The cast of the "MTV Shuga Naija" coming-of-age drama has been made public.
Gbubemi Ejeye (Moh), Genoveva Umeh (Chika), Susan Pwajok (Nanya), Maggie Osuome (Haalel), Kanaga JNR (Kachi), Lexan Peters (Praise), Ilooise Omohinmin (Saz), Kem Ajieh (Tolu), and Chioma Edak return for season five of the program (Janet).
According to rumors, Edak and Kanaga from the current season of "Big Brother Titans" would play the lead characters
Okey Uzoeshi (Sopuru), Bolaji Ogunmola (Anwuli), Kiki Omeil (Cece), Francis Onwochei (Madu), John Njamah (Oga Festus), Ben Touitou (Nasir), and Eso Dike are among the other well-known Nollywood actors in the ensemble (Bode).
Regular cast members of "MTV Shuga Naija," including Tomiwa Tegbe, Sharon Jatto, and Adesua Etomi-Wellington as Sheila and Simi, return for this season (Wasiu).
According to BellaNaija, the program is made by 1Pod Pictures, a female-run business in Nigeria with some of the youngest producers who have ever worked on MTV Shuga Naija.
Commenting on the cast, Anita Adesiyan, Country Manager, MTV Shuga Naija, says, "The cast of MTV Shuga Naija are not just actors, but ambassadors of our edutainment campaign. They are working tirelessly to ensure that our messaging reaches and positively impacts millions of young Nigerians, empowering them to make better decisions about their health and lives."
Directed by Adeola Osunkojo, Yemi “FilmBoy” Morafa, and Kayode Kasum, season five focuses on the new characters to the MTV Shuga universe, as the show explores toxic masculinity, gender-based violence, a relationship complicated by H,IV and other gripping storylines.
According to the show's Country Manager, "We will focus on spotlighting the importance of HIV self-testing and accessibility of testing kits, Gender-Based Violence, COVID-19 vaccine confidence, gender capacity building and modern contraception in partnership with Unitaid, Global Innovation Fu, nd and Paramount. Also, through our partnerships with the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), the Lagos State Domestic and sexual violence agency (DSVA), the Lagos State Ministry of Health and Hello Lagos, we aim to provide support and direct our audience to the relevant agencies who will offer the require counseling and treatment they need."
With an 80% female cast in front of the camera, this season is focused on empowering female creatives.
Later this year, the fifth season of "MTV Shuga Naija" will debut on MTV Base (DStv channel 322 and GOtv channel 72), BET, and the free-to-air platform, NTA.
The whole season will be accessible on both Netflix and YouTube.
