Fans Hail OSMI Pidgin English Commentaries

Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), the 2014 FIFA World Cup terrestrial TV broadcast rights owners for the Nigerian territory, has been hailed by a cross section of Nigerian fans for introducing Pidgin English match commentaries to the on-going World Cup television broadcast. 

OSMI runs both the English and Pidgin English commentaries for the World Cup live broadcast and a good number of Nigerian television stations have been beaming the Pidgin English version.

The Pidgin English commentaries, which are anchored by the trio of Cool FM/Naija Info sports journalists: Kelechi Nkoro, Deji Faremi and Jude Otigbu, according to the viewers, have brought a different dimension to the tournament’s broadcast.

Nnamdi Okoro, a Lagos-based electronics dealer, who watches the matches on Galaxy TV because of its preference for Pidgin English commentaries, said the innovation makes the broadcast “real and personal”. He said: “Now I can watch the World Cup matches with the language I appreciate and comfortable with. I don’t need to strain my ears to hear the foreign commentators. It is a good move from OSMI”.

Segun Idowu, an unemployed graduate, who boasted to have watched all the matches of the World Cup so far on television and has a plan to be in Russia for the 2018 World Cup, applauded OSMI for the Pidgin English commentaries.

He said: “It’s a good development. It presents a viable option for the viewers. I know a good number of my friends who would rather go for the Pidgin version than English. I particularly love the dexterity of the presenters and I wish many more stations will go for the pidgin as well. Kudos to OSMI for this also.”

Speaking on this, Mr. Kunle Falodun, Managing Director, OSMI, said the desire to enrich viewers World Cup experience was responsible for the innovation. “This is the first in the history of sports broadcasting in the country and we are proud to be at the forefront of giving the Nigerian audience a valuable, special and unforgettable viewing experience.

“We are simply enhancing viewers’ participation and followership, and Pidgin English has become more or less an indigenous language which most Nigerians speak. We carefully assembled the Pidgin English crew because of their expertise. From the feedback that we have received so far, the commentary has become very popular with Nigerians,” he noted.