After years of reduced fictional output, recent moves by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) suggest a renewed effort to re-establish itself.
Following announcements by Executive Director of Programmes, Tari Taylaur, NTA has rolled out a strategy that blends original programming, licensing of existing Nigerian content, and the revival of beloved classics from its archive.
At the forefront of this renewed push is Las Gidi, a sitcom co-produced with X3M Ideas and Acon Media and created by Mike Dube. Airing Wednesdays at 6:30pm on the NTA Network, Las Gidi follows a determined young man navigating life in Lagos, and stars Samuel Ajibola, Happiness Ikechukwu, Ayo Adesanya, Eniola Badmus, Fontànne Bassey, and Emeka Okoye.
In another move, NTA has licensed Temi & The Labalaba Band from Anthill Studios, a children’s musical drama set in a bustling buka (restaurant) threatened with eviction. The show, which airs Saturdays at 9:30am, stars Temi, the daughter of the restaurant’s owner, as she leads a band of children to save their home-away-from-home.
Beyond new titles, NTA has also set its sights on legacy content. At a recent interactive session, the network hosted Nollywood stakeholders to discuss the remake of classic NTA titles such as Cock Crow at Dawn and Basi & Company. The event included conversations with the Director-General and management team on how NTA can once again serve as a sustainable platform for telling authentic Nigerian stories.
Notably, as early as 2022, director Tosin Igho (Suspicion) announced via Instagram that he was working on a reboot of Cock Crow at Dawn, in collaboration with Peter Igho, producer of the original 1980s series. A year earlier, in 2021, The Village Headmaster was also rebooted in partnership with Wale Adenuga Productions.
These efforts by NTA come at a time when there is growing public demand for the broadcaster to do more. Many believe that some of the industry’s challenges can be addressed through a more active and efficient local broadcasting service, especially in light of the reduced operations of foreign streaming platforms.
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