With Mixta, Wakaa is Nigeria’s first musical theatre to hit London West End

The colourfully, flamboyant stage spectacle Wakaa! The Musical that rocked Lagos last Christmas will be staged in London West End in five days in seven shows from July 21 through 25, 2016. It is part of its international outing that will see Nigeria exporting a home made cultural product abroad, with the active support of a real estate firm, Mixta Africa.

At a press briefing last week, officials of Mixta Africa and producers of Wakaa spoke glowingly of the potentials of the musical as a quality African product and a must-see for the outside world.

Managing Director of Mixta Nigeria, Mr. Kola Ashiru-Balogun, said, Mixta’s support for Wakaa on the London project “is also well aligned with our strategy for the diaspora market. As you know, the African real estate sector currently offers huge opportunities for investment right from affordable homes to luxury homes. There is a very strong African presence in London and we want to use this medium to reach out to them about the opportunities back home”.

Thus for Mixta, a quality cultural product like Wakaa becomes the essential vehicle needed to reach millions of potential investors and lure Nigerians to the opportunities at home.

Ashiru-Balogun continued, “Wakaa is a story that resonates with us. It is something we said we’d like to sponsor and take to the global world. For us it presents opportunity to the diaspora Nigerians and Africans what is available here. We are in the mode of made in Nigeria products and we are glad we have something to offer Nigerians at home and abroad”.

Chief Executive and Producer of Wakaa, Mrs. Bolanle Austin-Peters Production, expressed appreciation for Mixta for its belief and interest in Wakaa and the opportunity to take it to a global audience. She added, “Most companies didn’t see the opportunity in the culture sector as Mixta did. This is in line with promoting the non-oil sector of the economy; we are the first to exploit it. Mixta is a real estate company and it’s nice to encourage Nigerians outside to come back. Mixta is offering home incentive to diaspora Nigerians. It’s significant that a real estate company sees the synergy between art and culture and for others to key into it as the next destination worth investing in”.

On taking Nigeria’s first musical to London, Bolanle Austen-Peters said a lot has gone into preparation for the show. She stated that Nigeria Export Promotion Council was also involved in the project, adding, “We need to convince others about the quality product we have and for people to see that what we have can rival what is out there.

We should start exporting products, especially culture from Nigeria and our musicals – Saro and Wakaa – present us that opportunity. Creating jobs has always been my primary motivation. For example, previously outsourced cottage industries such as costume designing and training for technical roles are now being done in-house. We are birthing industries and developing talent that can rival any of the big institutions in the world”.

As part of the sponsorship, Mixta Africa will host a Real Estate Investment Cocktail on July 22 at the Pullman Hotel. In addition, Mixta Africa will host Africans living in London on July 31, 2016 at a family fun day event.

Wakaa! The Musical is a play about the trials, successes and experiences of some young graduates with varied backgrounds. A wager between them after graduation has a twist when the realities of life and the folly of their choices hit them. The story reveals the struggle and challenges young people face in present day Africa and abroad. Wakaa! The Musical takes you on an emotional rollercoaster and is a strong satire on Nigeria’s politics. Wakaa first ran in December of 2015 in Lagos and recorded a huge success. It will staged at London’s West End in seven shows through five days.