Organisers of NECLive, West Africa’s largest annual gathering of creative industry professionals, have announced the conception and introduction of a new multi-venue, global format for the conference.
After 10 years in a single city, the conference will now hold simultaneously in other parts of Nigeria; as well as in key cities across Africa, Europe, and America. These changes, according to founder Ayeni Adekunle, are ‘a matter of necessity, given where the industry is today; and in line with the new challenges and opportunities on the horizon.’
In a message to partners and stakeholders, Ayeni explains: “When we conceived the idea for an annual conference 10 years ago, it was out of frustration. Frustration about lack of education, about piracy, about lack of platforms and access and opportunities for entertainment practitioners to monetize their talent at scale. Today, most of those problems have largely been solved. But we are now faced with even bigger problems and opportunities. And I believe that it’s time to begin the work of making sure Africa’s creators and everyone else in the value chain; as well as our societies and economies, get the maximum possible value from our contribution to, and growing participation in the global entertainment marketplace.”
From 2024, the new NECLive will hold over the course of a month, from April to May every year, beginning with a flagship event in Lagos, and running through cities like Abuja, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Ibadan in Nigeria; London and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom; Atlanta and New York in America; and other key African cities like Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg and more.
Founded in 2013, NECLive has provided a sustained platform for conversations and interventions for an industry that has fought against all odds to survive and thrive.
The annual conference has hosted 11 events that have seen over 100,000 participants, reaching an audience of over 100 million in more than 30 countries with over 40 broadcast hours. NECLive has had over 100 partners and sponsors and brokered more than 700 deals.
NECLive will now present on an ongoing basis, a global showcase of the African entertainment experience – for the benefit of platforms, labels, investors, brands, businesses, talents, governments, and other stakeholders.
Ayeni adds: “The industry – even the whole world – has changed a lot since we kicked off NECLive in 2013 and having realised that most of the frustrations that led us to found NECLive have since been solved, I believe it’s now time to face newer, bigger battles. We wanted some standardisation around distribution, now we have it. We wanted access to bigger markets and opportunities to monetise and it’s already happening. We wanted honour and recognition and acknowledgment. It’s happening. It’s still early days but it’s already happening. But what does it mean? Where’s it headed? How do we benefit individually and collectively sustainably? What happens next?
We are spending the next 10 years of NECLive on answering these questions and more. And to do that well, we have to overhaul the entire format. So starting April 24, 2004, we will decentralise the platform, hosting shows and workshops and exhibitions and more all over the world. We will retain flagship events in Lagos and other Nigerian cities. But no matter where you are in the world, the plan is for you to be able to witness the African entertainment experience from the point of view of carefully selected professionals who have given and continue to give everything it takes to build what I am convinced will shape up to be the most successful creative industry in the world.”
NECLive will now be presented annually by Africa Creative Foundation, an invite-only membership-based organisation to be launched this summer.
For further enquiries, additional quotes, or interview requests please contact Njideka using [email protected], Iretomiwa at [email protected], or visit nec.ng.
After several discussions, performances and heart-to-heart fireside chats at the recently concluded Nigerian Entertainment Conference, #NECLive7, here are some of the takeaways from the event.
1. Nigerian Entertainment industry will be worth more than $9.9billion by 2022. To put this in a proper perspective, the industry will be churning out N3.55 trillion in the next three years.
2. Data will determine the future of entertainment in Nigeria. For a long time now the Nigerian entertainment industry has been growing on autopilot, but technology is changing the way we create and distribute content.
3. Nigerian Entertainment Conference, NECLive will become a three-day event from next year. The founder of BHM Group and convener of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference, Ayeni Adekunle announced in his keynote speech at #NECLive7 that the conference will now become a three-day event from next year and may even be hosted across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
4. Nigerian content is becoming popular on the global scene. Nollywood and Nigerian music industry are making waves around the world and global players are paying attention to our content.
5. A combination of smartphone and social media can turn anyone into a media powerhouse. Maybe not really, but the barrier to producing and distributing content has been shattered by the duo of smartphone and social media.
6. NET Honours Award made a comeback and some notable people won. Individuals were recognized for their roles in the events that shaped the year in review, using data from @theNETng website and social media platforms.
7. Live performances from upcoming music artistes, dance and stage play. The event came alive with performances from Kabusa Oriental Choir, Dance Na The Main Thing, Theatre Hub Africa among others.
Did you attend the event? What was your best moment?
A fireside chat between Tope Oshin and Bolanle Olukanni at the Nigerian Entertainment Conference delved into discussions about Nigeria’s entertainment industry as regards to Nollywood.
