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.”
