Cast of MTV Shuga, Adesua Etomi, Emmanuel Ikubese and Jemimah Osunde at the MTV Shuga Hype Party

Funsho Arogundade.

MTV Shuga Season 4, an award winning television series from the MTV Staying Alive Foundation and MTV Base will have its world premiere on 10 September at the Silverbird Galleria, Lagos, Nigeria.

The sizzling sex and relationships drama and multimedia campaign developed by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation and MTV Base, in partnership with NACA, PEPFAR, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and UNFPA, carries important public health messages aimed at the young.

Fusing sexual and other public health messages with world class storytelling and appealing, believable characters, MTV Shuga season 4 picks up the story some months after the end of series 3, exploring a number of themes and storylines that include first sex, grooming of adolescent girls, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, disclosure of HIV status, sexual assault within a relationship, stigma, mentoring, and the use of help lines.

Among the cast attending the red carpet premiere are returning cast members Dorcas Shola Fapson (Sophie), Emmanuel Ikubese (Femi), Sharon Ezeamaka (Princess), Nick Mutuma (Leo), Chris Attoh (Nii), Timini Egbuson (Tobi) and Olumide Oworu (Weki). New cast members are: Adesua Etomi (Sheila), Peace Hyde (Eniola), Zoe Favour (Mary), Jemima Osunde (Leila), Tunbosun Mohau Mokoatle (Bongi), “Tuby” Aiyedehin (Sheila’s mum), Jude Chukwuka (Sheila’s dad), Kate Adepegba (Sheila’s aunt), Paul Adams (Sheila’s uncle), Ifeanyi Dike Jr (Sheila’s brother), Najite Dede (Mary’s mum) and Olakunle Dada (Mary’s dad) are also expected to attend.

Other famous faces involved in series 4 include Ice Prince, Patoranking and Reminisce, who collaborated to create “Catch Me”, the new theme song for MTV Shuga. Patoranking also appears as himself during episode 1, while Eva Alordiah, M.I. and Jagz make cameo appearances later in the series.

Last seen with a life-threatening gunshot injury sustained in the dramatic season 3 finale of the TV drama, former ‘runs girl’ Sophie, profoundly affected by her brush with death, has vowed to turn her life around, working part-time on the NACA 6222 helpline and going out with Leo. Meanwhile businessman Nii, now separated from his wife Malaika (Leonora Okine), has turned his predatory gaze onto a new and younger target.

Music promoter Femi should be in the blissful early stages of a blossoming new relationship with Sheila, but stigma rears its ugly head before Femi takes brave steps to confront it… Heavily pregnant Princess is struggling to come to terms with impending motherhood and HIV with the help of mentor Eniola, while Weki is highly emotional trying to keep his HIV+ positive status secret from his girlfriend, Leila as their intimacy develops.

Filmed on location in Lagos earlier this year, MTV Shuga Season IV is scheduled to air on 120 broadcast outfits across the world, making it the most widely distributed season to date. For the first time, the highly anticipated fourth season will be translated into French and Portuguese language versions, extending the reach of MTV Shuga into Francophone and Lusophone territories.