By Adesina Wahab

Nollywood actor-turned-lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, is among dignitaries expected to watch some 85 secondary school pupils showcase their talent at the Next Hero concert holding on Saturday at the J.F. Ade Ajayi Main Auditorium, University of Lagos.

Elliot will join Fuad Kayode Laguda, APC aspirant for Surulere Federal Constituency 1 in the House of Representatives,  and Suleiman Bamidele Yusuf, Chairman Surulere Local Government Area to watch the pupils drawn from public secondary schools across Surulere Local Government Area perform different types of music.

The participants were trained for one year under the Music, Art, Dance and Empowerment, M.A.D.E initiative of H2:14 Global Missions.

The concert will feature solo performance, group dance performance, a band performance playing original music, and an orchestra performance.

Though not a competitive event, outstanding participants will be rewarded with scholarship awards donated by sponsors to specialised schools to hone their skills.

A statement by the organisers, led by Reverend Dotun Arifalo, Visionary, H2:14 Global Missions, noted that the aim of the project is to equip the pupils with leadership and life skills through the arts.

“M.A.D.E seeks to use unconventional extra-curricular education to develop the wholesome child 360 degrees – physically, mentally, socially and spirituality,” it reads in part.

Ultimately, the aim of the project is to empower one million public school pupils through the arts by 2030 starting from this edition.

In addition to talent development, the pupils are exposed to mentoring, guidance and counseling, community service and accountability, among others.

Reverend Arifalo called on organisations, public-spirited individuals to support the vision through sponsorship.

Other members of the project team are Dr. Ayomide Olofinjana- Project Manager Barrister Fisayo Adesina, Empowerment Director, and Jesutofunmi Makinde,  Production Director.