The real Nigeria portrayed on new Reality TV show

Description:

Talk With Funmi is an exciting new television show that captures people and conversations around Nigeria. It is a thought provoking, illuminating and entertaining journey into the life of Nigerians from all over the country.

Award winning television producer and journalist Funmi Iyanda has returned to the silver screen with this highly anticipated television show which premiered on February 7th 2010.

The premiere episode which offered a preview of the entire season has met with favourable reviews by fans and critics alike. “I absolutely loved the show,” say Isaac Oyawole, a fan. “It is radical and refreshingly different from your run-of-the-mill talkshows. We were fascinated by the idea of taking the show to the 'normal Nigerians' in their natural habitats.”

Join Funmi as she gets on the road with a thirty strong crew travelling around Nigeria talking to all kinds of people –from the average Nigerian eking out their living with dignity and resilience to some of Nigeria's outstanding public administrators.

Talk With Funmi has also been able to capture celebrities in unusual but natural settings, engaging them in eye-opening and down to earth conversations. Viewers will get to experience the people and places of Nigeria in ways they've never been seen before.

Speaking about her inspiration for the show, Funmi Iyanda said “I wanted to create a platform where authentic Nigerian stories told by Nigerians could be heard. Nobody can tell our stories the way we can. We need to be ourselves, and tell our stories with honesty, creative artistry, intelligence and humour.”

Previous episodes have featured Funmi playing soccer and driving around Lagos with the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola. She has also hung out with Nigerian hip hop artistes 9ice, Wande Coal and ID Cabasa, gone hunting in the magical forests of Ondo, and explored the Nollywood scene with some of its hottest stars – and there is still lots more to come.

The next show promises to be interesting as Funmi meets up with Charlie Boy (real name Charles Oputa) one of Nigeria’s controversial musicians. In this episode, Funmi and Charlie Boy, musician, talk show host, raconteur and anointed 'Area Father' get on a bike and meet up with the 400 Okadas, the notorious Lagos motorcycle taxi riders. Chaos ensues, when the dust clears, Funmi discusses their grievances and learns more about what drives Charlie.

The feedback from one of Funmi’s fans sums up the purpose of the show and provides encouragement for Funmi’s cause, “Honestly I love this programme as you use to touch the different facets of life, Nation, and world, also in creating awareness, educating the young ones, uneducated through the use of resource people to inculcate in them on how and the importance of being self reliant, keep it up.”

The show airs on Sundays on DSTV's Africa Magic at 6pm local time and viewers can also catch up with past episodes on the official TalkwithFunmi website.