Chukwudi Nweje

In the coming weeks, 121 ‘youth dreamers,’ drawn from across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria and the rest of Africa will receive motivation and monetary empowerment that will propel them towards attaining their dreams. 

The youths will compete for a chance to win N5 million weekly and a star prize of $20,000 plus a new sport utility vehicle (SUV) at the end of 12 weeks. The 121 youths can win these by participating in a reality television programme, De Konecta Show, which will debut soon on DSTV, after purchasing the registration form at any United Bank for Africa (UBA) branch.

De Konecta Show is being put together by INO Global Communications Concept Limited and has already received the backing of some notable personalities in the entertainment and sports industry. Some of the supporters include renowned Nollywood actor, John Okafor (Mr. Ibu), and former skipper of the Super Eagles, Peter Rufai. Some of the sponsors are UBA, Kelloggs, Indomie and Mouka Foam.

According to Udy Johnson Nzenwata, founder and chief coordinating officer, INO Global Communications Concept Limited, the programme is a reality show that connects youths in Nigeria and across Africa to their global role models for mentorship.

He said: “A whole lot of youths have derailed from the purpose of life. So, this show is created to change the mindset of youths and prepare them for the future. They need to know that they can become successful in life. We are partnering with people in the entertainment industry because a lot of youths are in love with entertainment. We know, with entertainment, we can refocus the mind-set of a lot of youths.

“Instead of just looking at the lifestyle and dress sense of whoever they see as their role model, the show will also give them the opportunity to meet with that role model to share experiences on what that particular person went through to become who he or she is today. When these youths emerge in the show and identify their role model, we will bring them face to face with the role model for mentorship. After they have been mentored the show will now empower them with N5 million.”

The competition will begin with auditions in the six geo-political zones to select 121 candidates. The candidates will then move into their camp, called ranches, in batches of 11 persons for one week, where one person would emerge winner. The winner would get cash empowerment of N5 million and be connected to his/her role model for grooming and mentorship.

At the end of 11 weeks, the 11 youth millionaires would be brought together to contest for the Ultimate De Konecta Show King, where the winner would receive the star prize of $20,000 and a new SUV.

The organisers said the show holds a lot of benefits for any state government that partners with them.

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“We will take the audition to such state. Thousands of youths will converge on that state for the audition and that will also boost the economy of that state because it will involve booking of hotel accommodation and shopping. We will also like any state that will partner with us to provide security and other logistics to make the audition successful,” Nzenwata said.

Tochi Praise Benjamin, media consultant to the organisers, lamented that youths today believed the road to success was straight and rosy. He said the show would instil in youths the consciousness that, to become successful in life, hard work and commitment were essential.

He said: “In every ideal society, there are stages you must pass through, you have the primary, the secondary and the tertiary, all of which you must pass through. Unfortunately, what we have today is a system whereby people want to jump the processes. Some graduate from the university and complete their mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme without any plan for their life. Some will want to become the chief executive, forgetting that, to become CEO, you must have to passed through certain steps. What we have today is a society where somebody in high school is thinking of how to buy a Lamborghini, forgetting that, to buy a Lamborghini, there must be hard work and commitment.

“We are not committed in this part of the world and, unfortunately, some of our pastors have joined in this mentality. You go to them with zero account balance and they want to make you believe that you will wake up a billionaire. We have to make these youths understand that these stars they see as wonderful also passed through various stages to get to where they are.”

Rufai and Okafor said they decided to be part of the show as a way of giving back to society.

Said Rufai: “Since I retired from international football, it has been my desire to first give thanks to Almighty God and to look back to Nigeria and say thank you. The only way I can say thank you to Nigerians is by coming back home and going to the grassroots, impacting on them and remembering where I started. When De Konecta Show came up, it aligned with my vision and mission. That was how I embraced the show, which is about looking at the upcoming youths, who are looking for platforms to exploit. The only way we can support the efforts of government is for individuals who have the idea and capacity to come up with projects that can shape and fill in the gap for upcoming youths to participate in activities that will take them off the streets and social vices.

“De Konecta is a special project that has come to fulfil the desire of youths who are passionate and optimistic that they can do things. So, by providing this platform, I think we can bridge the gap. Financially, it will enhance the capability of those who will participate in it.”

Okafor, who described the show as the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, said he was in it to ensure its success: “I’m in this to make sure the project holds. It is a very wonderful project, the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa, and I’m sure the programme will take us places. This is just the Nigerian aspect. Very soon, the African aspect will follow. De Konecta Show is is connecting the whole of Africa. It is just the first step of one million miles.”

Rufai agreed that De Konecta Show was in a class of its own.

“You can see that the project has top ‘strikers’ like Mr. Ibu behind it. I am also an ambassador of the project and we are happy to be part of it. We look forward to getting the project started,” Rufai said.