Project fame falls asleep

When reality TV shows hit Nigeria, we were like them that dream. What? You mean we could watch people living their lives on TV, competing with one another and trying to make us like them, and we would enjoy it this much? Who would’ve thought? And so, reality TV became the industry to invest in. The Nigerian Breweries began Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS) in 2004 that had many young athletic hopefuls turning out to convert bodily energy to purchasing power. GUS was lit, people. From Ezeugo to Dominic to Kunle to Chris, each season was a hit back to back, until it suddenly went to sleep in 2014 and refused to wake up. Actually, we noticed it got dizzy in its 11th season, but we kinda hoped it would take coffee. Sadly, it didn’t and our Nigerian brand of Survivor is yet to be seen again, three years later. MNET’s Glo Naija Sings had one eventful first season in 2009 with eighteen-year-old Jon Ogah going away with the prize of 100,000 dollars and an SUV.

 We loved it so much we couldn’t wait for its second season, but it never came. Oh wait, it did, a year later. Then the next. But some of us had slept off while waiting, so we didn’t notice. After three seasons, Glo dumped the project and moved on to weightier matters. Glo X Factor turned out to be one of those weightier matters. With coaches MI and Onyeka Onwenu, we discovered and fell in love with Victoria Gomoti, DNA twins, Ankara Boy and the eventual winner of 24 million Naira, DJ Switch. Then poof it went, as Glo dusted its shoes and walked away from it. We sit by our windows like women whose husbands have gone to war, waiting for the day our dear show returns, but it doesn’t look like that would be soon.

Perhaps, this one died at war. Amstel Malta Box Office was another show sponsored by the Nigerian Breweries which launched in 2005. It was fresh and fun and an avenue for stars to be born. Many young people couldn’t wait to take advantage. It ran for five seasons, gave us movie stars like OC Ukeje, BayRay McWizu, Ivie Okujaiye and Wole Ojo and was terminated in 2010. Another funding casualty, perhaps. Thankfully, Big Brother Nigeria was defibrillated and is now resurrected to Nigeria after eleven years of death and rot. It returned with a bang to make up for lost time. Efe emerged the winner of its last installment, but you know that already. Now, MTN Project Fame West Africa, which has been our constant and most trusted companion since 2008 has suddenly gone quiet. Fans of the show are wondering why there’s a silence, especially since there was a promise at the end of last season of an exciting tenth anniversary that would unite everyone that had ever participated on the show.

It is hard to imagine that MTN, the sole sponsors of this show that has daily entertained viewers all over the world for two months of every year in the last nine years, would pull out. If it has so happened that MTN has withdrawn its sponsorship of the show, what is the hope of ever having the show, or any other television show for that matter? Sadly, I do not have my tarty billion yet or I would have stepped in. It is said that Nigerians are some of the most resilient people in the world. We can take just about anything and still keep sane; and we have been hit by a lot. If the recession could be seen by the naked eye, it would look like a mountain with sharp edges, yet the Nigerian has been able to withstand even that, creating memes, finding laughter, and fighting through the hustle. But at this point, I’ll have to speak for the Nigerian when I say “We wee nuh take eet,” if our favorite reality shows are completely gone. How will there not be doses of Mummy Joke’s “welldan” and Uncle Ben’s tough love and Miss Ige’s high-pitched hair-raising jaw-dropping soprano, and dance moves that find homes in our memories for days? How can we not have these for a whole year? How are we even sure it would return in the coming year if this break is taken? What will we do with our owanbe-less Saturdays and rice-eating Sundays? Is this even fair?
credited: Thenakedconvos. com