Category: Sunday Interview

Dr. Tunde Segun is the Nigerian Country Director of Mamaye. The organisation works at improving maternal and newborn survival using a strategic combination of evidence, advocacy and accountability to save lives. In this encounter with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, he talks about the mission of his organisation, achievements, challenges and how to reduce the rate of maternal mortality in the country.

SO what is the focus and mission  of the organisation? “Basically, we have three tools of trade and they are tackling the problem, advocacy and accountability. So we try to use available evidence (data), information and statistics. We do this by packaging it in a way that it matters for advocacy basically for maternal and new born health issues.”

You want to know how they do this and Segun replies: “Our strategy usually is to act as a catalyst for action, using evidence strategically to generate political commitment, strengthen accountability and improve planning and decision-making at sub-national and national levels. We also work to strengthen international and regional accountability.

“The consortium brings together experts from academic institutions, internationally recognised advocacy and accountability coalitions and civil society organisations.”

Continuing, he states: “We also work with other organisations, who train, donate equipment. However, what we realise is that they do their work and report to donors and somehow everyone is happy that they have achieved what they set out to achieve. The big question here is what happens to the evidence? What happens to the work that has been done? How wide spread is it and how do people know about the message that you want to communicate? How are they sensitised to act based on what has happened?”

To give answers to some of these questions, Segun and his team try to put the figures together and relate to activities that can help reduce the problem.  “What we have been mandated to do is to use all the available evidences in different ways that can bring about positive change. It has to be something that the people understand or something that they can relate with.”

To buttress his point, Segun stresses that the right strategy must be used to get results. “For example, if you go to a scientific conference and you see the crowd talking about some figures, you, of course, may make sense of this. But to the ordinary man on the street, this may not be appreciated. So if you are talking about standards here, they probably won’t understand the details.”

Segun continues: “It is important to look at the audience and strategically package what you want to do. We usually produce what we call score cards to the states and agree with some states’ stakeholders. For example, a woman gets pregnant and she has gone to register for ante natal care. Here we need to ask questions like when did she register? Was it between twenty weeks and all that? You also need to find out, how many times she got anti malaria drugs. Malaria is something that can cause a big problem during pregnancy and now every pregnant woman should have what is called intermediary preventive therapy. So they make sure that she takes the first two tablets in front of the healthcare provider, so they know that you have taken it.”

He goes on to paint a graphic picture of how the health analysis is done. “Here, you see that there are red lights if you are not doing well at all. Then where you have green, it means that you are doing well. You can imagine a very busy commissioner of health, who looks at the report at a glance, it would be easy to understand what the situation is like and you can relate with this.”

This, he stresses, would be easy to relate with when making a presentation to a government official or a donor agency. “So, you can imagine if all the local government agencies do this. We presented this at the state council meeting, which is like the highest decision-making body at the state level and it generated a lot of discussion. The commissioner of health was very interested in the issues and he started asking questions. So you can imagine the impact that can be generated if we have the right statistics and push it.”

He adds: “We are trying to see that mothers do not die as a result of pregnancy and related issues. Pregnancy is a physiological problem. It is not designed to kill a woman. Of course, we all know that some things are standard. If you sleep with a woman, she becomes pregnant, same with a woman’s circle every month. It is not a disease, pregnancy does not kill. What kills is if she develops a complication and there is no one skilled enough to address that complication.”

Next, the country director goes on to talk about the implication of losing so many women to something that could be avoided. “In Nigeria, statistics has shown that about 40,000 women die annually as a result of pregnancy-related complications and 209,000 children under five also die annually. If you break that down to everyday, it comes to about 109 or 110 women who die every day.”

These painful deaths, Segun now compares with a crashing Boeing 727. “I like to use the example of the average Boeing 727 crash, the number of Nigerian women who die of maternal health on a daily basis as being the equivalent of a crash. Now, if you know the kind of uproar generated by a plane crash then it is sad to note that women are also dying in this number unsung.”

However, Segun believes that it’s better to dwell on the solution to the problems and not just the figures. “Look at the example of Boko Haram. At the beginning, it was shocking to hear the number of people that were killed but later people started seeing it in a different way. So, it is important to go beyond the numbers of death. It is very important to look at ways to save our women from dying.”

Asked how this can be achieved and Segun replies this way: “We can do this by encouraging them to seek ante natal care, go to a skilled birth attendant and that way the people would be spurred to act and do the right thing. Interestingly, a lot of people are putting in their best. One of such people is a Jigawa health provider who stood out in the process of doing her work. She donated her personal blood to save the life of a patient.”