Tope Oshin shared her experience as one of the first female film directors in Nollywood and how she was encouraged to try her hands on directing by the late ace director Amaka Igwe .
She also shared the challenges she encountered while starting out and how rigid the industry was at that time towards female directors.
Bolanle Olukanni drew the conversation towards the difference between home videos that are shot within three days and films that are made for the cinemas over a long period of time.
Oshin said that both forms are important and that it was necessary for Africans to tell their own stories, citing her experience at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood where her movie, New Money was screened.
NEC Live- as it’s called by entertainment practitioners and fans alike- has in the past six editions been a resourceful avenue to discuss all things Nollywood and beyond. Performers such as Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Toyin Abraham and Adesua Etomi-Wellington have spoken at different times whilst the very first edition in 2013 featured the late filmmaker Amaka Igwe as a lead speaker.
This year, the conference focuses on Mobile, Data, Consumers And The Future of Entertainment and will hold on April 24, 2019, at Landmark Event Center.
NEC Live is brought to you by ID Africa, in partnership with African Creative Foundation, MultiChoice, Livespot, Huce Valeris, and BHM.
In 2016, Nollywood movies surpassed Hollywood and Bollywood in cinema earnings and share of customer engagement, in Nigeria.
Nigerian music finally went global, riding on the back of our peculiar pop music, and nomadic musicians like Wizkid.
The world’s attention has understandably shifted here, with funders, labels, producers, and awards looking to now play big in the region.
Nigeria is at the fore of this new wave, but places like Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana and co are as well positioned. Has the time come for Africa to provide entertainment for the huge chunk of the world’s 7 billion people?
They say we tell a different kind of story, they say we have a rare, peculiar sound. And they’re buying it- from America to London and Singapore. Back home, the booming youth population is also more interested in local content like never before. From Iroko to Mavin and Africa Magic, the numbers show audiences on the continent are increasingly embracing our creativity; millions are choosing their own local entertainment over the imported.
But the industries are still nothing to write home about. The structures to rip the dividend of the boom continue to lie comatose. From government policies to business models, it appears we have plenty work to do, if we are to benefit from what’s coming in significant ways. It could indeed be time for Africa. But what does this mean for the industry players? What do we need to know? To do? How can we make sure we do not miss this opportunity?
I’m happy to welcome you to the fourth Edition of Nigerian Entertainment Conference. I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for four years – with the sweat and blood of friends, team members and organizations who are committed to working with us to build the industry of our dreams.
Today as we gather here, we are at a critical period in our existence as a nation. The old issues are still around – epileptic power supply, fuel scarcity, security challenges, bad tools, poor healthcare, unemployment and underemployment, and so much more. And they’re joined by new issues that threaten to drown us. We are battling terrorism, feeling the impact of fallen global oil prices; even as youth continue to search for personal and national identities.
With all these problems and more, why should any government take a minute off and look at the creative industry? Why should we even be discussing entertainment at all when we’re trying to fix roads and kill Boko Haram and increase power supply? Why should anyone besides Ali Baba believe that entertainment business is serious business?
Because as everyone who should know has admitted – it’s time to look at the non-oil sector if we are serious about diversifying our economy. We’ve missed at least two opportunities to diversify, in the face of dwindling income from oil. It will be a disaster if we miss this one.
So if we must look at other means, what are our immediate options? The regular suspects are taxation and agriculture. The government already plans to earn 5 Trillion Naira from taxation in 2016. We’ve seen the power of agriculture from the pre-oil boom era, we’ve seen that, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, the value of agriculture in Nigeria is over 100 billion dollars. This is projected to grow to 256 billion dollars by 2030, if that sector is properly harnessed.
But where are the figures for entertainment? Is it possible that the private and public sectors are underestimating and ‘unlooking’ an industry that can be a top-three earner in a non-oil economy? Is it possible that the creative and entertainment industry may become the last hope for the Nigerian economy?
Here are some facts from Hollywood and Bollywood.
Here’s what we know about the entertainment industry in Nigeria.
What could the future look like if we made the right investments and build the right systems? What should government do? What should practitioners do? What’s the responsibility of the allied sectors which today, will include telecommunications, brewing, banking, PR and advertising?
I hope everyone here today will be able to have clear answers by the time we leave here this evening.
At Nigerian Entertainment Today, we will continue to follow global best practices in helping consumers connect with the music, news, culture and entertainers they love. We will continue to provide a platform for entertainers and creators to connect with their fans and the brands that care about them. That’s why we started test running Orin.ng in 2015. Today I’m happy to announce that Orin.ng is available to all labels, musicians, DJs, artistes and promoters to upload and share their music to the world. We are giving you an opportunity to stop offering your music for free downloads on Soundcloud and Hulkshare. There are already a couple of platforms with the right technology to sell your music online. Your true fans can find them there – be it Spinlet or MTN Music Plus or Cloud 9. But if they want to listen for free, the way of FM radios, please use Orin.ng. Fans can listen, like and share their favourite songs and videos. We are committed to making sure that we build the largest community of Nigerian music fans in the world. We cannot achieve it without the labels and artistes.
