AFTER 11 weeks of intrigue, tension, suspense, and a fiercely contested competition, Efe emerged winner of the Big Brother Naija reality TV show on Sunday evening, beating 11 other contenders.
Having negotiated all the hurdles and polled a whopping 57.61 percent of the overall votes, Efe beat the multi-talented Bisola and won N25m (approximately $81 000) and an SUV courtesy of MultiChoice Nigeria.
Efe, an up-and-coming rap artiste, appeared to be the “favourite” of so many Nigerian celebrities. His win was expected as he had been touted as the winner throughout the duration of the show and many Nigerians made sure he won by the way they canvassed for votes on his behalf. The other housemates all had campaigns for them but none came close to Efe’s. People organised rallies for him, held prayer sessions on his behalf and almost all celebrities lined up behind him. Some said it was his down to earth nature while others said it was the fact that people could relate to him that made him win.
Debie-Rise emerged the third runner up, TBoss the second runner up and Bisola the first runner up. TBoss also won the least time in all Payporte games, while Bisola carted away the prize for having the best ONE campaign presentation for the education of the girl-child. TBoss was presented with a N500 000 (approximately $1 600) cheque and Bisola will join the ONE Campaign team in New York City for the girl-child education at the United Nations.
The reality show, which began in January, was aimed at identifying, nurturing, and promoting young talent to a wide range of viewers which cut across the African continent.
After a 10-year hiatus, the show was repackaged to give more Nigerian youths the opportunity to showcase their talent to the world.
This year’s edition was hosted by former Big Brother Nigeria housemate, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and saw various Nigerian artistes performing.
MultiChoice Nigeria managing director, John Ugbe, speaking on the show’s finale, said: “We’re particularly excited about the fresh talent the Big Brother Naija platform has birthed.
“The buzz generated by the show has demonstrated its success as a platform that seeks to create stars and promote the spirit of entrepreneurship of the Nigerian youth.
“We commend all the housemates for their excellent showing, endurance and determination.”
Citing the fame and fortune that the BBNaija platform provides, Ugbe further urged all the housemates to take a cue from the positive examples of past housemates such as Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Gideon Okeke, Katung Aduwak among others, in carving a niche for themselves in Nigeria’s evolving entertainment industry.
