Why TV is essential for Nigeria, Africa’s development –Mursty Adinoyi

Adinoyi

Mursty Adinoyi is the producer-presenter of the award-winning entertainment programme, Hitlist N Cruzin. He spoke with OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG about his new programme, AIT Music+, which he says was conceived with only one objective in mind: the development of Africa.

What’s the latest about you?

The latest about Emrose Adinoyi Productions, you mean. OK, good, right now we have a great and wonderful world class production which is in conjunction with Africa Independent Television. It’s called AIT Music+. We call it world class because it’s not just viewed in Nigeria, it’s as well viewed in Europe. We air in Nigeria 2pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and then on AIT International, it’s 4.30pm to 5.30pm daily Monday to Friday. So if you’re in Europe, you’ll watch the show every day.

You said AIT Music+ is a world class international programme.

Yes. You need to watch it and you’ll see the quality we’re giving.

Virtually everybody in Nigeria keep saying their brands are international. Companies have ‘international’ in their names, airports too and so on. So what’s actually ‘international’ about AIT Music+? Is it ‘international’ just because it’s showing in Europe?

It’s not just because it’s showing in Europe. It’s the quality of what we’re giving. Look at the standard, you’ll believe me that it’s the best thing to happen to Africa, it’s the best right now in Nigeria representing Africa in Europe. So the quality is what stands it out, stands us out, alright? We’re producing on high definition, for God’s sake, so that’s the best of camera, the best of equipment that’s being used all over the world is what we’re using, so of course that’s world class. And then look at the quality of what we’re doing and then again it’s of course international if you produce in Lagos, Nigeria or in Nigeria, Africa and it’s being viewed on the best of AIT, that’s AIT Network that is the best when it comes to entertainment in Nigeria as well as in Europe, then of course it’s international.

Is there a statistic of its viewership?

The programme started in December 2017, and already it’s gaining momentum seriously, you know. You don’t have advert placement unless you have eyeballs. So if you have a programme that started in the second week of December and already started having adverts from the second edition, that tells you that immediately we aired the programme, viewership starts increasing. That belt is already a must-watch belt right now.

What’s unique about its content? Are you saying you’re doing something that hasn’t been done before?

Yes. You see, the whole thing about entertainment industry in Nigeria becomes what it is today because of AIT. I’m telling you that’s where everything started from. Now, for a long time, every other person’s doing that. But we have to redefine who we are as Africans, OK, so the best way to do it is through the best way we’re doing it right now. When you watch AIT Music+, there’s so much to gain out of it. You’ll understand that the culture is there, the beauty of Africa is there. It’s not just about the videos we play, alright? We have little breakers that as time goes on we’ll keep on introducing them gradually that will show you the beauty of Africa. We shouldn’t wait for people to tell us about Africa all the time. We should be able to tell ourselves how beautiful blacks are. Like I said, entertainment became what it is now of AIT. You see the chain reaction. Look at stars that Nigeria has produced. Now another one is here. It’s called AIT Music+ which is to as well take it to another level. We have to maintain the development brought about by AIT. How to maintain it is to create a programme that will as well do more in promoting African music to the international world, alright? Like, in Nigeria, we might play foreign videos. Why, because we just want our viewers, our followers to as well be in tune to know that, OK, this is as well fresh in America and we have it here for you. But in all, what we’re actually looking at is to be able to project what we have. Today, we have superstars, musicians, as a product of AIT that started and others now followed up and we’re creating stars. But we need to do more and create more stars because if you develop a single person, that person too will develop another and the chain reaction will lead to the development of so many people. So, that to me, is a way to develop Africa. And why TV is important to develop Nigeria is that people look at TV and do what they see on screen. So, if we keep on telling ourselves that we’re the best, we keep on telling ourselves the good story of who we are as Africans, believe you me, before you know it, people will now start thinking of how we can actually do it well and become the best as Africans. Today, our music is being accepted all over the world. If you’re a musician, I think the best place to be is AIT Music+.

You said AIT Music+ is to help people and Africa grow. How do you actually intend to do this?

Right here, we don’t take money to play music videos, alright, as far as your video is good, we’ll play it, and nobody will ask you for one naira. That is number one. Now, secondly, we have, the programme is still new, but I’m telling you, it’s like letting the cat out of the basket, we have Projects AIT Music+ that’s gonna come later. In there, you gonna see a lot of things that we plan to do. We’ll also have campus shows in the sense that we’ll organize shows for NYSC camps in major cities in Nigeria every year which is of course helping to develop our education as well, telling the youths, some who feel oh I don’t wanna go to school, know that you need that education. That you’re a carpenter, we’ll talk to you that look, do not just depend on what your master taught you about carpentry. Design more, do more creativity, and if you can achieve that, look at the level you’ll go, because we can gather, say, 15 carpenters, or furniture makers that, design something about Africa. Whoever wins will take this. And we’ll not air it only in Nigeria. We’ll air it as well in Europe. And this will of course help to develop that sector as well. So, AIT developed music. AIT Music+ will develop music plus every other sector.

From the way you are speaking, it seems it was easy to conceive the programme and get it on air.

It wasn’t so easy. Nothing comes easy. You need a lot of thinking, concentration and prayer. I am blessed to be with the team that I have who understand me. When I talk to them that look, this is where I want us to go, my editor is a very creative mind, my producers are very creative guys, all I do is say let’s go this way, do that, do that, and they get it done. But even at that, it was not an easy thing because we need to as well put it on the table that OK we are producing this content exclusively for AIT consumption alone. Why, because I’m a product of that TV station, and again, that station started it all. It’s the first station that started 24-hour broadcast, it’s the first that said it wants to promote Africa, and their slogan is, Sharing The African Experience, so the best place to do it is with them.

Many people complain that they find it difficult to get TV airtime. Is it because you’re producing AIT Music+ exclusively for AIT that you were able to get so much airtime Monday, Wednesday, Friday and even on AIT International Monday through Friday?

Getting airtime is not an easy thing. But for instance, if you are privileged to have airtime, what do you do with it? Do you give good production? Do you owe your station? You see, initially, stations were not asking anybody to pay for airtime. But because independent producers keep on owing the stations, to the extent that they don’t even want to pay, when somebody owes you and he’s ready to pay, it’s a different thing entirely. Somebody owes you and the person disappears, he’s no more in the country again …

Do you mean owing them from adverts or for airtime?

The basic thing is that they owe the station. So if you’re owing someone and when you have the money, you make payment. But funny enough, some of them just disappear, you don’t see them any longer. So by the time another producer now approaches the station, it becomes hard because of their bitter experience with X producer, you get it now? See, Hitlist N Cruzin started nine years back with TVC. And till today, we’re still running there and we’re not owing much when it comes to money that we need to give to TVC. What it means is that we keep our promises. And when people know you’re sincere, they’ll want to do business with you. So, for us, having airtime is not hard. Why, because our partners know we don’t lie, we pay them when we have.