His career has however seen a diversity, having worked for various production companies like Alphavision where he was the Asst. Production Manager for the hit soap Everyday People, then he want on to star in Nigeria’s first true drama series THE STATION produced by international NGO, Common Ground Productions. He was also an Episode Director for The Station before he moved up to become the Production Manager. He has also stared in a short movie from the stable of Walt banger 101; was briefly floor manager for what is Nigeria’s rave of the moment talk show, running on Mnet, MOMENTS with MO.

Harry, amongst other things, possesses a knowledge of editing on final cut pro and has a strong understanding of pre production for film and drama.

A lover of good music, good food and everything else that has ‘good’ before it, he believes strongly that no one should start something they won’t finish. On this note, the team player says to his teammates, on The Apprentice Africa “I will enjoy working with u all I look forward to an awesome time on set!”

ADEOLA OLOYEDE
TASK PRODUCER

Adeola was born into a family of pioneers in the Nigerian film and television industry - Chief Tunde Oloyede and Bimbo Oloyede, but she has quickly established herself as her own woman.

Holding a BSC in Creative Arts from the University of Lagos and a Professional Diploma in Human Resources from Thames Valley University in the
U.K. She worked for a while in the U.K as a Senior Human Resource Manager and then Line Manager in recruitment agencies.

She got tired of this “stereotyped life” and decided to relocate to Nigeria to follow her passion film and TV. She started as Content Director on Big Brother Nigeria, and then moved on to be Content Director on The Next Movie Star. Whilst on that, she was requested to work on another show, Nokia First Chance as an Associate Producer.

She also has a career as an actor, having starred in Ego Boyo’s hit movie, Kunle Afolayan, and in the multiple award winning movie “Irapada” as the female lead, as well as several stage plays and commercials.

Adeola calls herself a “lover of good life”, because she believes life is not worth living unless lived very well. She looks forward to the project with excitement.

NIJI AKANNI
SHOW PRODUCER

Niji Akanni is a veteran screenwriter and director in the Nigerian film and television practice. Holding an MFA in Screenplay Writing & Film Directing from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, he has written many award-winning films for first-rate Nigerian producers, including Dangerous Twins and Playing Games (for Tade Ogidan), Saving Alero (for Francis Onwochei) and Narrow Path (for Tunde Kelani). His Film and TV directing credits include two award-winning documentaries (The 11-Day Siege, and We Speak for Us) as well as home-videos (Jogun O Mi, Bojuboju, and Ewe Oju Omi), and several TV Drama Series/Sitcoms, notably with Wale Adenuga Productions.

His previous experience in the Reality TV genre include his function as Assistant Director on the definitive first edition of Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO 1) in 2005; and as Content Director on Big Brother Nigeria, in 2006

Niji Akanni is also an established Director/Scholar in the Nigerian theatre circuit. Trained at the universities of Ife (BA) and Ibadan (MA), he was a founding member of the Performance Studio Workshop in the late 80’s and a Performing Arts Adviser at the International Centre for the Arts, Lagos, in the mid 90’s. He taught for 2 years at the Department of Dramatic Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and was a 1992 Fellow of the USIS International Visitors Program on American Theatre. He was Assistant Director on the world premiere/tour of Wole Soyinka’s King Baabu in 2001, and has directed several classic plays of Femi Osofisan, J.P. Clark, Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi, Esiaba Irobi, Sam Art Williams, Athol Fugard, and Samuel Beckett. In 2003, he directed Dolapo Sikuade’s Toy Soldier, Boy Soldier as an official entry in the cultural section of the 8th All-Africa Games (COJA 2003). More recently, he directed the National Troupe of Nigeria’s premiere production of Ahmed Yerimah’s Aetu for the 2007 MUSON FESTIVAL in Lagos.

He is currently a Visiting Lecturer in video/film production at the Nigerian Television Authority TV-College campus of the Ahmadu Bello University in Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria, and has recently registered for a PhD programme in Film Studies at the University of Lagos.

AUSTIN AWULONU
SHOW PRODUCER

Austin studied drama at the Obafemi Awolowo University. His professional experience which dates back to 1990 has been wide and varied. Apart from directing classic plays like The Portrait, The God’s Are Not To Blame and Double Attack, he wrote and directed Angst, Burden For Soul and Kuluso (stage plays); Presently he produces and directs the award winning Onga Delicacy (a radio drama series in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba); he directed Naked, Eventide and The Sceptre (home videos); He wrote and produced Direct Entry 1 and Direct Entry 2 audio drama for Society for Family Health. He is right now producing One Thing At A Time, a radio drama series for the same organisation. He equally directed the multi award winning Fuji House of Commotion for a brief period of two quarters. His other credits include, Magnate (television soap opera); Checkmate (soap opera); and Someone Watching Me.

