As the demand for creative and thrilling multimedia content skyrockets locally and globally, AFOREVO, a digital film and content revolutionary company, has risen to the occasion by providing a platform for content providers, content creators, television producers, seasoned filmmakers, and many other creative artistes.
The Pan-African digital company, headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria with several operational offices sited across the African continent, is bringing revolutionary ideas to every aspect of creative content, from ideation, conceptualization, production, promotion, marketing, and distribution, not just to Nigerian digital content consumers, but to Africans as a whole.
This was made known by Ben Murphy Anawana, the Group Managing Director of Murphy Ben International (IBM), which is the parent company of AFOREVO.
In his words, Mr Anawana stated: “We did not just stop at providing the AFOREVO digital platform for global access to Nollywood film content, but positioned the platform as a one-stop place for everything African entertainment. We pride ourselves on being the premium youth-centric and family-friendly TV channel that displays the best of African film content of all genres, shown to you in various African languages, marketing and promoting the best of African entertainment to the world. We believe that at the core of every digital ecosystem is a platform business model, and AFOREVO has created an extremely robust tech platform to drive this digital content marketing revolution in Africa.Within its labour force, AFOREVO has a team of 300 seasoned professionals, with expertise in providing different forms of entertainment, engagement, and empowerment services, from content creation, digital news delivery, dubbing, licensing solutions, and organizing screenwriting competitions.
As a one-stop-shop entertainment company, AFOREVO (an acronym for African Online Revolution) has, in the past six years, become one of the leading companies in film content creation, collection, promotion, marketing, and distribution of quality content that reflects African culture and heritage.
MBI, founded by Mr. Murphy Anawana on May 11, 2009, and incorporated in 2021, has business operations and investments that span the digital business world, including online malls, digital TV, web-based services, and e-learning. MBI, within its subsidiary, operates AFOREVO YOUTUBE, AFOREVO TV, AFOREVO DUBBING, and VYBZ 94.5 FM as its group’s main hub for the digital content business.
Speaking on the company’s new digital voice and visual radio station, the General Manager of VYBZ 94.5 FM, Mr Mark Redguard, stated that “Through our sister company, VYBZ 94.5 FM, is currently on the verge of being launched officially on the Nigeria digital radio space. VYBZ 94.5 FM is not just your regular digital radio platform, it’s a Nigerian 360 digital voice and visual radio station with a website, www.vybz945fm.com, where Afrobeats music lovers from any part of the world can stream live our programs; and Nigerians in the Diaspora (London, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, and New York, among others) can stream Morning, Lunch and Evening drives our Afrobeats mixes with the latest songs. Our target listeners are young people between the ages of 14 and 45. And because we understand the importance of acceptance and diversity, our show segments allow for a greater sense of inclusion in music, arts, tech, health, cultural activities, and news that affect and shape the world in which we live. In addition, because at VYBZ 94.5 FM, our mantra is more Afrobeats music, less talk on air, we work with prominent female DJs like Simss The DJ and DJ Femzey, and soon, we are on bringing on board notable Nigerian entertainers to serve as on-air programme anchor-persons.
Mr. Murphy, continuing his earlier statement, averred that MBI is currently the largest YouTube Partner in Africa and their digital-only subscription products are fast becoming the market leader in Africa, the group managing director said.
Explaining further, he affirmed AFOREVO’s long-standing relationships with numerous African filmmakers and how it has fostered the growth of the film industry in Africa in a variety of ways, citing as an example, its latest effort to empower promising screenwriters via a contest. “We focused on pushing the great and positive narrative surrounding African culture and the black heritage within the continent,” said Anawana. This objective is being pursued with purpose, given AFOREVO’s numerous digital platform contents sourced from “more than 100,000 film professionals in more than 35 countries within the continent of Africa.”