He also talks about the role of the media in setting the right agenda for the health sector and how this can have a multiplier effect. “We usually look at the different outlets that are available to us and one of such outlets is the media. Life can be very interesting and experiences that you go through can make you diversify over the years.”

Mrs. Adedoyin Balogun is the CEO of Thairphy Salon and Spa which just berthed in the city of Ibadan. In this interview with JEREMIAH OKE, she revealed her mission to redefine the beauty industry and why people, especially youths, must embrace vocation jobs.

YOU just launched a beautification outfit, what was the idea behind this? This has been my dream since when I was a teenager. I have always had this notion that if I want to have a white collar job, I would love to work in an office as a secretary and that if I want to engage in any entrepreneurship or vocational job, I wanted a salon. There were a few delays when I was about to attend the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, to be precise, and as a result of this, I enrolled at the Opera Benson Beauty Training Institute in Lagos then. It was like the higher institution we have today, because the materials were very voluminous and the setting was professional. I did my cosmetology in 1990, beauty therapy in 1991 and graduated. Afterwards, I got admitted into the higher institution. Then, I had the feeling that I was laying a foundation which would lead to a well-established business that has manifested today. My parents even wanted to set up a salon for me then, but I insisted that I wanted to go to school, which is helping me today.

Why did it take you so long to get it established?

It took me a while to concentrate more on this because of the fear of where to start from. Location was also one of the main concerns. But I eventually made up my mind that Ibadan would be a right place to set up this kind of business in order to correct the wrong impression that it is not a good or safe place to make money. People need to change their orientation about this. I just love Ibadan. Though I am not from Oyo State, it is glaring that the Pace Setter state has witnessed a tremendous development in recent time, especially in the world of entertainment and our sector needs to take a cue from this. There are a lot of people who want value for what they get and people should cultivate the habit to treat their clients with class and taste.

What stands you out among others?

 Aside the fact that I love treating my body well, especially my hair and nails, I love neatness and also love to have something doing always because it keeps me fit and agile. Having developed passion for this, I also make sure I am grounded in this field. I have worked as a masseur, stylist, and manicurist and I did all these before I got admitted into the polytechnic. I felt it was time for me to make people realise that they can get good treatment of their body even within the city of Ibadan. Part of the reasons I ventured into this is to correct the mistakes of some people in this field; many are tacky and not clean in handling the business. Whoever is into this business must make neatness his or her priority. We need to realise that it is a sensitive vocation that deals in cleaning and beautifying people. One of our uniqueness is that we want people to appreciate their natural hair by giving it a classy touch, compared to others who concentrate more on artificial hairs. Though it depends on individual’s choices. Our primary aim is to give people top notch treatment.

How has it been since you started?

 We just started and the experience has been awesome and encouraging. I know we will get there soon. The salon has been busy since we unveiled it. I believe we will expand in no time because my goal is beyond where we are at present, at Gbeyikomi House, opposite BCOS Exhibition gate, Ibadan. I have been on this particular project since last year January. We have facilities for both sex and we have also made it a priority to put people’s body in place through massage.

Where do you want to see this project in the next five years?

By the grace of God, I want it to blossom. As it is, we have not yet explored all as far as beauty things are concerned. We will not relent to follow the beauty trend and also give people a classy treatment. We have a lot of things in the pipeline and we will begin to explore them very soon.

Now that the world is encouraging entrepreneurship, what is your advice for the youth?

I think this is important for everybody, especially the youth. We need to make entrepreneurship a priority.  The current situation of the country has also given a good example of the danger of the white collar jobs. Try and think of a vocational job while in school or when waiting for admission. I am glad that it has been inculcated in the school curriculum. We must discover passion for something that will make one a boss and also put food on one’s table. For me, it is becoming pathological when it comes to beauty, neatness and aesthetics.

Why did you dump white collar job for a vocational business?

I was a secretary at the University Press. I just discovered that I was not having satisfaction any more. I felt I was becoming redundant and this is one of the things I fear most in my life. Ordinarily, I don’t have any problem with food, clothes or shelter because my husband can provide that, but I felt that life is more than that. I also need to support him in some areas and the fact that I don’t want to be idle because when you are active you don’t grow old fast.

Over the years, Nigeria-born model, Ugochi Latoya Igwilo, has been making waves as the first black model to hit celebrated platforms in India. Known with a creative outlook, dress sense and slender physique she has done shoots, fashion shows that continue to make her stand out of the pack. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her world; the early days, challenges and breaking the boundaries on the international scene.

How and when did the idea of modelling begin?

 It began when I was a teenager. On that fateful day, my mother hired a photographer to come and take our family portraits. We had a wonderful session and it was there that the photographer suggested that I should go into modelling because I was tall for my age and skinny.

