Nigerian Entertainment Conference returns in April

The forum, which is known as NECLive, is among the largest gatherings for professionals operating in the country’s entertainment industry. It showcases Nigeria’s entertainment space through talks, performances and workshops. It will make its return after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will explore the use of entertainment as a medium for change for young people. It will also examine creativity and celebrity status as catalysts for change.

This year’s NECLive, christened NECLive8, is running under the theme, Building the Future, and will unfold as a hybrid media event that will feature a studio set-up of select speakers. It will be broadcast on cable TV, radio and online.

“We set up NECLive eight years ago as an intervention towards building the industry of our dreams,” NECLive convener Ayeni Adekunle said. “Seven events, 450 speakers and panellists, 40 exhibitions and brands, and 12 000 attendees later, we are glad to be witnessing and facilitating the transformation of our home entertainment, or our music and media. We are calling on the government, practitioners, fans and investors to come to the party.”

ID Africa CEO Femi Falodun said: “Nigeria’s entertainment industry is full of energetic, enterprising and creative young people who are often the direct victims of poor governance, lack of opportunities and social injustice. They have also recently emerged as the leaders of a new national movement and as the drivers of an ongoing conversation about the future of our country. Our goal with NECLive8 is to provide the tools, resources and connections that will further drive the change and innovation that the industry is yearning for.”

NECLive Go! will be another feature at NECLive8. It is a platform created to support innovators involved in solving challenges for creatives and Nigeria’s entertainment industry at large. The programme will allow innovators and entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to investors in order to attract support to develop their products.

The organisers are expecting NECLive8 to reach a substanital audience via radio, TV and digital platforms including Neusroom, Netng and NECLive’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Interested individuals can sign up for NECLive8 here. For more information, visit the official website or send an email to [email protected].