The Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Yakubu Mohammed has announced the sensational return of the defunct popular TV show, The Village Headmaster, to the network service of the NTA.
Records have it that the programme which was Nigeria’s longest-running television soap opera showed on the NTA between 1968 to 1988. 34 years after, it is set to return to screen.
Mohammed said the programme would be aired on NTA, AIT and WAP TV.On NTA, it is scheduled for 8-9pm on Sunday, AIT on Wednesday 9-10pm, and WAP TV on Friday 8-9pm.
It could be recalled that The Village Headmaster, originally a radio drama series, was created by the late Chief Olusegun Olusola and produced by Dejumo Lewis.
The soap opera showed on the NTA from 1968 to 1988, and starred Ted Mukoro as the original Headmaster.
It was stated that the programme is currently being jointly sponsored by the NTA and Wale Adenuga Productions.
As part of efforts to maintain its originality, quality, feel and philosophy, the renewed cast has been super-packed with the choicest names in the industry, featuring some of the founding members of the series notably Kabiyesi, Dejumo Lewis, Ibidun Allison (Amebo), Dan Imodu (Dagbolu), Dele Osawe (Teacher Fadile), to mention but a few.
Other prominent members of the new cast include 9ice, Chris Iheuwa, Mr Latin, Funky Mallam, Jide Kosoko, Omo Ibadan, Okele, Fathia Balogun, Rycardo Agbor, Yemi Shodimu, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Jide Alabi, and many others.
Speaking on the development, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the drama series was at one time undoubtedly Nigeria’s first-longest-running television drama series which was produced by NTA and ran consecutively every week for decades.
He said, ‘‘The series was set in Oja, a fictitious Yoruba village, while the series was woven around the lives of the villagers from royalty to education and so on. The programme captivated viewers and it was difficult to look away from the TV set while the drama series was showing.
“The Village Headmaster was an addiction for many television viewers across Nigeria. Lovers of the sitcom rushed home by 8pm every Sunday to watch it.
“Each of the stories of the series was gripping and every episode was memorable.
‘‘The programme was the first major show since the country gained independence and was also the longest soap opera in production for many years until 1984.”
Lai went further to say that several efforts made to revive the programme were not successful.
He said “The one that readily comes to mind was in 2001 when NTA made a concerted effort to reintroduce The Village Headmaster.
“The viewing public was seriously excited. That excitement was however dashed. Little did we know that those hiccups were the ingredients that would eventually give a lasting hope for the series,” Mohammed added.
Official reports have it that on September 4, 2020, the NTA led by the Minister and CEO of Wale Adenuga Productions, Chief Wale Adenuga, signed an MoU that officially marked the beginning of a partnership to bring “The Village Headmaster” back on television.
