Excitement in Lagos, as MTV Meet … with MTN returns

THE Avenue, located on Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, was the place to be last Sunday, as celebrities and stakeholders in the media gathered for the formal launch of season two of MTV Base Meets...with MTN.

     For an event put together by such outfits, nothing less than fun and excitement was expected. Indeed, the guests, mostly youths got loads of it.

     The cocktail provided a platform for guests to network, while listening to hits belted out by the DJ. 

     A youth project initiated last year, the season two, which will be hosted by MTV DJs, Sizwe Dhlomo and Vanessa Mdee, is billed to hit the screen across Africa on August 1.

      According to the organisers, the new season features an exciting and varied line-up of interviewees, including leading figures from the realms of entertainment, politics, fashion and sports, hand-picked to inspire African youths to fulfill their full potential. 

   Among the opinion formers and thought leaders taking part in the series are Senegalese-American R‘n’B and hip-hop artiste Akon; former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Russell Simmons; South Sudanese supermodel, Alek Wek; and Togolese international soccer star and Manchester City striker, Emmanuel Adebayor.

        IN each episode of the programme, ambitious young Africans from all walks of life will pose questions to the thought leaders about issues close to their hearts, in an intimate and informal environment, with no questions off-limits. Topics on the agenda include entrepreneurship, education, youth culture, politics, sports, racism, gender issues and the African renaissance.

  The senior vice president and managing director, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, Alex Okosi, said, “In today’s competitive business and economic environment, it is important to provide strong role models, heroes and mentors to help young people achieve their goals. MTV Base Meets … with MTN aims to inspire and motivate young Africans to understand that they are key drivers in ensuring a brighter future for our continent.”

      According to the executive group marketing manager, MTN, Jennifer Roberti, “the company got involved with this initiative, last year, at a time when there was a real need to bring the youths and the leaders together in open dialogue. We still believe in the transformative power of giving young people on the continent this kind of forum.” 

   In his remark, the GM, Consumer Marketing of the telecommunication company, Kola Oyeyemi, said, “we are investing in this initiative with the hope of empowering African youths by bringing them together with notable leaders both within and outside the continent. This is another way of enriching lives, this time around by linking the youths with key influencers who will inspire them to reach for greater heights.”