Austin’s documentary credits include the widely celebrated From Prison To Presidency: a documentary of the life, times and works of Olusegun Obasanjo which he co-wrote and directed. He equally wrote and directed Nigerian Ports Authority Documentary, a documentary on NPA for the organisation’s successful international road show pursuant to the port concessioning policy. Other documentaries include The Carpenter, an acclaimed short documentary on the life of Tony Ohifeme Ezekiel, one of Nigeria’s leading furniture makers and the widely celebrated Total at Fifty – the documentary with which Total Nigeria PLC commemorated 50 years of service in Nigeria. Presently he produces and directs Living With Purpose, a television teaching programme for The King’s Assembly.

A consummate team builder, Austin is also a poet. His poem ‘Legacy’ won the 2002 Editor’s Choice Award of the International Poetry Society for the month August.

AMECHI OBI
BOARDROOM PRODUCER

Amechi Obi began his career in 1985 in the drama section of the Nigerian Television Authority.

He studied theatre arts, majoring in film and television production and directing. By National Youth Service Corps posting in 1991 he joined Interpad Films, an independent television production company producing television commercials, documentaries and music videos. This same outfit set up a television station, Galaxy TV.

After Interpad, he began to work independently as a theatre, television and film, Producer, Director and Project Consultant. A pioneer Nigerian home video Producer and Director, he also continued practising as an Actor during this period.

He returned to the Nigerian Television Authority in 1999, and has since been producing and directing television programmes, televised events and shows, soap operas, TV commercials and movies. On occasion he works as a Director of Photography, and is currently producing and directing movies for the NTA to herald the “Nigeria First Movie Initiative”, a major investment scheme designed to pool funds from the organized private sector into the Nigerian Film Industry.

He is passionate about the use of media instruments to engage the faculties of the individual in profound ways; to employ subtle yet powerful influence to increase people’s awareness of themselves. This is what helps people make informed choices, and is a catalyst for mutual respect, tolerance and better living.

LINDON RANKIN
SHOW PRODUCER

Lindon Rankin came into film and TV from a photographic background, working as a freelance fashion photographer for publications such as Marie Claire, Elle, The Face and many others. He started at the BBC in the Documentary department and later moved into Entertainment. Thereafter, he worked with other broadcasters such as ITV, Chanel 4, Chanel 5 and Sky.
Lindon’s professional experience spans Music promos, Short Films, I-dents and two British feature films. Even though he comes from a technical background, he enjoys the challenge of merging creative and production responsibilities which The Apprentice Africa project offers. The future of the profession, as Lindon sees it, is multi skilling. His professional credits include:

ENTERTAINMENT
Inserts for Y’hello TV: 10-minute magazine inserts for Y’hello TV Africa, where we covered in the UK muswic film and fashion industry, interviewing such people as Lloyd Bank, Spike Lee, Beverly Knights and many others. Channel O.
Come Fly With Me: Reality game show that took contestants around the world to 12 different countries were they would compete to stay and not be sent home.
Perfect 10: Two beautiful Models presenting a current magazine show were they would travel the country meeting and hanging out with celebrities while searching out the Perfect size 10 woman!
Jerry Maguire Show: The show was led by Jerry Maguire, a well known comedic Radio and TV host, or prankster. He would visit various clubs and associations in the UK and find out whether they would allow him to join them.
Documentaries:
Passage From India: A documentary chronicling the migration of displaced Hindus out of India, ending their journey in Northern Ireland, UK. When they arrived in Northern Ireland, they found themselves in the middle of a Catholic/Protestant civil war.
Find the Tao: A film crew was allowed unprecedented access to a foremost Taoist Master, an 80-year-old Guru who has earlier been featured in the Chinese International book of Top 100 Who’s Who. Appearing for the first time on film, the Guru spoke extensively on his life, times and work.

Music Promos:
Chucky Dee, Beverly Williams, Hinda Hiccs, Block Party,

Sports:
International cricket for Channel 5/Sky TV seasons 2006-2007

Camera, Steadicam, Produce and Direct. Worked on all formats from DV, HD, Super 16 mm and 35mm.

WALTER ADAWARIBI TAYLAUR (aka WALTBANGER)
SHOW PRODUCER

The youngest show producer on The Apprentice Africa team, Walter is an award winning documentary filmmaker and accomplished screen-writer.

