Emmanuel OchayiNigerian comedian, Erem Emeka Nehemia, popularly known as Ajebo, has unveiled an educational and entertaining animation music series titled “JENI and KENI” to teach African children cultural values.
Addressing an audience at the launch of the series held at Ebony Live Cinema in Victoria Island on November 1, 2023, Ajebo expressed his gratitude for the turnout, saying: “We are about to make history. What we are about to do today is what we have been on for a long time. And we reached out to you on short notice, and you made it here. I appreciate you all for being here.”
The comedian shared his journey into animation, saying, “Many of you know me as a comedian, Ajebo. I have always had a passion for animation. Since 2013, I have been doing animation comedy. Because of my love and career in comedy, it fueled my love for animations, which you see reflected in our comedy.”
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Ajebo went on to detail the evolution of his work, reflecting on his past projects, stating, “Since the days of Tegwelo and Aboki cut N10 for me, all of that, we have seen changes. Becoming a father changed a lot of things about me, about how I think. After running that for a long time, we believe we could be more.”
Ajebo’s YouTube channel boasts 1.9 million subscribers, a testament to his popularity. He expanded on his vision, stating, “The dream is just bigger than doing comedy; it is about going beyond just making people laugh. We want to be that cartoon brand for Africa.”
The comedian emphasized the need to address certain issues through this new venture, “We decided to brainstorm, how can we expand to be able to create animated movies that include games. I said let’s solve a problem in Africa. There are a variety of problems, and I want to share with you some of the problems we are trying to use the brand we are unveiling today to solve.”
One key issue is the influence of media and entertainment on children, and Ajebo highlighted the importance of parental guidance in this regard, stating, “The problem is so important because of what you push to the media, it chooses who you are, and the children are not left out of what they are exposed to.”
Ajebo went on to discuss the impact of foreign cartoons on children’s perception, “Another thing is that while we were growing up, most of the things we were exposed to were foreign cartoons, Superman, Spiderman, and the rest. I have a very bright memory; everything I watch, I must replicate. What you expose them to is what they give back to you.”
On the issue of cultural identity, Ajebo explained, “We want our children to be proud of their skin. To know they can speak the Nigerian accent and still be cool. We want them to see themselves as characters portrayed on television.”
He further added, “Another problem is allowing children to be children. We need to give them enough songs to enjoy their parties. We go to parties and we see a 4-year-old already learning how to tweak, we identify that problem as well, and we are solving it.”
Ajebo’s “JENI and KENI” series aims to address these issues by incorporating African values, culture, languages, and stories into its content, promoting values such as care, teamwork, and love.
“We need to see them wearing Ankara’s in cartoons. Even the songs are beautiful and excellent materials. We are streaming now on YouTube and Facebook. Six months after, we will launch the app that will include African stories, languages, and games, among other features,” Ajebo concluded.
The comedian’s initiative represents a step in promoting African values, culture, and identity, with the hope of impacting the younger generation and providing them with valuable content that aligns with their cultural heritage.
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