·
First-person
accounts from Africa’s largest economy
·
Features
celebrities like Basketmouth, Kate Henshaw and DeolaSagoe, as well as everyday
heroes
Premiering on Al Jazeera English on 24
August 2015, My Nigeria is a series of six half-hour
documentaries that pulse with the human stories and energy of Africa’s leading
economy.
From
stand up-comedian Basketmouth to Nollywood
star turned politician Kate Henshaw, from ICT expert Gbenga Sesan to fashion
designer DeolaSagoe, from football coach Femi Bamigboye to female mechanic
Sandra Aguebor, each film focuses on one central character, who invites us
into their world, sharing their story in their own words.
“The series was commissioned specifically to
support Al Jazeera English’s theme ‘Hear the human story,’ to bring
people’s stories directly to our screens, told in in a first-person
style without mediation, offering a range of authentic views,”says
Ingrid Falck, head of documentaries at Al Jazeera English.
Award-winning South African directors
Brian Tilley and Clifford Bestall shot the series across Nigeria, which is home
to one in five Africans.
“To get beyond the clichés of Africa,
there isn’t a better place than Nigeria,” says Ingrid. “For every stereotype of
corruption or extremism, there are millions of ordinary Nigerians
making this African powerhouse tick. Our series focuses on these
individuals to see firsthand how Nigerians are busy making a
difference.”
Managing Director for MultiChoice
Nigeria said: “MultiChoice has a long standing relationship with Nollywood and
Nigeria’s creative industry. As an organisation that has for over a decade
supported the development of the industry, it gives us great joy that Al
Jazeera isshining the spotlight on success stories while showcasing the amazing
talent that exists in Nigeria.Our audiences on theDStv and GOtv platforms will
definitely find the series inspiring.”
The
series premieres at 23:30 WAT on 24 August 2015. Al Jazeera is available on
DStv channel 406 and GOtv channel 40. Formore information.
Series lineup:
BASKETMOUTH:
TRASH TALKING, premiering 24 August 2015
Basketmouth
(real name Bright Okpocha) is arguably Nigeria’s most successful stand-up
comic. Born and bred in the notorious Lagos slum Ajegunle, he discovered his
gift for comedy by chance and has never looked back. His take on the Lagos
elite is upbeat, irreverent and challenging. Watch and embed the promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DhXYuROF2o.
KATE
HENSHAW: PLAYING A PART, premiering 31 August 2015
Kate
Henshaw has always been known as one of the Nollywood stars with integrity.
Having made over 70 films, Kate decides to leave the fictional world and run
for a seat in Nigeria’s House of Representatives. Kate wants to change how
people are represented in her hometown of Calabar in Southern Nigeria, but
politics in Nigeria is not for the timid… Watch and embed the promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDpU2GH4dPk.
GBENGA
SESAN: CONNECTING A MILLION, premiering 7 September 2015
As
a school student, Gbenga Sesan was denied access to the computer room at his
Nigerian school and told he was not clever enough to operate one. Years later,
Gbenga is an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) expert, with
international awards and a successful consultancy business. He’s spreading his
good fortune by teaching ICT and life-skills to young adults in Nigeria’s
poorest neighbourhoods.
DEOLA
SAGOE: TOP DRAWER, premiering 14 September 2015
Nigerian
fashion has broken out, gracing the catwalks of New York, Johannesburg and
Monaco. DeolaSagoe was one of the designers who led this Nigerian fashion
expansion. The House OfDeolaSagoe is on Lagos’ Victoria Island and caters for
Nigeria’s who’s who. Deola’s father, prominent Nigerian businessman Chief Ade
Ojo, never wanted his daughter to go into fashion. He actively discouraged her,
wanting
her to take over his lucrative business. But Deola had other ideas…
FEMI
BAMIGBOYE – LOCAL MAN, premiering 21 September 2015
Femi Bamigboye is the coach and founder of the Remo Football Academy
in the small Nigerian town of Iperu. You have to really look for Iperu on the
map, but Femi has managed to produce a line of young players who represent
Nigeria at age group level, including two players who will represent Nigeria at
the under 17 World Cup at the end of the year. This is some achievement in a
country of over 180 million people. Femi is not just a football coach: he is a
pastor with a loyal congregation who worship every Sunday in a lean-to church
in the middle of the thick forest that surrounds Iperu. Femi feels his job is not just to teach
football; he wants to develop world-class young men. Watch and embed the promo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjP5RqvrJ9c.
SANDRA
AGUEBOR: LADY MECHANIC, premiering 28 September 2015
Sandra Aguebor is Nigeria’s first Lady Mechanic. Growing up in Benin
City in a polygamous family, Sandra’s mother actively discouraged her from
following her dream, sometimes beating her when she would be out tinkering in
an engine instead of doing her kitchen chores. But Sandra is the sort of woman
who responds well to adversity. She has built a network of lady mechanics that
is spreading from city to city in Nigeria by training ex-sex workers, orphans,
and victims of trafficking to be mechanics. Sandra’s Lady Mechanic
Initiative has now spread to the north with its first project in Kano City,
where the response from Muslim women has been unprecedented.
No comments:
Post a Comment