Big Brain Naija (#BB9JA), a reality TV show geared towards discovering, showcasing and celebrating creative talents across Nigeria, is set to debut, its organisers have said.
According to the organisers, the grand prize is N30 million plus a car.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the show is organised by Big Brain Productions in Collaboration with DAAR Communications Plc.
The organisers said, at a news conference and partnership signing agreement on Thursday in Abuja, that the show would be staged in the Federal Capital Territory.
They said that the reality show, scheduled to hit the screens across Nigeria from October, would be aired on Africa Independent Television.
Chief Executive Officer of Big Brain Productions, Mr Kel Ameobi said that the initiative was to celebrate the ingenuity and passion of Nigerian youths.
According to him, the show is conceived to promote national harmony, besides its entertainment value.
He said: ‘Big Brain Naija show was created with a simple but very powerful vision: to build a reality TV show where intelligence meets entertainment.
‘For too long, we’ve seen and we have also heard our airwaves filled up with entertainment that promotes all sorts of things, very unspeakable things,
‘We’ve watched as youths on different platforms fight and entertain us with emptiness, whereas the brightest amongst us have no stage to shine.
‘Big Brain Naija is not a show of noise but of ideas. It’s not a house of immorality but a stage for innovation, to celebrate ideas, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship’.
Chief Executive Officer of DAAR Communications Plc, Mr Marcel Anyalechi lauded the initiative, saying it would create a desired impact in the entertainment industry as it blends creativity and innovation.
‘I commend you so much for taking this project to this stage, and for us at DAAR Communications Plc, we express our total commitment to this project.
‘We are glad that we are part of the project, and we are going to use all our media platforms to promote it to the Nigerian public, Africans and the rest of the world.
‘I congratulate you on this initiative, and I believe that at the end of season one or two of this project, it will bring smiles to the faces of Nigerians’, he said.
Earlier, Chief Operating Officer of Big Brain Naija, Ossai Ilome said that Season One of the show would bring 37 contestants from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said that, among other innovations, the show would be anchored by AI-powered judges, making it the first of its kind in Africa.
Ilome further said: ‘While we give credence to the entertainment industry and to those who have promoted Nigeria as a country, the time has come for us to showcase Nigerians who are very intelligent, industrious and visionary.
‘These are attributes that Nigerians are known all over the world; they are known as intelligent people, industrious people and visionary people.
‘However, most of the reality TV shows we have in the country do not seem to reflect this culture associated with our people.
‘The Big Brain Naija reality TV show is coming with a lot of value not just for the people, but for the country, to demonstrate that Nigerians are indeed exceptional.
‘Although the show is largely focused on intelligence and impact, of course, we are not leaving out the aspect of entertainment, because it is a reality show’.