His first steps into the world of the media came at the tender age of seventeen, when as a schoolboy he penned ‘Ned’ a hugely successful television commercial for the world-renowned advertising giants Saatchi & Saatchi.

Since his early success Walter has been able to capitalize on his writing prowess, attracting the attentions of the BBC (Hands of Fate) & Carlton Television (Oscars) as well as working with a few of Hollywood’s brightest young feature filmmakers - Julian Cautherley (Return to Paradise, Rush hour) Matt Addy (About the Boy) and Dana Fox (The Wedding Date).

Walter is no stranger to reality television. He has worn a number of hats in this field both home and abroad including The Monastery (BBC2) The Academy (Common Ground Productions) Amstel Malta Box Office and the hugely successful Big Brother Nigeria, where was Content Director as well as ‘the voice’ of Big brother.

Since setting up Waltbanger 101 Productions, a media art house/production company in Lagos, Walter has been able to broaden his scope. He produced and directed the award winning documentary Film ‘Like water for Oil’, directed the hugely popular ‘Dreamer’ video, for GT the Guitarman, and is writing and producing his eagerly anticipated debut feature Film ‘Half Empty Half Full’.

He was recently on board the Nigerian chapter of the MTV Base ‘Making the Video’ project working alongside internationally recognized acts like Talib Kweli and Coodie & Chike (award winning directors of Kanye West’s ‘Through the Wire’ music video)

As well as being a show producer on The Apprentice Africa, Walter is working alongside an LA based production company on a two year shoot for an upcoming feature length documentary Film commemorating the 2010 world cup, the first ever to be hosted on African soil.

Asked to comment on the show, Walter was quick to stress that if he wasn’t a show producers working on the Apprentice Africa, he certainly would have been one of the 18 candidates!

TEMITOPE OSHIN OGUN
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Temitope graduated as Best Graduating Student (1999/2000). from Lagos State University where she studied Theater arts, Television and Film Production.


She brings to the table a cocktail of variegated talents and experiences which includes directing, producing and writing. Tope has served as Assistant Content Producer, Dialogue Coach, Assistant Director and Casting Director on projects like MNET’s“Tinsel”, AMBO Reality T.V. Show, Central Bank of Nigeria’s T.V. Commercials, FASH FC T.V. Commercials, Ruke Amata’s “Bachelors”(T.V. sitcom) etc.

She also writes for the award winning radio drama “ONGA Delicacy” which airs on all radio stations in Nigeria.

Apart from these, Tope is a stellar actress of proven ability with about 9 years of experience having featured in leading roles in a lot of prominent movies, stage and television productions with seasoned directors/filmmakers like Femi Odugbemi, Ladi Ladebo, Jimi Odumosu, Tade Ogidan, Afolabi Adesanya, Amaka Igwe etc.

She is also a prominent voice-over artist who has performed in a lot of radio commercials and dramas and used to present “YOUTHMAG”, a radio show on Eko 89.75FM, Lagos.

Tope is married to Yinka Ogun, a renowned screen writer, with lovely sons.

FRANCIS OCHEINU
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

A graduate with the National Film Institute Jos, with a professional Diploma in Motion Picture Photography and Theatre Arts of the University of Ibadan and a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Film Directing of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi. ITPAN Master Class in Lighting Technique Lagos and Shoot 2007 Workshop for World Class Documentary Film Making.

Hidden as he popularly called by friends, was born some 27 years and raised in the army barracks. Growing up for him as a child in the barracks was more of an adventure, which led him into the profession of adventure – film making. As a young film student, eager to learn and try out new ideas, Hiden made his first experimental short film, three months into his first year in school titled, Love Terror, which was the first production among his class mates.

He was trained under best hands in the industry in the likes of Dr. Hygenius Ekwuazi, Dele Odule, Mamud Ali Balogun, Deji Adesayan and Bayo Awala, with these, he has been able to carve a niche for himself.

His idea about film making is to create something out of nothing through experimental creativity. For this reason, he has been able experiment with a couple of films that have gotten recognition both and outside the shores of this country.

Unfinished Business which is the first Action film and Mortal House, the first horror film to be done in the history of the National Film Institute Jos by any of its students was written, produced and Directed by him. Some of his recognitions include:

Unborn – won the NAFISS Award 2005, ANIWA Award for Best Experimental Film 2005 in Ghana and was selected for the Berlin Talent Campus in Germany.

Unfinished Business, Best Director / Best Action Film 2006 NAFISS Award.

Mortal House, together with the already mentioned, unfinished business, were selected for the 4th Beijing International Film and Video Festival in China, 2007.

