Nigerian Cartoonist
Waziri is the founder and producer of the children’s show Bino and Fino in Nigeria. According to Lavelle in an article for NewsWhistle, he created the show because he discovered that there weren’t any African cartoons that children in his country were watching. The shows children watch are primarily from the West and do not represent their history or culture. He also found that some of the shows would portray Africans in a negative light. Waziri wanted to change that and create a cartoon that would encompass Nigerian culture as well as educate the children on their own history.
Bino and Fino
“Bino and Fino is a cartoon series about a brother and sister that is currently airing on TV in the U.K. and South Africa.Bino and Fino live with their grandparents ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’ in a modern day city in Africa. Bino and Fino have many adventures where, with the help of their friend Zeena the Magic Butterfly, they discover and learn things about the world. [The show covers] Nigerian/African history, Nigerian/African culture, African maps, General black history in Diaspora, General educational content such as grammar and arithmetic, Life skills, African songs, African Languages, Fun and games from all over the world” – Waziri
Waziri mentions that out of 170 million people in Nigeria, half are under the age of eighteen. Children are the most impressionable and impressionable in a way that could change the future course of the country. Through positive portrayals of fellow Nigerian children and a creative way to learn historical content, Waziri has strived to positively impact his country
About Waziri
According to his LinkedIn, Waziri is a skilled in animation and has received awards for his 3D projects. His resume and work experience includes working for such clients as Disney, HP, and Sony. Bino and Fino stemmed from the animation company that Waziri heads called EVCL that is based in Nigeria
Challenges with Bino and Fino
Shipping orders across the country of Nigeria can be tedious because the roads are not always paved and there is an unreliable postal system in place. Wizard explains in an interview with Variety, that the show is actually watched more globally that within Nigeria because people have more access to DVDs or computers that can stream the videos. However, even though Waziri is not accessing the children he has intended, his goal of portraying Nigerians in a more positive way towards other cultures is still achieved when people in the West watch his show.Waziri stresses that he wants foreign producers to look at Nigeria as a producer of intellectual property rather than as a cheap source of labor.
Episode of Bino and Fino
In this particular episode of Bino and Fino, the two children learn the importance of Nigerian Independence!
Works Cited
LaVelle, Laura. “Nigerian Children’s Television: Our Q&A with “Bino & Fino” Creator Adamu Waziri.” NewsWhistle. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017. <http://newswhistle.com/nigerian-childrens-television-our-qa-with-bino-fino-creator-adumi-waziri/>.
The Story Behind Bino & Fino.” Bino and Fino – African Culture For Children. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017. <https://www.binoandfino.com/ourstory/>.
Vourlias, Christopher. “Nigerian Animators Look to Put African Brand on World Stage.” Variety. N.p., 18 Mar. 2016. Web. 27 Mar. 2017. <http://variety.com/2016/biz/global/nigerian-animations-studios-1201731120/>.
Waziri, Adamu. LinkedIn. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamu-waziri-20153437>.
Beyond the Single Story 