The eight-part series, produced in partnership with 1Pod
Pictures – a female-led production company out of Nigeria – is set for a May 7
African premiere on MTV Base (DStv Ch. 322 and GOtv Ch. 72) at 21:00 WAT/22:00
CAT. In addition, the show will be simulcast on MTV Base in South Africa and
debut on BET Africa (DStv Ch. 129 and GOtv Ch. 21) at 21:00 WAT/22:00 CAT from
Wednesday, May 10.
This was announced at a press briefing that focused on the
issues addressed in the series, followed by a private screening of the new
season.
The new season combines an exciting ensemble of established
on-screen legends and rising stars including Adesua Etomi-Wellington, John
Njamah, Tomiwa Tegbe, Maggie Osuome, Okey Uzoeshi, Gbubemi Ejeye, Genoveva
Umeh, Ilooise Omohimin, Sharon Jatto, Lexan Peters, Bolaji Ogunmola, and Susan
Pwajok.
Big Brother Titans star, Kanaga Jnr. Eme, and Chioma Edak
will be playing lead and supporting acts respectively, having come through the
MTV Shuga Naija public auditions last year.
“This season, we have partnered with Unitaid, Global
Innovation Fund, and Paramount to address issues on gender-based violence,
COVID-19 vaccine confidence, women empowerment, modern contraception, as well
as generate demand for the HIV self-testing kits now available in Nigeria,”
remarked Anita Adesiyan, Country Manager, MTV Staying Alive Foundation.
“True to our ethos of promoting safer lifestyle choices and
advocating against harmful cultural practices through entertaining drama, the
new MTV Shuga Naija season will give our viewers a broader perspective on
everyday issues that affect young people as they try to find their place in the
world,” Adesiyan added.
As a network that is committed to engaging with and
empowering young people, we recognise the immense impact that this series has
in promoting positive behavioural change and sparking important conversations
on social issues,” commented Dr Bada Akintunde-Johnson, Country Manager,
Paramount.
“As a network that is committed to engaging with and empowering
young people, we recognise the immense impact that this series has in promoting
positive behavioural change and sparking important conversations on social
issues,” commented Dr Bada Akintunde-Johnson, Country Manager, Paramount.
The new season follows the story of Moh (Gbubemi), a bright
young woman who must make a difficult decision when her parents force her into
an arranged marriage with an older man and her family’s benefactor.
Speaking on Unitaid’s role in supporting initiatives like
MTV Shuga Naija and the key role of partnerships in accelerating the progress
towards ending HIV/AIDS, Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director, Unitaid,
said, “New devel opments in health technologies can make real change in the
lives of young people – but only if they know what the risks are, and how to
protect and treat themselves.”
With MTV Shuga Naija having been widely praised for using
novel storytelling to tackle social issues, Rachna Nag Chowdhuri, Senior Vice
President, Impact at Global Innovation Fund, stressed the importance of social
innovations in improving the lives of millions across the continent saying, “At
GIF, we believe that women and girls must be the protagonists in their own lives
and our work – focusing on Innovating for Gender Equality – supports social
innovations with the greatest impact on shifting gender norms.
This new season of MTV Shuga Naija is a fantastic example of
that as it addresses many difficult topics on gender-based violence and gender
equality, backed by a great track record and solid evidence of impact. What’s
more, the series is not only promoting gender equality through its content but
also in the media industry by partnering with local female-led production
companies and creating opportunities for female talent across the production.”
One of the underlying objectives of the MTV Shuga Naija
Season 5 project was to invest in female creatives in the Nigerian media
market. This, the campaign underscored through its Talent Accelerator Program,
a social media campaign through which 11 female interns were selected to work
across different departments on set. The MTV Shuga Naija Season 5 crew also had
an overall female representation of 80%.
The well-attended event was graced by notable personalities
in the Nigerian corporate, medical, advocacy and entertainment spheres
including the Director General, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS
(NACA), Dr Gambo Aliyu; Director, Youth and Adolescent Unit, Lagos State
Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludara; CEO, Lagos State Agency for the
Control of AIDS (LSACA), Dr Monsurat Adeleke and more.
One of the highlights of the premiere was the
track-listening session hosted by Chocolate City. One of the most successful
indigenous urban record labels in Africa, Chocolate City partnered with the MTV
Staying Alive Foundation to exclusively curate the track list for the new MTV
Shuga Naija season.
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