Nigeria plans to replace foreign cartoons with locally produced content out of concern that the country’s 110 million children are exposed to harmful ‘foreign’ behaviours that do not align with Nigerian values.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA), responsible for communicating government policy, staying abreast of public opinion, and promoting patriotism, national unity, and the development of Nigerian society, made the announcement on 11 October. The agency reported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had already given his approval for the shift towards more local content, although specific steps on how this transition will occur have yet to be outlined.
Nigerian animated productions, such as ‘Jay Jay: The Chosen One,’ have garnered significant support, possibly providing a model for domestic content.
The government also sees this initiative as an opportunity to redefine Nigeria’s image abroad.
Earlier this year, Disney+ announced the launch of a Nigeria-based animated series titled, ‘Iwájú.’ However, viewers must pay for the video-on-demand subscription service to watch the series produced by London-based Pan-African company Kugali Media.
Sources:
https://guardian.ng/news/fg-to-replace-foreign-cartoons-with-nigerian-content-that-promotes-values
https://www.cnn.com/world/africa/iwaju-disney-plus-nigeria-premiere-kugali-media-spc-intl/index.html
https://data.unicef.org/how-many/how-many-children-under-18-live-in-nigeria
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