Tag Archives: NECLive 7

In just a matter of minutes, Nigerian Entertainment Conference will get underway at Landmark Events Center, Lagos.

Get the full schedule of proceedings here: Conference Schedule

In a few days, the annual Nigerian Entertainment Conference will hold in Lagos, the seventh year in succession. Compared to when it first held in 2013, the industry has seen remarkable improvement, continuous evolution and an increase in the value of entire sector- on course to top $9 billion in 2022, per this report from PWC.

As a result of the apparent recent success of the Nigerian entertainment industry, it is rather easy to forget that the current wave is less than twenty years old. When 2face Idibia, widely acknowledged as the leader of the new school- collaborated with Jamaican dancehall artiste Beenie Man in 2005, it was novel for the new generation- a generation skipped by the good fortune of having international record companies here in Nigeria. Since then, independent record labels and artistes have made hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, played at major festivals across the world and have been mobbed in countries as remote as Suriname. Why then is there a need to still convene a conference if there has been an improvement? Simply because the entertainment industry might have left biblical Egypt, but it is still wobbling around in the wilderness.

Entertainment in all of its forms- music, film, comedy, art, podcasts, games, dance etc- has been a veritable advancement medium for all concerned. At its most basic unpretentiousness, it delights and pleasures the audience. It has also been used for social causes- films have exposed certain ills in the society, musicians have rebelled through their music and comedians have pilloried politicians to no end. And through it all, the Nigerian Entertainment, at least for the past six years, has been a marketplace of ideas, a meeting place for industry insiders, practitioners, executives and members of the audience have sat together to fashion out solutions. The inaugural paper reads in part: “The theme ‘Building the industry of our dreams’ not only challenged all and sundry on the need for collective responsibilities but engaged with varying solutions to redefine the Nigerian entertainment industry. There is an imperative need to begin a process of structuring the business in entertainment, setting up systems that are accountable, practical and very much applicable to the Nigerian environment.”

The first edition of NEC Live identified all the issues that stood in the way of the development of the industry-  inimical government policies, piracy, reluctance to embrace technology, the role of media and such like. Can we say with certainty that six years later, all of these problems have been surmounted? Not by a long shot. On the contrary, each year has presented newer problems, requiring equally newer solutions.

For example, the late filmmaker Amaka Igwe in her speech at the maiden edition of  NEC Live spoke of the need for practitioners to adopt emerging “technologies for the good of the industry… Growth of the Nollywood industry should be driven by infrastructure that is required to service existing and new markets as they develop. The industry should use the power and skills inherent to promote and project modern and historical documentation, education and preservation of cultures in Nigeria. The industry has the potential of shaping a positive image for Nigeria. ‘What we are putting out is what the world thinks about Nigeria’.” Have filmmakers and movie producers adhered to this creed? Only quite slowly.

In that same hall, music executive Kenny Ogunbe and Chief Tony Okoroji disagreed heatedly over the issue of collection of royalties on behalf of COSON. Today, COSON and Okoroji are entangled in a three year battle with its members over its leadership and accusations of financial impropriety. (In March, a Lagos court ordered the reopening of its bank accounts hitherto frozen by an interim order.

Needless to add, these infrastructural challenges still remain. Interestingly, the solutions are inherent in the opportunities available in the innovations of the digital age. The technological revolution has helped solve some of the issues which have plagued our industry ab initio: streaming has allowed a great number of entertainers to bypass the Big Broses of Alaba who controlled before now solely controlled the distribution of music. The proliferation of internet-enabled devices has broken down the barriers of entry: thumb your noses at “Instagram comedians” all you want but they’ve proven that all you need is sixty seconds and a mobile phone. Comics like Frank Donga and Maraji rose to the upper echelon while others like Woli Agba charge in excess of seventy thousand naira to give “birthday shoutouts.”

This in itself has created a new set of problems, or to be less gloomy, challenges. Ayeni Adekunle, Chairman and Convener of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference, explains in part here: “But this is 2019. And we’re witnessing another boom. This time, the barriers have been pulled down. You can be in Lokoja and become a national hit by way of Instagram. You can become a leading actor by selling yourself on Youtube or Facebook. Radio or TV no longer break the big stars; social media does. The fans now hold the power, and everyone is noticing. How about monetisation? The streams are now so multiple that it is difficult for any one label or company to dictate the tunes. With the internet, telecommunications, app stores, streaming services, and VoD platforms, came an opportunity for creators to take control in ways hitherto impossible. But, what does this mean for consumers? As we chase contents we love on platforms where they’re domiciled, what’s happening to all the data being collected? And what does it mean for the creators and performers? Are they now getting paid in full?… Who in fact, gets paid? Who should? Will today’s entertainers end up becoming super rich and comfortable or will they end up like many of those before them? What do they need to know, to avoid obvious pitfalls?”

