Lagos - MTV Base and the MTV Staying Alive
Foundation, have joined forces with the Nigerian government’s National Agency
for the Control of AIDS and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to combat a
lack of awareness and misinformation about HIV, sexual responsibility and teen
pregnancy among Nigerian youth, using the medium of Shuga, MTV’s award winning
TV series and multimedia campaign.
PEPFAR (The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) has also
expressed the intention to join forces with the campaign.
The news was announced at a press conference in
Lagos by Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom
International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa, Georgia Arnold, Executive Director,
MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Emmanuel Alhassan, Director, Resource
Mobilisation for the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Mairo
Mandara, Nigeria Country Representative, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a
and Dr Okey Nwanyanwu, CDC Country Director, Nigeria.
Fusing public health messaging with gripping
storylines, Shuga is part of a powerful 360-degree mass media campaign designed
to raise awareness about HIV prevention and teen pregnancy in Nigeria, after
research highlighted widespread ignorance about or indifference to
contraception, poor access to contraceptives, a significantly high incidence of
mother-to-child HIV transmission, and gender-based violence in the region.
The series will premiere on MTV Base (DStv Channel
322), Nigerian terrestrial broadcasters and other MTV networks and third party
broadcasters around the world from World AIDS Day. Other elements of the Shuga
campaign will include a radio drama series, a peer educator programme, a comic
book in Hausa and English, a mobile information service, social media and a
range of digital platforms.
Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing
Director, VIMN Africa added, “MTV Base is proud and excited to bring Shuga to
Nigeria for the first time. We are
delighted that this award-winning series and multimedia campaign will be using
its muscle to shine a light on important public health issues affecting youth,
and promoting meaningful behaviour change while leveraging Nigerian creativity
and talent.”
Commented Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV
Staying Alive Foundation, “In moving Shuga to Nigeria, we aim to strike a chord
with young Nigerians and provoke a significant shift in their attitudes and
behaviour towards sexual health and associated public health issues. Combining these messages with stylish
production, poignant storylines, believable characters and world class acting
allows Shuga to sweeten the pill and make an impact where other campaigns may
have failed to resonate in the past.”
John Idoko, Director General, NACA commented, ”The Nigerian government is delighted to support this important youth education initiative which complements our on-going education projects at all levels of society.
Shuga's subtle messaging will
not only ensure greater understanding of HIV prevention and treatment measures
among young people but communicate important messages about tolerance and
acceptance".
The Nigeria Country Representative for the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation, Mairo Mandara, said: “The Gates Foundation is
committed to Nigeria because we believe every person deserves the opportunity
to live a healthy life with dignity. By
raising awareness of public health issues through this exciting project with
Shuga, and investing in primary health services, we can work together to give
every Nigerian a chance at leading a healthy and productive life”.
“Efforts such as Shuga that seek to expand knowledge
about HIV among young people are critical to helping us achieve an AIDS-free
generation. Raising awareness is key to keeping this and future generations
healthy and able to lead productive lives,” commented Shirley A. Dady, PEPFAR
Country Coordinator, Nigeria.
To continue the conversation about Shuga, please
like Shuga on www.facebook.com/MTVShuga, or follow Shuga on Twitter @MTVShuga
using the hashtag #shuganaija.
Shuga is to be produced by MTV Base and the MTV
Staying Alive Foundation in collaboration with NACA, the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund). Other partners include Girl Hub, a
partnership between the Nike Foundation and the UK’s Department of International
Development (DFID) which helps transform the lives of adolescent girls living
in poverty by engaging the girls themselves as active participants. PEPFAR (The US President’s Emergency Plan for
AIDS Relief) has also expressed a commitment to join forces with the campaign.
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