A new Pan-African wildlife television series, “Wild Africa,” premieres on Channels Television on Aug. 15.
The series will be bringing stories of the continent’s conservation heroes and natural heritage to Nigerian audiences for the first time in this format.
This is contained in a statement signed by Nigeria’s representative of Wild Africa, Mr Festus Iyorah, and made available on Saturday in Lagos.
The statement said that the 13-part magazine-style series was created specifically for African audiences to entertain and educate.
It said the programme, in partnership with Channels Television, would also raise awareness of the urgent need to protect the continent’s wildlife and wild spaces.
“It will air new episodes weekly on Saturdays at 5.30 p.m. West African Time (WAT) on DStv and 8.30 p.m. WAT.
‘’The repeat broadcasts will be available on Channel 420 on DStv (Sundays 7.00 a.m.; Mondays 2.30 p.m.; Fridays 12.30 a.m.).
‘’It will also air on terrestrial TV on UHF Channel 39 (Sundays 2.30 p.m.; Mondays 4.30 a.m.; Fridays 2.30 p.m.).
“In the United Kingdom, the new series will go live on the Sky UK platform, Channel 515,” the statement said.
It said the programme was produced in Cape Town, South Africa, by conservation communications organisation Wild Africa.
This, it said, was with support from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and a foundation, Tammy Estrada Strome Foundation.
It added that the series paired short documentaries with celebrity wildlife experiences, interviews and studio segments.
The statement said the series was hosted by Nigerian wildlife veterinarian, Dr Mark Ofua; South African freediver and ocean advocate Zandile Ndhlovu; and Zimbabwean television presenter Rumbie Takawira.
Over 13 episodes, viewers travel across Africa to meet those working to protect its most threatened species: sea turtle rescues in Nigeria and elephants in Kenya alongside Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o.
Other species are the rare Cross River gorilla, community rangers guarding Namibia’s desert rhinos, Rwanda’s mountain gorillas, and bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The series also spotlights Nigerian conservation efforts directly.
“This includes the country’s dwindling forest elephant population, manatee and sea turtle rescue work, forest protection, and the campaign to save the pangolin—the world’s most trafficked mammal,” it said.
The statement said, quoting Wild Africa, that Nigeria had lost over 70 per cent of its elephant population in the past 30 years.
This, it said, was from an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 individuals in 1991 to just 300 to 400 individuals in present day.
It added that the country had also become a major global transit hub for illegal ivory and pangolin scales.
According to it, such accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s seized ivory and over half of the global pangolin scale seizures between 2016 and 2019.
It listed celebrity wildlife advocates featured throughout the series to include Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira; Djimon Hounsou, Laycon and Aproko Doctor among other prominent African figures.
The statement quoted the general manager of Channels Television, Kingsley Uranta, as saying that the series aligned with the broadcaster’s commitment to African storytelling.
“As Africa’s most awarded broadcaster, Channels Television is proud to partner with Wild Africa in bringing the Pan-African Wildlife Series to audiences across the continent and beyond.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to using the power of television to celebrate Africa’s extraordinary natural heritage and promote conservation.
‘’It also inspires a deeper appreciation of the wildlife and ecosystems that are vital to our continent’s future,” Uranta said.
The statement also quoted the Series Producer and Wild Africa Chief Executive Officer, known as Peter Knights OBE, as saying, “Africa has the greatest wildlife spectacle on the planet.
‘’It is the attraction for 80 per cent of visiting tourists; so, wildlife preservation is vital for African economies and jobs, as well as natural heritage.
“It is time to celebrate the people that take on this daunting task and we hope the series informs and entertains in equal measures.”
The statement also quoted the co-presenter, Dr Mark Ofua, who said that bringing those stories to mainstream Nigerian television mattered because conservation depended on people understanding their relationship with nature.
“Africa has extraordinary wildlife, but many of these species are disappearing before people have had the opportunity to truly know them.
“Wild Africa brings these stories into our homes in a way that is entertaining, relatable, and hopeful.
‘’We want Nigerians, especially young people, to see that wildlife is part of our heritage and that every one of us has a role to play in protecting it, ” Ofua said.
In the statement also, West Africa Director at Wild Africa, Linus Unah, said Channels Television’s premiere marked a step toward making conservation part of mainstream public conversation in Nigeria.
“This series is a remarkable effort to help us understand and appreciate everything being done to protect our wildlife and their habitats.
‘’It serves as a reminder of our duty to protect our remaining wildlife for future generations, and we hope audiences are truly inspired by it,” Unah said.
The statement added that the Nigerian premiere was part of a wider Pan-African rollout, with the series already airing in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
It said the premiere was also scheduled to be broadcast in South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Botswana, and Zambia, bringing locally relevant conservation stories to audiences across the continent.