I pray God will spare my life to see a day when Nigerian music will no longer be available for free download online.
Also we announce today, the launch of NETSHOP. With over 5 million active users on THENETng we discovered in 2015 that we may be the best place for those selling entertainment products to meet those looking to buy those products. Asa is having her first Nigerian solo concert in May. Where do most of her fans catch up on what’s happening with her? THENETng. Darey is planning for the fourth edition of ‘Love Like A Movie’ . Where’s the best place to get details and buy tickets to see the show? THENETng. We are blurring the lines between journalism and e-commerce, hoping to make it easier for the industry to get their products across to consumers through NETSHOP; and for consumers to access the products, events, and properties they love.
What I expect is that more people will be encouraged to produce and create if they do not have to bother with how to sell. Of course there will be PR and Marketing support from our sister companies BlackHouse Media and ID Africa, for those who decide to use Orin and NETSHOP.
Finally, we are announcing today, the inauguration of an annual Readers’ Choice Awards, to select one individual worthy to be called ‘Entertainer of The Year’. It will be a big decoration we hope will encourage actors, comedians, musicians, and others, to do the best work possible, while maintaining a great relationship with the fans. ‘Entertainer’ will debut in 2017. NET Honours will also now be given out at this event.
Since THENETNG debuted on November 23, 2009, we have worked tirelessly to build what we believe will become the world’s number one source of everything you need to know about Nigerian entertainment. Today, 36,000 stories, 6 billion page views, 15 million video views, 5 million users, and 77 months after, I’m happy to say we are firmly positioned to break barriers and build tomorrow.
I believe, as those who know me will agree, that it is possible.
I want to thank you again for coming out. I look forward to having a great time.
ONYEKA ONWENU, DADDY SHOWKEY, JIDE KOSOKO, AYO ANIMASHAUN, ZEB EJIRO, MANY OTHERS TO RECEIVE NET HONOURS 2014
Nigerian Entertainment Today, publishers of Nigeria’s foremost entertainment newspaper and organisers of the biggest gathering in the entertainment industry, Nigerian Entertainment Conference have announced recipients for NET Honours 2014.
At the inaugural edition last year, nineteen distinguished practitioners were honoured for their contributions towards the development of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
This year’s recipients include some of Nigeria’s most notable entertainment practitioners including veteran actress and singer, Onyeka Onwenu, Nollywood icons, Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami and Sunday Omobolanle, street music pioneer, Daddy Showkey, Gospel legend, Ebenezer Obey, OAP/compere extraordinaire, JAJ, Media moguls, Amin Mousalli, Ayo Animashaun and Tajuddeen Adepetu.
Others are distinguished moviemaker, Zeb Ejiro, Storm 360 Boss, Obi Asika, ace music producers, Laolu Akins and OJB Jezreel, seasoned journalist, Jahman Anikulapo and post humous recipients, Christy Essien-Igbokwe and Sunny Okosuns.
According to Chris Ihidero, Chairman of the Editorial Board at NET, the path of honour will always be threaded by distinguished individuals who continue to remind us all of what it means to be ‘Proudly Nigerian’ and make that count when it matters…
‘The idea of the NET honours is that we’ll keep recognizing people who have contributed positively to the Nigerian entertainment industry. It’s not bound by age, time, or gender. It’s an on-going process. We hope, one day we can honour everyone who have imparted immensely’, Ihidero says.
This year’s edition of the conference has a star-studded line up of speakers and panelists, inclusing Prof Pat Utomi, BasketMouth, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, 2face Idibia, Jason Njoku, Uche Jombo, Tony Okoroji, Ope Awoyemi, Olisa Adibua, IK Osakioduwa amongst others.
The event is set to hold by 9am at the Grand Ballroom of Eko Hotel and Suites on Wednesday April 23,2014.
PROFILES OF NET HONOURS RECIPIENTS
ONYEKA ONWENU
This actor, broadcaster, singer and songwriter personifies excellence in all its ramifications. All through her glorious career, this indefatigable trailblazer continuously reminded us all that excellence is never accidental; rather, it is a result of incessant strives for perfection.
