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| Segun Arinze |
Nigeria’s first cultural reality TV show, The
Heroes: Back to the Roots, is set to commence auditions at the twelve designated
centres nationwide. This was made known in Lagos by the producer of the realty
TV show, Chinyere Ogbukagu of De Havillah Timeless Productions, Jos. In a chat with SHOWBIZPLUSng, she said prospective participants at the reality TV show are to obtain the form
at all branches of the First City Monument Bank nationwide by paying into the
Havillah Timeless account, with which they can attend auditions at the centres
listed against the dates on the show’s website.
The host of the show, Segun Arinze, a
Nollywood star, said he was ready to take the final 37 contestants who would emerge
from the various states of the federation and the FCT into the house for the
specific tasks which would stem from their deep knowledge of the Nigerian culture.
Technical director of the production, who is
Nollywood filmmaker, Ifeanyi Onyeabor had this to say about the show which would
avail winners with SUV, cash prizes and movie roles: “A people without culture
are like a people without a past, a foundation. Culture is a veritable medium
for galvanising a people predicated on attitudinal behaviours, dress sense,
foods, ways of life, heroics and visionary latitudes. This reality show
therefore is an expository presentation to the front burner that will drive
cultural content until sustenance and to largely put an end to the alarming
drift to the doldrums, as many youth are alien to their culture and
resultantly, roots. A disproportionate but shocking percentage of the youth, do
not know how to cook, speak their native languages, be identified through
dressing, distances from their roots and foundational past as a people linked
with the apron strings of culture. It is disastrous to imagine that the release
on the British Broadcasting Corporation a few years ago, on the imminent
extinction of most Nigeria Languages could hold sway, if concerted efforts were
not made, to halt the drift. Furthermore, most youths do not understand or know
their cultural dances, traditional farming implements and methods, engage in
commodity trade in their ethnic Languages just as the French do. A resurgence
of our culture will bring in its wake the showcasing of the tourism potentials
inherent in our various geo – political zones and therefore promote tourism in
our nation-state Nigeria, proudly present our rich cultural heritage and tell
our story, as a people and precipitate unity and homogeneity in diversity.
Such tourism sites could be found in Jos,
Plateau State with the water falls (Kura and Asop falls), the beautiful and
rocky terrain with its clement weather conditions; Minna, Niger State with the
Guara falls and Kainji Dam, to mention a few. Therefore,
as a people, there is the need for identifying with this reality show, which is
geared towards achieving the issues and instill bonding”.
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