As Nigeria’s popular television game show–“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” returns after 5 years of hiatus, here are some historical facts you probably don’t know about the show.
1. What is “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a popular Nigerian television game show that started on October 8, 2004. According to sources, the show was modelled after the British version founded by the trio of David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Stephen Knight.
Basically, WWTBAM is a kind of game show that places contestants on a hot seat. Like regular quiz games, contestants battle a series of multiple-choice questions to win cash prizes.
The original version of the show was first aired on September 4, 1998, on the ITV Network and it was hosted by Chris Tarrant. Until 2008, when the show’s ownership was transferred to Sony Pictures Television, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was sponsored by its founders.
Similarly, the Nigerian version of the show enjoyed the sponsorship of MTN Nigeria since its inception until 2017 when the telecommunication pulled out from the game and Airoplaycare took over. Currently, the show is funded by UP a payment and financial technology company alongside BLK Hut Media and producers of the game show under the authority of Sony Pictures Television.
2. Rules of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
Like every other quiz or game show, WWTBAM is also governed by certain rules. The rules are explained below:
- The game show usually starts with a preliminary round called Fastest Fingers First. This round that comes before the main game is conducted to allow new contestants to participate in the main game
- When a contestant enters the standard game, they are asked increasingly difficult questions
- The contestant is entitled to a total of 15 multiple choice questions on advancing to the main game.
- “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” questions are based on general knowledge
- Each question has at least four possible answers which a contestant selects from
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3. Lifelines of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
The organisers of the game show understand that a contestant may get stuck during the quiz. Therefore, they provide saving lifelines that contestants can use to stay their course and chance of winning the ultimate prize. The lifelines are:
- 50-50 (Fifty-Fifty): If a contestant chooses this lifeline, two incorrect options will be deleted from the provided possibilities, leaving him/her with two options– a correct and an incorrect answers
- Call a Friend: Here, the contestant is given the grace to call a friend and solicit help. Within 30 seconds, the contestant is expected to read out the question to his/her friend and come up with an answer
- Ask the Audience: Instead of the above, a contestant may choose to ask the audience instead when they get stuck. The audience will then vote using the voting pads attached to their seats. Since the audience answers are not always the same, the computer tallies their answers and displays them to the contestant in percentage.
- Ask the Host: This lifeline is new and peculiar to Nigeria’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. A contestant can now ask the host/questionnaire directly for help when he gets stuck.
4. Payout Structure of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
As mentioned earlier, when a contestant enters the main game, he is quizzed on increasingly difficult questions. Now, whats good and super exciting about it the game is that every question has money value.
So, the more a contestant answers the questions correctly, the more he accumulates more money. and stands a chance to win the ultimate prize.
In the previous editions of the Nigerian game show, the ultimate prize is 10 million naira. That was huge! In a recent announcement, however, the organisers of the game show said the ultimate prize has been increased to 20 MILLION!!!
But can a contestant answer all questions perfectly? Well, that’s a tough one.
Anyway, the organisers have structured the programme in a way that a contestant could decide to walk away or withdraw from the game after reaching a certain threshold and is fearful of losing.
Check the previous payout structure in the picture below:
5. Top Prize Winners of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
| Year | Winner | Cash Prize in Naira |
| 2009 | Chimuanya Aroma Ufodike | 10 million |
| 2009 | Osazuwa Osahon Daniels | 5 million |
| 2010 | Babatunde Oni Oladipo | 5 million |
| 2012 | Nnaemeka Ubaekwena | 5 million |
| 2012 | Winifred E. Karieren | 5 million |
| 2013 | Sammy Abraham | 5 million |
| 2014 | Olalowo Olatokun | 5 million |
2022 Edition of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
Recently, the organisers of the Nigerian Game Show intimated the public that the show is set to return after 5 long years of hiatus.
As you can always trust them, this year’s edition is a banger! It is tagged “The Rebirth.” According to the organisers, contestants can now fix their gaze on the whooping sum of 20 Million naira as the ultimate prize. Also, the programme will be broadcasted on television and across channels for 52 weeks.
What to Expect from the Rebirth of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
As promised by Agada Apochi, the Managing Director of UP, let’s trust that the 2022 edition of the Game Show will create lasting memories for us.
The past editions were quite eventful as education, fun and entertainment kept us glued to our screens.
Also, with the return of Frank Edoho as the host of WWTBAM Rebirth, Nigerians can’t wait to enjoy another series of educating and entertaining quiz sessions as he is known for his adroit style of anchoring the show in the past.