We now live in an era of constant creation of content and mediums that distribute them. As a matter of fact, the line between content creators and the platforms which distribute them has blurred. Disney and Apple are set to begin their respective streaming service that plans to play in the Netflix space.

It follows then, the problem and solutions are one and the same. What NEC Live offers is an avenue to confer among one another and design ways to ensure that the Nigerian entertainment ecosystem does not miss out on the boom that today’s technology and resources offer. Or worse still, have our stories told by those who didn’t live it.

NECLive is brought to you by ID Africa, in partnership with African Creative Foundation, MultiChoice, Livespot, Huce Valeris, and BHM.

The countdown has begun for the 7th Edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference which will take place on April 24 at the Landmark Event Centre in Oniru, Lagos State. #NECLIVE is Africa’s largest creative and entertainment industry gathering where major stakeholders in the sector come to rub minds and have conversations that shape the industry.

For the past six years, Musicians, Actors, Comedians, Producers, Fashion gurus and stakeholders in the creative industry ecosystem have used NECLive as a viable channel to express their thoughts and share views on how to make the industry more conducive for economic growth. At #NECLive 7, many of Nigeria’s biggest entertainers and celebrities will be making a return while some more will be making their debut appearance at the conference.

This year, the theme of the conference is Mobile, Data, Consumers and The Future Of Entertainment. Nigerian singer and songwriter Adekunle Gold will feature as a guest speaker while DJ Cuppy will be a panelist. Legendary Nigerian comedian, Alibaba who has previously featured as a speaker in past editions returns to #NECLIVE 7 to showcase the Spontaneity show live on stage. Other entertainers who have also confirmed their attendance include Aramide, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Frank Donga, and Sage Hassan the Poet. Many more stars are expected to confirm their attendance at the conference in the coming days.

NECLive has hosted over 100 celebrity guest stars and speakers, and has attracted over 20,000 live participants since its inception. Over 5000 participants are expected to attend the conference this year with millions expected to join the conversations online from different parts of the world.

The organisers, ID Africa have assured that this edition will be the best yet with insightful conversations meant to elevate the interaction of participants with the entertainment industry. CEO of IDA, Mr Femi Falodun is confident that those who attend the conference will be enlightened with the right information from the line up of industry professionals scheduled to speak. He says; “All NECLive attendees will get valuable insights into how data will play a key role in the future of entertainment in Nigeria and how content creators, brands and consumers  can use the knowledge acquired at the conference to their advantage.”

Registration for the #NECLive is free and ongoing on www.nec-staging.ieikife7-liquidwebsites.com

NECLive is brought to you by ID Africa, in partnership with African Creative Foundation, MultiChoice, Livespot, Huce Valeris, and BHM.

It is exactly seven days before entertainment industry experts, visionaries and ideators convene at the grandiose venue of the 7th Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NECLive7) to do justice to this year’s theme: ‘Mobile, Data, Consumers and the Future of Entertainment’.

As we look forward to NECLive this year, we all have an idea, a dream of how we want the industry to be.

The experts amongst us, the professionals who know the A to Z will show you blueprints and models we can learn and borrow from. And we need to encourage everyone – from intern to veteran – to appreciate the work that needs to be done, the kind of house we need and have to build, so that we can all go back to our diverse segments of the industry & begin building the future.

Participants at NECLive7 will be provided with rare insights into how the future of entertainment in Nigeria is likely to be, plus the abundant opportunities that can be explored.

The event which is put together by ID Africa, in partnership with African Creative Foundation, MultiChoice, Livespot, Huce Valeris, and BHM, will be one to remember.

Those willing to partake in what promises to be a historic conference at Landmark Events Centre, Oniru, on Wednesday, April 24 can still register on www.nec-staging.ieikife7-liquidwebsites.com.

Make sure to not miss out on this year’s edition!

Okay, the wait is finally over. The registration for the 2019 Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NECLive7) is now on!

For the past 6 years, the Nigerian Entertainment Conference has been the go-to event for brainstorming, as well as sharing of insights, ideas, and solutions to problems facing the entertainment industry.

In 2014, Prof. Pat Utomi delivered a keynote speech on how the industry was blooming with no government support – with only a group of revolutionaries and visionaries gathering to build it from nothing.

 

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A post shared by #NECLive (@neclive) on Mar 29, 2019 at 11:45pm PDT

Since the time, the industry has gone on to record even more laudable, record shattering feats. But there’s more to be done, as it remains ever evolving.

Courtesy technology, we have been ushered into an era where accessible data and consumer roles have become vital to the industry’s continued progress.

This, and more, is what an even better NECLive7 offers.

This year’s event which explores the theme: ‘Mobile, Data, Consumers and the future of Entertainment’ promises to be one of the best yet, as it focuses on the hard and smart work that still needs to be done by a generation that is keen on taking the baton from current visionaries to achieve even more desirable feats.

Registration for participants at the event which holds Wednesday, April 24, 2019, is absolutely FREE – as it has been for the past 6 editions.

You really don’t want to miss this edition!