The Managing Director/ CEO of Micromedia Group of companies, Shileola Ibironke, has announced that her recently-launched Micromedia Animation Studio is set to present the first indigenous animated series ‘KIBI Quazi’ across different Cinema houses in Nigeria on May 27, 2024.
Ibironke revealed this during an exclusive interview with Brand Communicator, while emphasizing the need to promote more locally produced animated content.
She explained that the animated series, KIBI Quazi, ”Would be shown in cinemas nationwide to celebrate Children’s Day, and we are actively working with a minimum of 150 (One Hundred and Fifty) Schools in different commercial cities including Lagos, Ibadan, Ilorin, Enugu, Port-Harcourt, Kano & Abuja.”
KIBI Quazi is a 2D animation centred around a teenage boy, Oluwakibi, who, through his inquisitiveness discovers a mask that transforms him into an ancient Yoruba warrior- GBOGAN- and together they undertake super-heroic acts by saving people, the environment, as well as curtailing villains.
Ibironke further revealed other projects that the studio has worked on, but the team is only launching out with the KIBI Quazi series. Her words, “We have developed Four IPs- KIBI Quazi, Power Chord Girls, SAGi & TWOA, and these Animated Series highlights African Superheros, Magical Rural African Ancestry, African Girls Superpowers & Tech AI/Metaverse. For now, we are stepping out with KIBI Quazi.”
She also disclosed that KIBI Quazi will be premiered at the Global Animation Festival in Annecy later in the year. Ibironke said, “We are excited to have the French Consulate in Nigeria, sponsor the Premiere and also present KIBI Quazi at the Global Animation Festival in Annecy.”
Speaking on the need to push more locally made animated kiddies’ entertainment content, she said, “The demography of children within ages 0-15yrs are glued to animated content. They have built their world around foreign superheroes’, foreign multi-dimensional games, and the virtual world (metaverse). They haven’t been provided with African orientation in terms of Wisdom, Purpose, Empathy, Success, Culture, Social and Geographical Landscape.
“It’s highly imperative that we begin to churn out more African-themed narratives that would mould the next generation. The future of content for Generation Alpha / GenZ is really in Animated Formats.”