FG fine on sponsor forced ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ off air, Frank Edoho

Nigerian television host and filmmaker Frank Edoho has addressed speculation surrounding his departure from the popular game show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.' Edoho clarified that he was not sacked, as widely reported, but rather that the show's long-time sponsor withdrew its support, leading to its eventual end.

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I was on radio. I worked for Radio Nigeria, that’s the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, for four years. You know, once you can work on radio for four years but not get as much popularity or fame as you would if you worked on TV for one month.

Edoho, who previously spent four years at Radio Nigeria, found greater fame in television. He explained that the show's sponsor, after a decade of backing, ceased its involvement following a significant regulatory penalty imposed by the Federal Government. While Edoho did not specify the exact nature of the fine, he indicated it was a punitive measure for a corporate issue, creating a financial burden that made continued sponsorship impossible.

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So Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? sort of came to an end when our sponsor withdrew. I don’t know if I can mention brand names here, but our sponsor stayed with us for a decade sponsoring the show.

Following the sponsor's withdrawal, Edoho entered negotiations to become an executive producer and acquire a stake in the show, believing his extensive experience made him a valuable asset. However, these negotiations broke down due to disagreements.

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I think the Federal Government fined them based on some industry… I think it was just like a punitive measure for one corporate thing that happened. I can’t go into details, but that affected the sponsorship of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

When the show relaunched under a new sponsor, Edoho was not involved, fueling rumors that he had been dropped. He maintained that this was untrue and described the experience as a betrayal after years of dedication to the program.

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I went into negotiation because we heard that other sponsors were interested, and I wanted to be an executive producer. I wanted to have a stake in it because I feel that I built myself up to the extent that I assumed I was an asset to the show.