Best 20 Reality TV Shows Watched By Nigerians In 2023

Because they are relatable and interesting, reality programs make for excellent television. Although talent shows are the most popular series, romance and relationship shows have gained popularity over time. And in recent years, the number of reality shows produced in Nigeria has increased. Conservative segments of Nigerian culture, however, view them as morally bankrupt and conspirators in the promotion of promiscuous lifestyles.

Nevertheless, millions of fans in Nigeria have fallen in love with these ongoing reality series. They are often regarded as the toast of Nigeria’s entertainment industry. They captivate the audience with suspense, drama, and competitiveness, not to mention the thrills and increased curiosity that accompany evictions.

Reality TV shows appear to be the new drug these days. That being said, let us take a look at the best 20 Nigerian reality television shows that Nigerians watch this year.

1. Big Brother Naija: All Stars

Big Brother Naija is the most popular Nigerian reality television show. This show follows a group of young people who spend ten weeks in the Big Brother house. They are all eligible to win the grand prize of some cool millions in naira. Big Brother Naija has been on the air since 2006, with an 11-year sabbatical following the initial season before returning in 2017.

Big Brother Naija: All Stars is the eighth and final season of the Nigerian reality show Big Brother. The ‘All Stars’ edition features carefully-picked housemates and fan favorites from earlier seasons of the show, including See Gobbe, Double Wahala, Pepper Dem, Lockdown, Shine Ya Eye, and Level Up. The winner takes a home a mouthwatering 120 million naira, per the show’s organizers.

2. Nigerian Idol

Another local franchise of a major worldwide music reality television show is Nigerian Idol. The inaugural round, held in October 2010, was open to all Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 28, and it soon acquired renown and approval after airing on over 15 African stations. The inaugural winner of Nigerian Idol received 7.5 million, a recording contract with Sony, a car, and an all-expenses-paid trip to South Africa.

3. Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a Nigerian game show based on the original British setting. It premiered on NTA on October 8, 2004 and ended on June 25, 2017. The main goal is to earn $20,000,000 (formerly $5,000,000 and $10,000,000) by properly answering 15 multiple-choice questions. Since its start, Frank Edoho has hosted the show. The Nigerian version was confirmed to return to air in 2021, with a higher top prize of 20,000,000. This season lasted from March 20 until April 9, 2023.

4. The Voice Nigeria

The Voice Nigeria is one of the most popular music reality shows in Nigeria. The show, which is a spinoff of the global music reality TV show The Voice of Holland, was established by Jon de Mol and follows in the footsteps of The Voice of Holland. It screens dozens of contestants before narrowing them down to the top six or eight for the final weekend, when fans will determine the winner.

Top-tier Nigerian artists, including returning performers Waje and Yemi Alade, have served as judges on the show. Although it premiered in 2016, the show went on hiatus after the second season in 2017 before returning for a third season in 2021.

5. Young, Famous & African

The first African reality show is Young, Famous, and African. This show, unlike the others on this list, spans the continent rather than focused on a single country. It features Tanzanian, Ugandan, South African, and Nigerian celebrities. Swanky Jerry, model and actress Annie Macaulay-Idibia, and her husband, singer 2Baba, represented Nigeria. The show was a continental event that caused ripples even in the United States.

6. The Real Housewives of Lagos

In July 2022, The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOLagos) launched. The show focuses on the luxurious lifestyles of six affluent Lagos socialites. At the time of writing, it had only broadcast for one season. Laura Ikeji-Kanu, a social media personality, Toyin Lawani-Adebayo, Carolyna Hutchings, Chioma Ikokwu, Mariam Timmer, and Iyabo Ojo are among the prominent cast members.

Every week, spectators get to see the rich women flaunt their extravagant lifestyles, which include shopping trips, internal competitions, and high society parties. The sitcom has quickly become a fan favorite and has been nominated for the African Entertainment Awards USA.

7. Knorr Taste Quest

Knorr Taste Quest is a famous catering reality show in Nigeria. It debuted in 2013 and was sponsored by Unilever Nigeria. The performance emphasizes Knorr’s culinary experience as well as the brand’s enthusiasm for taste.

Participants demonstrate their culinary skills while also providing Nigerians with a fun and educational cookery demonstration. The show centres around activities assigned to competitors by the judges to put their cooking talents and inventiveness to the test.

