This week 14 Nigerian TV interns will jet off to Johannesburg as part of a new skills development program launched by leading African TV channel M-Net. The trip marks the latest initiative in M-Net’s ongoing efforts, in partnership with the Nigerian TV industry, to ensure skills sharing and specialized training for local crews.

To this end, a unique training opportunity has been created for the 14 interns that sees them spending the month of February on set at two of M-Net’s biggest drama productions – the long running soapie Egoli and the popular South African local language tele-series Binnelanders.

The purpose of the training is to equip the interns with multi-camera, studio-based drama skills for upcoming M-Net projects in Nigeria. The need for skills training in this field was brought to M-Net’s attention by producers pitching for work with the channel and was strongly recommended by the Independent Television Producers’ Association of Nigeria (ITPAN).

With just days to go until the 14 interns depart Lagos for their intensive month-long training program, M-Net’s Director for Sub-Saharan Africa Joseph Hundah explains the idea behind the initiative.

''Binnelanders and Egoli are two of M-Net’s most successful locally produced multicam dramas in South Africa. Now, with M-Net investing heavily in a Nigerian multicam drama series, we’re hopeful that the lessons and skills learned previously can be shared with this group of Nigerian interns. Ultimately we want to create great TV for our Nigerian audiences, in partnership with the Nigerian TV industry, in a way that benefits everyone.''

In selecting the 14 interns, M-Net worked closely with ITPAN and Nigerian producers 341 Media to finalize the list of training candidates. ITPAN nominated seven interns while 341 Media, who are to partner in an M-Net production this year, also nominated 7 interns.

President of ITPAN Jaiye Ojo is supportive of the new training program devised by M-Net. ''ITPAN is delighted that M-Net has considered and approved that some of its members be part of the exposure to the production sets of Egoli and Binnelanders in South Africa. It goes on record as the first sponsorship initiative of its kind in support of manpower development, especially in the soap opera drama genre, in Nigeria.''

Meanwhile 341 Media believes that the training is an opportunity to see first-hand multi-camera soap opera production in South Africa, a chance to learn by watching other professionals at work, to enrich their knowledge of what it takes to develop a production of international quality and of great appeal. 341 Media’s Femi Odugbemi says, 'We cannot afford to fail Nigerians, Africans and our business partners M-Net who believe in us and have invested their trust in our capacity'.

This latest training program follows a series of similar initiatives created and facilitated by M-Net.

In 2004, M-Net’s AfricaMagic channel hosted a three-day audio workshop for filmmakers and producers at the 4th Annual Lagos Film Festival. Meanwhile just last year, M-Net included on-set training for 2 ITPAN and 2 NFA interns whilst filming was underway on it’s popular reality series Big Brother Nigeria. M-Net also included on-set training for 2 interns from the Nigeria Film School in Jos during season 2 of Edge of Paradise. In addition, since 1994, M-Net’s developmental film initiative New Directions Africa has been responsible for over 30 African short films and 2 full-length feature films. M-Net is available in Nigeria on DStv.