Guess What’s Back? MTV Shuga
By Vanessa Obioha It’s official! Long-running pan African television drama series, MTV Shuga, is returning to Nigeria this year for its highly anticipated 6th season. Nigeria was home to the third and fourth season of the hit show.
MTV Shuga garnered vast attention when MTV Staying Alive Foundation commissioned the first season in 2009 that had Kenyan awardwinning actress Lupita Nyong’O playing the lead character Ariya. It was an instant hit and has been broadcast in over 61 countries across the world, showing on 179 channels and reaching over 720 million people.
The new season which is currently in pre-production centres around topics relevant to the modern African society, especially urban youth culture. Fusing family planning, contraception, HIV prevention, sexual health education and gender based violence, the upcoming show puts a spotlight on family planning and real issues that affect young people and the challenges they face from day to day, with a particular focus on adolescent girls.
Speaking on the return of MTV Shuga to Nigeria, Executive Director of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Georgia Arnold, said:
“We are thrilled to be bringing MTV Shuga back to Nigeria. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation with a vibrant, colourful and energetic urban youth culture and we can’t wait to share the exciting new story lines and important messaging on family planning and sexual health that we’re touching on this season. We’ll explore more issues that affect young people and highlight the reality faced by many adolescents in their everyday lives, as well as the choices they can make to empower themselves.”
Alongside key partners, the MTV Staying Alive Foundation is set to deliver a hard-hitting series, filled to the brim with gripping narratives and important sexual health information. With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Nigerian government, MTV Shuga will aim to affect positive change in the perspectives, behaviours and health of young people across the Continent. MTV Shuga has a verified proven impact on society. Following the results of a World Bank study on the series, it was revealed that after six months of watching MTV Shuga, Nigerian viewers were more than twice as likely to go to centers to get tested; and that the rate of girls with chlamydia who watched MTV Shuga was 58% lower than those who didn’t; season 6 will be hoping to realise similarly impressive results.
Also returning to the hit show are former cast members Sharon Ezeamaka, Timini Egbuson and Jemima Osunde, as well as MTV VJ, Ehiz Okoeguale featuring in the launch and teaser videos. Award winning writer/filmmaker of popular TV Show, AM Hush and producer of Shuga season 4, Chris Ihidero, will be producing the upcoming series in Nigeria.
MTV Shuga 6 is slated to hit TV screens early in 2018 in Africa, Europe, America, Asia, Australia and the Caribbean.