SFCG has been engaged in Nigeria since 2004, modeling innovative media products that encourage understanding across ethnic, religious and gender lines. These media products create an opportunity for dialogue and feedback around important issues such as accountability, corruption, transparency and peaceful conflict resolution. In 2008, SFCG established an office in Abuja with the goal of expanding its engagement on the ground in Nigeria. From this base, SFCG supports its ongoing media programming as well as launches new activities focused on youth leadership and conflict mediation.
SFCG-Nigeria's long-term goals are:
To improve access to information about policies and decisions that affect communities' welfare; and
In 2008, SFCG began a media sector mapping in the three states in the Niger
Delta (Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers) of Nigeria with funding from the British
Department of International Development, to gather baseline information on
audience information and communication flows. The MSM evaluates how people and communities understand public information and how they access it with a focus on the federal and state development plans.
Media mappings help to underline, to different stakeholders, the importance of
clear and effective communication. Strategically, it provides an idea of
where and how development programmes could be most effective in Nigeria and,
specifically, in the Niger Delta, with the ultimate goal of supporting enhanced
transparency and accountability in governance and development.
The Station is a television drama series created
and produced by Common Ground Productions in
Lagos, Nigeria. The Station is
currently in its final, fourth season. It is aimed at providing peaceful
alternatives to handling conflict and positive role models for Nigerians,
especially youth. Developed and written by a team of young Nigerians, The Station addresses
issues that have been identified as the main impediments to the country's
development, including tribal violence, domestic abuse, corruption,
unemployment and HIV/AIDS.
About The Station
The backdrop of the show is Action News, a fictional Nigerian television news
station. Through the eyes of the people that work at the station--journalists,
anchors, cameramen, businesspeople--the viewer experiences the problems and
conflicts that exist among the ethnically diverse population. For many
Nigerians, it also offers a glimpse into the unknown world of television
journalism. The Station does not provide solutions to the problems facing Nigerians and Nigeria, but
rather raises important questions, promotes peaceful alternatives and provides
positive role models for viewers.
The Station is one of the most ambitious
productions ever undertaken in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of cast, crew, set
design and filming style. Several principal characters were cast through The Academy, CGP's unique
documentary/reality series. To fully capture the complexity, dynamism and
energy of television journalism, a dilapidated warehouse in Lagos was
transformed into a world-class production studio that includes a CNN-style
newsroom, domestic and office interior sets.
Video from The Station
Past Activities
The Academy
The Academy is a hybrid documentary/reality
television show created and produced in Nigeria by Common Ground Productions in
association with Nestlé.
The show celebrates Nigeria's wealth of creative talent with a glimpse into the
exhilarating world of acting. The series features twenty aspiring actors and actresses
who put their performance skills to the test for the chance to win lead roles
in The Station,
CGP's fast-paced radio and television drama series. The cameras capture the
drama and excitement as the participants undergo an intensive, 30-day acting
and conflict resolution training program.
About The Academy
Showcasing some of the brightest up-and-coming talent in Nigeria, The Academy's eight female
and twelve male students were chosen from over 50,000 applications that CGP
received in response to its audition call. The participants' cultural,
educational, ethnic and occupational backgrounds reflect the rich diversity of
Nigeria's population. The acting challenges were developed to make the most of
the participants' potential and to equip them with the skills and techniques
necessary to achieve success in this demanding profession.
