Nigerians were mesmerized as they sat glued to their televisions and watched the debut of Gulder Ultimate Search (“GUS”) on Snake Island in Lagos, which was powered by Nigerian Breweries Plc in 2004. The essence was to catch the last man. standing among the ten competitors (five young men and five women), who would be crowned the “Supreme Man”, become ambassadors of the “Gulder brand”, and of course have fame and fortune as his loyal bodyguards. The “GUS” was seen across the country and enthusiastically watched by millions of Nigerians courtesy of A-list television stations. In addition, the Gulder brand during and after the reality show received increased patronage from customers, which which boosted sales production.

The “GUS” has become an annual competition on the program schedule, as thousands of men and women flock to various tryout camps, hoping to earn a spot in the final ten who would compete for the ultimate prize. . The reality show awards the winner with a monetary sum of 7 million naira (the highest so far in all Nigerian reality shows) and a branded jeep, above positions 2 and 3. In April 2010, The inaugural edition of the celebrity show “GUS” was born, where ten celebrities (Princess, Funke Akindele, Weird MC, Bob Manuel Udokwu, Dare Art Alade, Daddy Showkey, Emeka Ike, Muma Gee, Obesere, Chioma akpota) following the rules of the “GUS” were chosen to fight. Rita Dominic, Omowunmi, Ramsey Nouah had initially been on the list, but it was rumored that a controversy surrounding Genevieve Nnaji’s role as presenter might have been one of the factors responsible for their retraction.

A reality show simply means one that lacks ‘acting’ of the events that unfold. Everything that happens is unforeseen, real, documented so that viewers see the ongoing events with each passing moment. There are no actors, just competitors (young men and women who live next door, down the street) doing their best to win the star prize. The setting varies depending on the theme of the reality show. Apart from a few like the GUS and the desert warriors, most of the competitors stay in comfortable and exotic places.

Over the years, following the success recorded with the hit “GUS”, other reality shows have sprung up, some of which compete annually, while some have left, perhaps due to a lack of sponsors. Reality shows have discovered and taken advantage of the potential of young people, mainly in the spheres of entertainment, while business, oratory, and environmental conservation have also conceived and materialized them. The following list reflects the various reality shows that have hit our screens since the debut of the GUS:

The Intern – Business

Star Quest – Music

Big Brother Nigeria – Social

Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) – Cinema

The Next Movie Star – Movies

West African Idols – Music

Nokia First Chance – Music

West Africa MTN Project Fame – Music

MTN Nig /Ghana soccer academy – Soccer

The Apprentice – Business

Celebrity Takes Two – Dance

Soccer with Flash – Soccer

Soccer with Okocha – Soccer

Children alone – social (for children)

The 12 Ambassadors – Movies

Koko Mansion – Social

Maltina al family dance – Dance

Western Nigeria – Tourism

Desert Warriors – Environmental Conservation

The Deabaters – Oratorio

Praise Him Idol West Africa (music), Titans Nigeria (covering different fields), and Styleogenic (Fashion) will also debut on reality television.
Nigerians are now looking forward to some of these reality shows, and for those that are about to emerge or are currently just ideas, we look forward to their debut.

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