Mar 4, 2012

'Bino and Fino' is Nigeria's Answer to Nickelodeon

Nigerian animator Adam Waziri is the creator of the new animated series "Beano and Fino," an African-produced, toddler-friendly TV series aimed at more accurately representing children growing up on the African continent.

The following interview is worth a look, in which Waziri talks about how Western entertainment companies portray Africa: "When Disney portrays Africa, there are singing animals and safaris. When Disney portrays Africa, there are singing animals and safaris. You don't see people in buildings and houses, and you don't see people living normal urban lives in Lagos, Abuja, or anywhere else in Africa." [Not only is there misrepresentation by American media conglomerates, there is also underrepresentation. Nick and Cartoon Network have an African channel, but they make no effort to represent their audience in that region. In Africa, Nick has been featured in "Dora the Explorer," "The Mighty Bee! and "Ni Hao, Kailan," but no African characters appear in the TV series.

In a recent CNN article, Waziri discusses the challenges of homegrown animation in Nigeria. Sponsors are still getting used to the slow production time of animation, and many Nigerians still have a "Western is best" mindset, especially considering that Nollywood feature films are produced in less than a month. However, he remains positive in his outlook and recognizes the potential for animation on the world's second most populous continent: "Nigeria and the rest of Africa are not poor, we have businessmen, we have infrastructure, we have the ability to build studios, raise money, sponsor, market The ability to create.