Echoes of Cries, was officially selected for the ITPAN Forum and Award 2007.

He has also been involved in series of musical videos for the like of P-Square – Busy Body, Public ID Brand New Day, DJ Stramborella – Party Time, Sharksin, Peace Talker, Gyamex and he recently worked as a Concert Director for legendary Bongos Ikwue and Double X Band, held at Double K Resort, Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria on the 31st of December 2007. At the moment Francis is working as an associate producer on TAA, the first of it's kind in Africa.

ABI AKINNASO
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

ABI AKINNASO, is a Producer, and also a gifted writer and is an Associate Producer on the Apprentice Africa.
She studied Electronic and Broadcast Engineering at Brighton University. She began her work experience at British Energy Nuclear Power Station, in the U.K as an Assistant Operations Engineer, before moving into television production.
Abi first worked at Channel 4 where she got on board under the Channel 4 Researcher Training Programme, which was a mean feat seeing as there were over 1000 applicants, and only 16 places. She has worked with Ricochet Productions in the U.k (the team famous for SUPERNANNY), and also worked on a number of reality shows, including ‘Selling Houses’, and ‘Colin and Justin’s Interior Design Crimes’.
She later moved to RDF Media where she worked on a pilot for Channel 4, and also Maverick T.V for a makeover show for UKTV style. Abi has worked on shows for Channel 4, Channel 5, B.B.C, Sky One and UKTV Style, in the U.K. She was also involved in the start-up of ‘JUST FABULOUS T.V’
Abi’s talent has got her noticed by several Production Houses, and she was even featured in B.F.M Black Film-Maker magazine, as one of the Researchers to watch, in London. She has strong producing skills, and is also a prolific writer who has worked on several reality shows.
Abi is generally a very creative person who also loves to sing!

VICTOR AGHAHOWA
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Victor ‘Sanchez” Aghahowa is in his mid-twenties. He started out as a playwright and stage director while in the University of Benin. He made his mark on the Nigerian TV scene in 2005 with the launch of the TV sitcom ‘Bachelors’ sponsored by Guinness, a show which he created and served on as Head Writer

In 2006, he became a staff writer on MNET’S ‘Tinsel’, he then went on to work on the movie ‘Letters to a Stranger’ – a movie he wrote and served on as Assistant Director. The movie was sponsored by EcoBank and was produced and directed by Fred Amata

He has written several episodes for many TV shows in Nigeria. Worthy of note is his alter ego – Nigerian rap star ‘Sanchez’. In that light, he is one of the rising musical stars, storyboarding his first video which earned him a Channel O Music Award nomination as Best New Artiste and enter every single chart from MTV to Silverbird TV

PRISCILLA NZIMIRO
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Priscilla Nzimiro is a gifted and undeniably talented artist/entrepreneur whose dreams have led her to experience life in the world of art, fashion, film and photography. Her business and professional experience range from project management in retail, marketing, and advertising sects to entrepreneurship. With an equal balance of left and right brain power, in 2002, she was recognized by the Nigerian Women’s Initiative Corporation for Outstanding Business Achievement for her natural skincare line “Okwuma (Shea Butter) Essence”. Because of her love, dedication and concern for her community, she went onto launch a non-profit organization in 2003 named “Three Degrees Above the Equator Inc” whose mission addresses the negative stigma and stereotypes placed on Africans abroad especially Nigerians. One goal of the organization is to promote positive images of Nigerians and Africans in the Diaspora through art, film and photography. Her photo documentary on culture and tourism in Nigeria has been viewed in educational institutions, such as Columbia University and also used in various classroom settings for history and cultural education.

Priscilla has been on the planning committee for the Nigerian Independence Day Parade for four years. With her video productions of the event, she has been able to secure various sponsorships and promotions. Her efforts have been instrumental in increasing the participation in the largest Nigerian community event, “The Nigerian Independence Day Parade” by enriching the events program to incorporate young, new talents from Nigeria and other African countries.

A visionary creative spirit, Priscilla co-founded Shout Afrika Inc. in 2005 and produces an urban African music video and lifestyle television show that showcases current African artist worldwide and events involving the Diasporic community. This is one of the few shows on cable that cater to the Diasporic African populations while building bridges and preserving African culture. Priscilla is a certified producer for Brooklyn’s Cable Access Television where she has worked on various productions involving the diversity in the Brooklyn community.
Dynamic, daring and destined for greatness, Priscilla Nzimiro is an inspiration to all those who are fortunate enough to cross her path.