8. Gulder Ultimate Search

Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS) is a Nigerian reality television programme produced and sponsored by Nigerian Breweries Plc to promote its flagship Gulder brand. It was Nigeria’s first 100% local content reality television show, beginning in 2004.

GUS is a survival-themed show that focused on competitors’ battles against themselves and the forces of nature while searching for hidden treasures, with candidates eliminated on a regular basis and the last man remaining obtaining fame and fortune. Gulder Ultimate Search returned to television screens in 2021, after a seven-year break.

9. Date My Family Nigeria

This is a reality dating show in which your family and friends decide whether or not you will get a date. The show follows a suitor who visits three potential dates’ homes, dines with their families, and chooses one of them based on their interactions with each family. The suitor and chosen date would then embark on a dinner date to see if they are a good match.

10. Shoot Your Shot

Big Brother Naija 2017 runner-up Shoot Your Shot marks Bisola Aiyeola’s return to reality television. On the dating show, the actress, singer, and songwriter guides young single Nigerians through the process of finding love. Bisola assists secret admirers in meeting and winning the heart of their crush when they shoot their shot.

11. Judging Matters

Every day in Lagos, new crises emerge, but the courts cannot resolve them all. Judging Matters, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, assists Lagosians in obtaining justice for minor claims. These cases are overseen by Justice Olusola William, a retired Lagos judge.

She investigates and listens while host (and real-life lawyer) Ebuka Obi-Uchendu assists the claimant and defendant in airing their arguments. The show teaches viewers about the law in a straightforward and humorous manner.

12. Nigeria’s Got Talent

Nigeria’s Got Talent is a reality talent show in Nigeria that is part of the Got Talent series. It was first introduced in 2012. The auditioning that takes place in front of the judges and a live audience in different locales accounts for more than 70% of the show’s duration.

13. The X-Factor Nigeria

This was one of the world’s largest singing reality shows, which Glo eventually turned into Nigeria’s biggest music reality show, with a 24 million Naira prize and an international Sony Music contract. Regrettably, the show’s run was rather brief, therefore its market impact was small.

14. The Next Titan

The Next Titan reality show is definitely one of the top entrepreneur tv reality shows, with Season 9 registration currently open, where the winner will receive 20 million naira and the runner-up will receive 5 million naira. This show seeks for ambitious business owners who want to display their entrepreneurial acumen through innovative business ideas and commercial savvy. All Nigerians between the ages of 21 and 40 are eligible.

15. Dr. Laser

The show is a medical reality show about Nigerians undergoing plastic surgery. The show depicts what motivates people to seek plastic surgery as well as the consequences of their actions.

Furthermore, the reality TV show would educate more Nigerians who are self-conscious about their bodies and appearance. Unfortunately, the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (MDPDT) barred the surgeon from practicing medicine.

16. Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs

The reality show features a weekly agenda of ideas, shocking facts, figures, insights into the Nigerian economy, entertainment, and educational information. It presents the most fascinating and diversified business owners, enhanced by the thrill of the caught in the act (CIA) section. The AYE Reality TV show seeks to identify and present to the globe unique business ideas and solutions.

17. Ultimate Love

This reality TV show is one of the few in Nigeria that has been established to assist couples in defining what love means to them. The model is straightforward: 16 people (half of each gender) are coupled up and housed in a remote location for 50 days under 24-hour observation. The objective is to identify the ultimate couple’s love and have them keep it throughout the show – and hopefully after.

18. Next Movie Star

Next Movie Star is a reality television show that focuses on uncovering fresh talents in the acting industry. Sola Fajobi founded the show in Nigeria in 2004, and by 2016, it has grown to include representatives from eleven African countries. Participants are typically camped together for many weeks while being nurtured to become informed and skilled in their specialty. The show is typically carried on multiple television networks across the continent.

19. Lions’ Den

Lions’ Den is a business reality show that allows aspiring entrepreneurs from throughout Nigeria to present their ideas to five successful Nigerian investors known as Lions. These Lions want to give back to society by assisting Nigerians in realizing their hopes and ambitions. Entrepreneurs pitch for investment in the Den to our Lions, five venture capitalists prepared to invest their own money in exchange for stock.

20. Love Come Back

Love Come Back is an entertaining dating show. It is one of the most interesting reality shows in Nigeria in 2022 that is worth watching. Many of the show’s acts revolve around ex-lovers attempting to reconcile. Participants discuss their breakup tales and then reach out to their ex-partners in an attempt to win them back.