AS Season 6 of the reality TV show, Big Brother Nigeria now Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) begins today, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) have called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to prohibit smoking in the show.
In a letter titled ‘Big Brother Naija Season 6: NBC Should Enforce Ban of Smoking in the Entertainment Sector’ and addressed to the Director General of the NBC, Babalola Shehu Ilelah, the groups stated that since its inception, Big Brother Naija had been notorious for promoting smoking among housemates.
Though they commended the agency for prohibiting nudity on the show, the bodies urged it to extend its radar to smoking, which they say is glamourised on the show.
According to the groups, housemates who smoke in the BBNaija house leave a huge impression on youths, especially at a time the Federal Government is working assiduously to reduce smoking initiation.
“It is even worse at a period the country is battling with COVID-19 pandemic since it has been established that smokers have greater possibility of developing complications or even death if they contract the coronavirus. Cigarettes are conspicuously displayed and smoked recklessly in total disregard to the health of possible non-smoker housemates,” they complained.
As one of the biggest shows on the Nigerian screen watched by millions of youths, the groups urged the NBC to invoke the NTC-Act 2015 and the NTC Regulations 2019, and totally prohibit smoking in this year’s edition of the show, pointing out that at this point in a global pandemic, no effort should be spared to protect the health of the citizenry.
Biggie had during Season 3 of the reality TV show in 2018, temporarily banned housemates from drinking alcohol, smoking, and use of abusive language. The temporary ban was announced by Miracle, who then was head of house (HoH). It was later lifted.
Meanwhile, for the first time ever, the show will have two special double premiere, with the first today and the second tomorrow. Both shows will air from 7pm on DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 29, with a simulcast on Africa Magic Showcase, Africa Magic Urban and Africa Magic Family.
The new arrangement, according to the organisers, is part of efforts to make the show bigger than previous editions.
MultiChoice Nigeria, made this known at a press conference in Lagos and also in a post on Africa Magic’s official website, where the company said the wait was over.
Also, as part of the new twist to the show, BBNaija fans in the United Kingdom would, for the first time ever, have access to the live 24/7 show via the online streaming service platform, Showmax.
Speaking on this year’s show, the Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe said: “With each season of BBNaija, we task ourselves on delivering great content that will take the excitement a notch higher and meet the entertainment needs of our customers.
“For this sixth season, we are pulling all the stops to give our customers a show like never seen before from Nigeria, with end-to-end production best practices under global health and safety standards.”
According to MultiChoice, there would be no SMS voting during this year’s edition; all voting will be on the Big Brother Naija website and mobile site as well as on the MyDStv and MyGOtv apps.
This year’s edition of the show, which will run for 72 days, will end on October 3, 2021, and winner walk away with a whopping N90million grand prize.
During the period, cameras will follow the lives of housemates who are strangers, as they interact and compete with each other in the Big Brother house.
