THE MONUMENTAL SUCCESS…
Without a doubt, the event has become a major force: the larger picture is that we have, by making the event into such a major force, ultimately made the statement in the biggest way possible, that young Nigerians are contributing very positively and strongly to Nigeria.
Its huge success also lies strongly in the fact that “The Future…” has completely captured the attention of the youth market. The amount of huge interest shown by phone calls and emails this year was amazing. And for volunteers just 5 days to the event, we received thousands of calls – and from all over Nigeria!

TV and radio shows targeted at this market also understand this, which is why all of the hit media for young people – Soundcity, Nigezie, Cool FM, etc – partnered with the 2007 edition and showed a strong presence at the venue. For young people, this is the ‘coolest’ of events, because it smoothly manages to combine ‘fun’ with ‘serious’. Young Nigerians in the country and outside actually wait with bated breaths for the long list of the awards and people see the nominees as role models.
But even though “The Future…” is a delight for young people, older Nigerians always express pleasant surprise at how young most of the nominees are: this, as Prof. Soyinka noted, really challenges them! So, “The Future …” is REALLY changing the stereotypes – it is actually making an impact! This is what has made it such a national brand.

Part of the pull is also that it is VERY original: “The Future…” Awards has created something that Nigeria didn’t have before, something no one had done before! For instance, whilst other awards are constricted, focused on one thing e.g. music or movies, “The Future…” has emerged as that one and only event that appeals to ALL categories of people. All.
If you look at the list of the nominees, and look at the attendance at the event: “The Future…” attracts those from the corporate environment, the entertainment industry, from the arts, from business, from the media, from fashion, people who live in and outside the country, the ‘ajebutter’ and ‘ajepako’; every kind of young person.

Apart from all of this, the show also sets new standards every year. The 2007 edition, for instance, is still famous for its many fantastic innovations: there was the brilliant idea of having comperes start the show right from the red carpet, there was also the first-of-its-kind idea of having 4 of the nation’s hottest young people anchor one event as a combined force, the interactive session was a huge hit, and of course people still shiver when they remember the pure magic of the special rendition of our national anthem! There’s no doubt about it – this event is a hit!