Why the Nigerian youth aspires to be on reality TV

princess abumere

January 26, 2017 12:23 PM

Nigeria is currently going through a recession, cost of living is high, minimum wage sits at N18,000 and the rate of unemployment is high.

Project Fame season 9

For many Nigerian youth their first exposure to the finer things of life is via the media including publications, radio and television.

The actors, musicians, beauty queens placed in the spotlight all seem to have the dream life: designer clothes, expensive cars, money and fans.

The entertainment sector is an interesting place. It’s the one place where grass to grace stories are common. It’s the place where a struggling hawker grows into a millionaire artiste. Hence, it’s an aspirational place for Nigerian youths looking for financial independence and more.

As Nigerians there’s always the question of our moral values which we like maintain is at a high standard and so many times people question why would anyone sign up for a reality TV show and disgrace their family members.

The answer is simple: “unemployment”.

The big headline on today’s The Guardian newspaper (January 26) reads “Rising youth unemployment puts Nigeria on ‘time bomb”.

According to the daily publication; “the country’s unemployment rate rose from 13.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 to 13.9 per cent in the third quarter”. This information was based on data released by the National Bureau of Statistics in October 2016.

Unemployment is just one of the reasons why people sign up for reality shows, talent competitions and beauty pageants. Another reason is for fame and career advancement.

Most of the Big Brother Naija 2017 contestants have unique skills and are already known in the entertainment industry. Uriel Oputa is known for creating house music tracks with Igbo lyrics, she was also a contestant on BET Top Actor Africa 2016; Tony is known for working as a stage actor and a choreographer and Bisola Aiyeola was a finalist on Project Fame in 2008, following this she worked in radio and went on to launch a career in the Nigerian film and TV industry starring in ‘Skinny Girl in Transit’ and ‘Life of a Nigerian Couple’.

Think about it: 24/7 airtime for 78 day broadcast live to the whole of Africa! That is massive exposure. Already we’ve seen what being on a reality TV show has done for several industry players including Iyanya (Project Fame), Uti Nwachukwu (Big Brother Africa), Gideon Okeke, and more.

The fat checks are reason enough for anyone to sign up for reality TV. Nigeria is currently going through a recession, cost of living is high and minimum wage sits at N18,000. Apart from fame, financial independence and economic stability is reason enough why anyone between their 20s and 30s would sign up for a reality show where cameras watch their every move 24/7 and invade their privacy - the reward N25m and a brand new car.

While for the average viewer reality TV maybe just entertainment, for the participants, it’s an apprenticeship, a paycheck and a step towards a bigger achievement.

princess abumere