ZEB EJIRO
One of the country’s most prolific television drama writer and producer, with classics such as Ripples and Candle Light and Nollywood classics like Domitilla, Zeb Ejiro has shown repeatedly entertained millions of Nigerians and thereby contributed immensely to the development of the entertainment industry in Nigeria.
JAHMAN ANIKULAPO
Jahman was the last man standing of a dying breed of arts and culture reporters who shaped the entertainment industry, not by heaping unearned praise on celebrities, but by beating the industry into shape through conscientious and constructive criticism. Jahman stands a world apart from even his contemporaries: he is the reporters’ reporter, the editors’ editor and the most important arts and culture journalist of at least the past two decades in Nigeria.
DADDY SHOWKEY
Daddy Showkey’s sheer relentlessness defined the music of his era, from album recordings to live performances to reigning dance steps, it is an era still fondly remembered by many Nigerians with nostalgia.
AMIN MOUSALLI
Amin Mousalli has for long been the silent hand that rocks the cradle. When he launched Cool FM in 1998, something changed in radio broadcasting in Nigeria forever. Then WAZOBIA FM happened. His next move is television, those in that sector should watch out!
JAJ
Jacob Akinyemi Johnson popularly known as JAJ is an on-air-personality, news anchor and broadcast journalist. With a career spanning over two decades and his unique style of presentation, the JAJ brand has become a household name in the world of entertainment journalism.
JIDE KOSOKO, SUNDAY OMOBOLANLE AND ADEBAYO SALAMI
These three men are being honoured today as leading lights of a long-standing tradition of cultural presentation and representations through drama across platforms. From stage to screen, we have known these men almost all through our lives, bringing fun and excitement into our homes for decades. Dedicated to drama performances from the days of the travelling theatre tradition, to the days of television drama and now to film, these gentlemen are prime examples of a life solely dedicated to service in the entertainment industry.
LAOLU AKINS
Laolu Akins, the man who produced Sir Shina Peters’ ACE album is one of the brightest minds in a long tradition of excellent producers that have put the Nigerian music industry on the global stage. And he didn’t do it for Sir Shina Peters alone. Adewale Ayuba, Chris Okotie, Onyeka Onwenu and many are among the careers his great mind and magical fingers brought fame and glory.
OJB JEZREEL
For Babatunde Jezreel Okungbowa a.k.a. OJB Jezreel music is undoubtedly the essence of his life and making beautiful music the purpose of his existence. OJB has been the creative force behind the numerous hits of a countless number of artistes. From Ruggedman, 2Face Idibia, Jazzman Olofin, Nomoreloss to Raskie, K-Show & Six-O, C-mion, Abounce, Jafaar, Amah, Funke, the list is endless.
TAJUDDEEN ADEPETU
Tajuddeen Adepetu started from creating content for several terrestrial stations to establishing his own cable TV channel and TV station. Soundcity and ONTV have grown to become household names in entertainment. His other assets include Spice TV, a full channel on DSTV and a social media platform Buddie.
AYO ANIMASHAUN
His relentless pursuit of fresh avenues to engage the entertainment industry is unparalleled. From newspaper to magazine to online radio and now to Hip TV, impossible is not a word Ayo Animashaun is familiar with.
OBI ASIKA
As the CEO and founder of Storm 360, Obi Asika is at the forefront of driving urban entertainment across Nigeria and Africa. His work spreads across TV, film, music, events and merchandise.
EBENEZER OBEY
Baba Miliki! The gentle crooner is a true legend by all measures, his evergreen pacifist music continues to us towards gentler possibilities of human interactions and co-existence. He provided the soundtrack to a time when life was easier and the hustling and bustling that has become the trademark of contemporary life was not so dominant.
CHRISTY ESSIEN-IGBOKWE
Nigeria’s Lady of Songs transcended linguistic and cultural limitations and repeatedly went to the core of her music and connected with our souls. Her music reflected the socio-cultural concerns her life was dedicated to. Gone too soon, she’s affectionately remembered and her music continues to signpost our realities.
SUNNY OKOSUNS
Sunny Okosuns typifies the Nigerian artiste as a social activist. His many revolutionary songs dotted the lines of conflicts both national and continental. He preached revolt and reconciliation through his music long before he donned the robes of a clergyman. As our nation currently experiences psychological and physical devastation from one conflict or another, it is the music of people like Sunny Okosuns that we miss; the kind of music that points out the foolery of focusing on our differences, rather that embracing ever more tightly our shared values.
Media Panel Discussion:Whose Content Is It Anyway?PanelistsExecutive Editor Sunday – The Niche Olumide Iyanda, Renowned writerToni Kan, Popular On Air Personality Steve “Yaw” Onu, CEO of Nigezie Femi “Kwame” Aderibigbe,
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