Media Personality, Journalist and Entrepreneur, Mercy Abang, hosted leading intellectuals and academia living in Germany and in Nigeria about the role of religion and everyday life in their home country, Nigeria.
The debate, produced in segmented series and editions, hosted in Berlin Germany by Nigerian Journalist, Mercy Abang, is to be transmitted on local television stations across Nigeria, hosted influential young Nigerians who spoke about religion, democracy, society, culture and the heterogeneity of the Nigerian state and the ties that binds the nation with an estimated 200 million people.
“This is a show that lets viewers into the issues and conversations that matters most to the Nigerian people and the young people,” Speaking about the show, Senior Producer, Bence Mate, said.
“Host of the show was the journalist and media personality Mercy Abang who, with her humor and wit, masterfully navigated the conversation through the at times loud and heated debates,” the statement issued by Media Frontline launching the show reads in parts.
On why the central theme of the engagement that hosted guests like Nigeria’s Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sokoto as one of the frontline panellists, Mr Mate said, “Nigeria is ascribed as a highly religious nation, and we wanted to have an engagement that generates an honest public discourse about topics otherwise surrounded by taboos and misconceptions and we do hope the viewers feel the same way when they get to watch the debate”.
Bence was quoted as saying, “The more than thirty young participants from all around Nigeria led a painfully honest conversation about the relations between religion and topics like identity, economy, public health, democracy and women’s rights. Most of the debaters are PHD students at different German universities. However, also personalities like the internationally acclaimed writer Elnathan John spoke up at one of the episodes titled Religion and Politics”.
He added, “Many other public figures joined the debate via video call from Nigeria, amongst them Bishop Mathew Kukah, activist Fakriyyahh Hashim, Mr Alkasim Abdulkadir, Activist Ndi Kato, Journalist David Hundeyin, Ms Chioma Agwuegbo, Activist, Azeenarh Mohammed, Mr Henry Okelue, Ms Fali Hamu, Rebecca Roberts, just to name a few”.
The six-episode debate show was produced by Media Frontline e.V., specialized in media projects worldwide. Matasa da Imani (Youth and Faith), as the show’s title reads, was produced on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office. The debate will begin to air by the second quarter of the year.