Nollywood actor, Mr. Lawrence Onuzulike, who also serves as AFOREVO’s Content Sourcing and Film Production Lead, tasked with the responsibility of sourcing movie content and talents, as well as overseeing AFOREVO’s movie production segment, recently announced to the general public the new scriptwriting competition initiated by him and powered by AFOREVO. According to Mr. Onuzulike, the Nollywood Screenwriting Contest (NSWC) is endowed with a two-million-naira prize and an offer of a contract to work on a blockbuster Nollywood movie, including a one-year scriptwriting contract with AFOREVO.
He further noted that the Nollywood Screenwriting Contest (NSWC) will empower screenwriters and scriptwriters who have been looking for an opportunity to take their talent to the next level or have what it takes to transform a story into a riveting movie script. Then this one is for them! He added that this (NSWC) contest was created to reward hardworking screenwriters and highlight the roles they play in filmmaking.
More importantly, Mr. Murphy, in continuation of his statement, stressed that AFOREVO, a leading Pan-African digital film production, promotion, and distribution organization, is also building sustainable avenues and platforms to continually discharge innovative projects and promote ideas from the African film industry.
His explanation underscored the economic boom AFOREVO is bringing to filmmakers; “Filmmakers, content creators, or business partners, whose channel is linked to AFOREVO YouTube’s unique multi-channel network, as part of our shared commitment, will enjoy the benefits of monetization of their content, protection of copyright and against property theft, a wider range of promotion, content management support and expertise, as well as quality advertisement placement for improved revenue, among others.”
He further explained that a new filmmaker, with little or no idea of how to market their movies, can get their content promoted, monetized, and marketed through AFOREVO YouTube channels.
“A scriptwriter with already finished scripts and interested in movie production but lacking adequate funds can be assisted at AFOREVO, where we review the script, rework areas where necessary, and if possible, buy it over and bring the script to life through funding the production, putting it up on the platform, promoting and marketing it through our AFOREVO digital platform,” he outlined.
Filmmakers with already-produced content, too, can maximize the AFOREVO opportunity to reach a wider audience in their country, region, or anywhere else in the world.
For instance, the MBI GMD stated: “For instance, AFOREVO can pay a film producer to put up his movie for one year, and based on demand, with our expertise in dubbing, based on demand, we can also decide to showcase your movie in English, Swahili, Zulu, French, Hausa, Afrikaans, Igbo, Lingala, Wolof, Arabic, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, and many more languages.” Depending on the contract, If a producer wishes that his digital content, be exclusively shown on the AFOREVO TV YouTube Platform, the marketing and promotional rate accruing from the movie will be high, but if you also wish for your content to be marketed through other organizations’ platforms as well, the rate will be a bit lower, “he explained.
Speaking on AFOREVO TV, Mr Afam Anawana, the Chief Executive Officer of the company’s YouTube TV channel, pointed out that: “Murphy Ben International delved into satellite television with the launch of AFOREVO TV on September 5, 2015. Through AFOREVO TV, they have been bringing to viewers the best in African entertainment through various segments and exciting programmes that include the likes of “Lights, Camera, Action,” “Red Carpet,” “Catch Up,” “Movie Premieres,” “The Guest,” “Cypher Room,” “Z-Culture,””Events,” and “Shorts,” among others.
Mr. Dennis Igwebuike, the Group Head, AFOREVO TV YouTube asserted that AFOREVO TV, which is accessible through its YouTube channel, also provides viewers with African movie content in various languages through its 24-hour AFOREVO TV, a piece of the 24-hour African premier entertainment channel that offers a 360-degree “potpourri” of music, art, fashion, poetry, and dance. On AFOREVO TV, you can find the best Nollywood content at a budget-friendly price.
Mr. Igwebuike, speaking further, emphasized, “Our in-house team of experienced digital marketing professionals, content managers, and search engine optimizers will help unravel for you the latest trends in content marketing and look at key shifts in this domain.” He added, “We also offer a tactical set of services that can enable your digital content to gain more visibility and, in turn, recompense you with a return on investment.”
Afam, continuing his earlier statement, also disclosed that “The bottom line for both filmmakers and content creators, as alluded to by Murphy Anawana, is that linking onto the AFOREVO multi-channel network gives them economic rewards for their efforts.”