given our VJs, and subsequently different additions to the crew, a much bigger stage to showcase their uniqueness, sort out international points they’re enthusiastic about, set tendencies, affect cultural shifts and lead conversations via a VJ-focused content material portfolio. At the moment, the Tradition Squad crew consists of Folu Storms and Ilo.
With the bottom we've coated and the achievements we've made, we've stopped at a number of factors to replicate and recalibrate – to organize for the following part. This has led to outstanding discoveries. We lately launched the Reflecting Me: World Illustration on Display screen survey to guage real-time perceptions of on- and off-screen illustration in chosen nations, with Nigeria (one in all Africa's largest social facilities) being one of many essential focuses. Primarily based on insights collected from respondents from the North-Central, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-South and South-West areas of the nation; we reaffirmed the ethos that underpins all the things we do at Paramount Africa: African tales informed by the actors of the tales.
Our analysis reveals that 94 % of Nigerians imagine an correct illustration of the nation's various cultural teams and identities is crucial. 70 % felt that the illustration of sure teams on display wanted to be improved, and 47 % felt they weren’t adequately represented. There are different statistics, however they level to 1 thrilling revelation: we as a individuals now think about it regular to see individuals like us on the world stage. We imagine it’s crucial that our tradition is proudly displayed in order that the world can see and study from it.
As we transfer ahead, we’re excited to proceed representing and reimagining Africa via our numerous channels, reveals and awards. We’re dedicated to persevering with to showcase and rejoice Black tradition and excellence via BET Africa and to proceed offering platforms for African abilities to shine via MTV Base.
Our unparalleled dedication to redefining the African leisure area is unparalleled and is not a channel that spotlights creatives, however has turn into an immersive world the place creatives can totally categorical themselves, not a way to an finish, however a aim in itself.
*Akintunde-Johnson is CoStrive Supervisor for Paramount Africa.
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Tradition in its undiluted type is the component that defines us as a individuals, influencing the way in which we work together with one another, soak up new concepts, innovate and even entertain. Mainly it's the primary customary from which we draw as we innovate and evolve. Subsequently, its preservation is the very best responsibility we are able to undertake, an obligation we’ve got not all the time revered
