In the early 80s, a group of voice talents who were determined to eke a living from their God-given talent hung around the Miditone audiovisual studios, then situated at No 6, Dodo Williams Street, Off Rasaq Balogun Street, Surulere, Lagos. These talents, most of whom were formal and freelance broadcasters, moved with the new location of Miditone studios on No 4, Eric Moore Close, Off Eric Moore Road Surulere. Miditone Studios soon became the hub of Audiovisual productions cum the home and hand-out point of voice talents, including singers and instrumentalists from where clients and producers could source at will.
In 2000, the idea of registering an association overwhelmed the voice talents, and on May 2nd 2002, the Association Of Voice Over Artistes (AVOA), allied to the Broadcast Industry (i.e. Adverting, Film and Music), also the umbrella body of Nigeria Broadcast Advert professionals or ‘Voice over practitioners’, was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, under the incorporated trustees of the Company and allied matters decree No.1 1990; AVOA’s pioneer President being the late Isaac Ijomah who passed on in 2003.
On Thursday April 5, 2004, the history of the national Association Of Voice Over Artistes (AVOA) took a glowing turn its then 36-member fold marched to No1, Okanlawon Ajayi Street, Masha Surulere, location of its newly rented national secretariat, fondly called “The Voice House”. As at today, 2022, members which has grown to a couple of thousands, holds sway, providing voice work on Broadcast advert materials, Interactive voice response (IVR), Documentaries, Copy writing, and Translations, Ring Back tones, Programs presentation and Periodic modelling.
Mr. Segun Arinze is the current and the 7th president of Association Of Voice Over Artistes (AVOA).
AVOA serves as the umbrella organization for voiceover practitioners in Nigeria. We set industry standards, offer training and development opportunities, and advocate for the recognition and fair treatment of voice artists. Our members specialize in a range of voice works including broadcast adverts, interactive voice response (IVR), documentaries, copywriting, translations, ringback tones, program presentation, and periodic modeling.
Ready to take your voiceover career to the next level?
Become a member of AVOA today and gain access to a wealth of resources, networking opportunities, and professional development programs. Whether you’re a seasoned voice artist or just starting out, AVOA welcomes you to join our vibrant community dedicated to excellence in voiceover artistry.