The Nigeria Entertainment Conference (NECLive), West Africa’s largest and longest-running entertainment conference, returns in-person for the first time in three years as a hybrid event.
ID Africa, a leading communications advisory and media company, announced on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, that the ninth edition of the annual entertainment conference will be held on Friday, April 29, 2022, in Lagos, Nigeria.
As we gradually countdown to the kick off of the conference on Friday, April 29, at 9 am, here’s what to know:
What’s NECLive?
NECLive means Nigerian Entertainment Conference. It is the umbrella conference for Nigeria’s entertainment industry that continually discusses the sector’s trajectory development and shapes the discourse and practices surrounding it.
It brings together stakeholders in the entertainment industry for a full day of conversations, workshops, exhibitions and masterclasses.
When did NECLive start?
The conference was founded in 2013. Since then, it has served as a platform for discussing challenges, exchanging ideas and finding a strengthened pathway for the entertainment industry in Nigeria to thrive. In 2022, the conference will expand beyond Nigeria and address continental issues.
What was the rationale behind NECLive?
At the second edition of NECLive in 2014, the Convener, Ayeni Adekunle, said when he conceived the idea for NECLive, “what was on my mind is for us to come together and identify what we’ve done right so far, some of the things we’ve done wrong, and what we need to do to move forward.”
Who Are The Past Speakers?
Since April 2013, NECLive boasts of respected guests, speakers and panellists from various sectors of the economy. NECLive has had over 470 speakers and panellists, 70 exhibitions and brands, and 14,000 attendees.
Speakers at previous editions include Innocent ‘2Baba’ Idibia, former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jnr., Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Don Jazzy, Darey Art-Alade, Adesua Etomi, Kunle Afolayan, Bovi, Mercy Eke, Cobhams Asuquo, TY Bello, DJ Jimmy JATT, DJ Cuppy, Basketmouth, Bovi, M.I, Olamide, Mo Abudu, Davido, Ali Baba, Joke Silva, Mai Atafo, D’Banj, Iyin Aboyeji, and many more. For the ninth edition, NECLive9 will bring together speakers from Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Nigeria to discuss how we can jointly sustain the growing momentum in Africa’s entertainment and creative industry.
Previous editions and remarkable feats
Since its inception, NECLive has had eight successful editions in Lagos. When a global pandemic gripped the world in 2020, causing an unprecedented disruption that forced the world into a lockdown, the conference was also postponed. It returned in 2021 for the eighth edition and was held virtually, streamed to participants across the globe.
At the 2015 edition of NECLive, Davido and his producer, Shizzi, demonstrated how to make a hit song. It was the first time a Nigerian music artiste would demonstrate making a song live at a public gathering. NECLive attracts over 3,000 participants at the venue and millions of viewers and audiences on various platforms – cable TV, digital viewing and online streaming.
In 2021, the NECLive TV Special, a scripted 90-minutes long production, was premiered, featuring a seven-year chronicle of the most powerful speakers and memorable moments from the NECLive stage between 2013 and 2019.
The documentary-style production and the full recording of NECLive8 are available for streaming on Nec.ng.
What should I expect at NECLive9?
The theme for NECLive9 is “Sustaining The Africa Momentum”. It will explore how African creatives and entertainers can use digital media and technology tools to build sustainable economic power for themselves, the industry, and their nations.
It will also curate conversations and discussions focused on the cross-border opportunities available to Africa’s entertainment industry through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) when it becomes fully operational and global opportunities available within diaspora communities.
As Nigeria prepares for the 2023 general elections, NECLive9 will also delve into the role of creatives and the entertainment industry in nation-building, including how to use entertainment to drive social change on the continent.
The event will also feature live performances by entertainers from Africa and include product unveilings, brand announcements, and industry tributes.
Who are the speakers at NECLive9?
Some of the speakers include Dr Busola Tejumola, the Executive Head of Content and West Africa Channels at MultiChoice; actor and comedian, Mr Macaroni; founder of ChessInSlums, Tunde Onakoya; TV host and filmmaker, Bolanle Olukann; OAP with Beat FM Lagos, Osi Suave; Sam Onyemelukwe, media executive, sports presenter Mozez Praiz, media entrepreneur, Obi Asika, Rwandan singer, Aline Gahongayire, Innocent ‘2Baba’ Idibia, actress Iyabo Ojo, among many others.
NECLive9 is sponsored by MultiChoice Nigeria and supported by Equally Diverse Solutions (EDS), AV Edge, MTV Base, African Movie Channel, 7Even Interactive Limited, MultiChoice, Trace TV, X3M Ideas, Legit.ng, Mirus Events, Huce Valeris, The GreenRoom Nigeria, Landmark Centre, One Data, Plaqad and BHM, among many others.
When and where does it happen?
The event usually takes place in April in Lagos. For the ninth edition, the conference will be a hybrid event happening online and in-person at Landmark Event Center in Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, April 29, 2022.
The conference will be live on HipTV on DStv channel 324 and GOtv channel 74 and on www.nec.ng.
