Over 50 Episodes — The Hangout Series with Wisdom Chapp-Jumbo hits 1 year
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After Nigeria recorded its first COVID-19 case on 27th February 2020, surviving the lockdown period was a miracle. For me it gave birth to a new experience I never believed would happen for a long time.
Working from home was initially a struggle. At first, the whole idea sounded really cool and exciting, but one week later I started to miss my office desk and the hustle and bustle of Lagos. It was indeed a crazy experience. Read more here about my lockdown experience and the thrilling response from my Linkedin connections when I asked how they were also coping. Lol!
Did you join the COVID-19 vs 5G banter online? Lol! I really can not forget 2020 in a hurry. So much has happened and so many memories never to forget so soon. The fear of COVID is the beginning of wisdom. But I am so happy we have moved on and learning every day to adjust to the new normal.
How it Started:
In 2016, my desire to be on TV grew so strong that I couldn't help myself. I was just rounding up my degree program at AIT University, Ghana and the dream to appear on TV metamorphosed. Not sure how to go about it or get started, I decided to start using my Facebook page Live feature to engage my followers. Still nervous and unsure, I knew I had an interest in talking about politics and addressing social issues. I did my first Live video in December 2016 when I returned home to Bonny Island on holiday but it didn't look so cool like IK Osakioduwa and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu. I lost the courage to continue. You can watch it here. Lol!
Fast forward to 2020
In the wake of the lockdown, on May 9th 2020, I gathered the courage to revisit this passion burning inside of me. By this time, I have watched enough of my role models, started a career in Communication and was managing a radio show program for my company. Deep down I still wanted that TV experience. So I started the Live talk show I called “The Hangout Series with Wisdom Chapp-Jumbo” on my Facebook Page.
About the Hangout Series show:
Tailoring the show to my long-lasting passion for politics, governance and leadership issues was very easy. I aimed to use the platform to raise awareness on many of these social and political issues and bring forward thought leaders at all levels to address them by proffering solutions either short or long term. I also talked about youth development, education, entertainment, and culture and created awareness of gender-related issues. Conversations on the show were more local, with a mindset to make these local issues global by leveraging technology
Was it easy? Definitely not. My audience was primarily people within the Niger Delta and Rivers State to be specific. This audience demography was because Facebook was a major social media tool used around there. Notwithstanding, we recorded many useful conversations that triggered some impactful change.
What was exciting for me to keep up with the show and the impact?
Until I started this show, I never realised how bad governance was at the local level and how citizens needed a platform to bring their pains and sufferings to the forefront. During the pandemic and all the series of lockdown, governance was tested exposing the unbelievable leaders we have. While there was so much attention at the national level and on the Presidency and State Governments, who was watching the local governments? Watch this episode to see how on the show we exposed some funds mismanagement in Bonny Local Government in Rivers State.
In the face of some insecurity issue in Rivers State, and especially in Bonny Local Government, the hangout series was a platform for exclusive eye witness reports on happenings in Bonny Local Government. In this episode, one victim shares exclusively with me how he escaped a kidnap attempt and his account of how security agencies managed the situation. For me, it was exciting to see the level of trust in me and my platform to share widely his experience.
I was very vocal too on the kidnap of 5 fathers kidnapped in a village called Banigo in Bonny Island. Watch here an episode that helped create awareness on the kidnap across Rivers State. this episode has since recorded over 750 views. My heart is full of joy that I could speak up. Unfortunately, to date, the kidnapped victims are yet to be found.
Aside from security, politics and governance issues, leveraging on my network I was able to have friends and thought leaders speak on topical issues like education, culture, entertainment and youth development. In this episode, we explore conversation around the challenges of higher degree holders in Nigeria and why over 17,800 PhD holders were unemployed in the country at the time. Please watch the episode if you can. It contains useful insights.
Watch all 50 plus episodes here on my Facebook page and on my YouTube page here. Please help my ministry by subscribing to my YouTube channel.
After 50 episodes, what is next?
- I have learnt so much professionally doing this for over 1 year now and after every episode, I am confident this is what I love doing. As a media personality which I strongly would like to say I have become through this platform, I will be more fulfilled doing more of this and giving the people a voice to these social issues.
- My next goal is to broaden my audience demography, do more on Youtube and upgrade some of my gadgets to be able to do more. I record with my laptop from the comfort of my house with a webcam. I would be so glad to get support or partnerships to get professional equipment to shoot every episode.
- I have not been able to properly track the impact of conversations from the show. This is an area I want to focus more on going forward. I say this because the feedbacks will make me improve and grow better. I really don’t know how Television and Radio stations do this with their programs but I am willing to invest in learning how this works and implement the same for the hangout series.
- I will be working on branding for the show. I say this because I am thinking long term and it is important how my followers remember what we do. Investing in creating a name, and design that identifies and differentiates what we do from others. I am very happy to work with partners on this too.
- Taking a step further to do this either on Television or Radio is an opportunity I am definitely open to. Exploring potential partnership opportunities to achieve this will mean a lot to me.
In conclusion, I want to especially thank all my 50 plus guest and special guests who gave me a chance to have them on the show. Many turned me down, some disappointed and looked down on me. All of this experience made me put in more efforts to do this better. It is my goal to one day sit with heads of states, Governors, Presidents and global leaders to have conversations that will shape a better society for the next generation.
I also want to sincerely thank Mr Victor Tomsoftly who took it upon himself to sponsor graphic designs for all episodes of the show since I started in May 2020. He believed in me and offered to support me by doing all the designs we used for free just to make me publish more professional contents. Bless you, Victor. I will forever remember your support.
Is it over? Definitely not. The journey just started. Looking forward to the next season and many more episodes of “The Hangout Series”. Follow me on Facebook by clicking here and catch more of the show.
