Beyond Big Brother Naija

While it lasted, the show held Nigerians spellbound, as families stayed glued to their television screens as if they were under a kind of spell. The closing week was heady as viewers scrambled to make a total of 25 million votes for the Big Brother Naija 2017.
Of course, the climax was nothing but shattering. The moment Efe Ejeba was declared winner Nigerians went into hysteria. Social media was on fire. Efe became an instant celebrity, a beautiful bride that governments, individuals and corporate organisations were falling over each other to endorse.
However, a week after, the heady wine has begun to settle down and it is time to take stock. And the question is, did Nigeria benefit from the entire drama that is BB Naija? Aside relieving the pains of the economic recession, most people believe Nigeria did not benefit as the South Africans smiled to the bank all through. And right now, Friday Rendevous learnt that finishing touches are being put to the next edition holding in 2018.
“Both morally and financially, Big Brother Naija did not benefit Nigerians. For a show that was shot in South Africa, the show should have been called Big Brother South Africa. But the South Africans were smart and tapped into Nigeria’s brand by making it a solely Nigerian affair. It is sad that the directive by the presidency for the platform to be probed has not yielded any fruits. BB Naija could be a case of passing off,” a source said.