What were the initial challenges for you?

For me, I would say that the initial challenges definitely were getting the industry to take me seriously as the only African model around. Luckily for me, there wasn’t much demand at that point, so I had to make an impact.

The journey started after graduation from Vivian Fowler Memorial College, Lagos. Then I went to India to further my education at my father’s suggestion and then I went there to study interior design in the university. It was while I was doing this that I saw an opportunity to model. Here some fashion students approached me to shoot for their fashion portfolio and that was how it all started for me in modelling.

I also worked for a while with an architectural firm in New Delhi.

I have done shoots, fashion shows with premier designers in India. I am also known to be the first Nigerian model to walk down one of fashion’s most celebrated platforms in India, the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW). It was a very interesting and exciting experience for me. Over the years, scores of foreign models have walked down this particular platform. They have all been tall, slender, confident and most importantly, white, but I broke the spell as the first black model to do so.

This personal effort has helped to push the boundaries of modelling in India, Asia and other parts of the world.

How did you cope with the initial challenges?

I know that there is nothing impossible with God. So, I started by praying to God and having faith. In addition, I put in my best and was always ready to stand out of the pack. I was never giving up and always giving my best whenever the opportunity arose. The efforts paid up and it opened other doors for me.

What are some of the achievements recorded in your career?

There has been a number of achievements and recognitions over the years. Personally, I would say that doing the fashion weeks and walking for the premier designers were great. There’s a certain high that comes with being in the midst of great beauty, talent and elegance.

Let’s talk about your antecedents; why you chose this line as well as the first job that you did?

I was a teenager, and I had the look.  It was a no brainer.

What are some of the memorable moments in your career and life?

It has been a really wonderful experience and I would like to do the same thing all over again, if given the opportunity. Some of the memorable moments include spending time with the other models during shows, back stage drama, fittings and rehearsals.  Others include travelling around the country to do shows and visiting different sites.

Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

God.

How would you describe modelling in India? What makes it different from other parts of the world?

Indian culture is different; they have their own style, pattern and silhouette. There’s a lot of glamour and drama which make work very interesting.

Are other Nigerian models making use of the opportunities?

I would say they are; especially these days a lot of young girls are working hard.There are definitely more models coming up and the industry is developing. I look forward to a developed culture, between models and clients.  Here we are talking about a scenario when the designers see the importance of hiring professional models for their works and treat them with the respect the job requires; and the models also bringing the charisma, elegance and grace the job requires.

What is your definition of style?

Style, for me, means looking good, looking different and appealing to the eyes.

What are the things that you love to wear?

I love quirky things. My style is anything feminine, seductive in a quirky manner.

What are the other things that occupy your time?

I am into interior designing these days, so that takes a lot of my time as well. This is a sector that requires a lot of creativity and your personal skill comes in here. It also gives you the opportunity to discover and rediscover yourself, from time to time.

What are the changes that you would like to see in the sector?

As I said earlier, I would love to see a developed culture in the industry. A situation where our designers and clients take models more seriously. By this, I mean being taken seriously both in terms of treatment and in payment. It is very crucial for them to realise the importance of using professional models, not just celebrities or family and friends for their works. When you take a deep look, you would discover that the models are unique and different. They usually bring charisma, elegance and grace which the job requires.

If you had to advise upcoming models, what would you tell them?

First, I would tell them to have fun. In addition, they must be focussed and have a plan of where they want to be and how they intend to get there.

How would you assess Nigerian designers?

Nigerian designers are interesting and are taking themselves and the industry much seriously, especially in the aspect of their design and going out into international scenes. A number of great things are happening now. I look forward to greater things.

What were you doing before this?

I was a former practicing interior designer based in Delhi India. As a model standing at 6ft tall, I usually spend my time between scorching the ramps of different fashion shows in India and my walk is often described as the perfect mix of edge and sensuality.  I have done a number of campaigns and editorials for fashion designers and I also work with photographers to explore new depths in fashion photography. It’s been very interesting and I have done several fashion shows in Delhi.

Is it easy modelling in a different environment or do you make up with tips from your colleagues?

I don’t think they need to give me tips because most times they see that I am managing on my own. For a smart model, it is very important that you watch and learn. I watch a lot of fashion television and music videos to pick up the charisma and poise needed on stage. I also do a lot of research too.

I know that a lot of models here have been in the business for a very long time. I have watched them on television and learnt.

 Even if they don’t give me any advice, they’re open and approachable.

One afternoon when I was rubbing the make-up off my face, one of them walked up to me and said ‘don’t do it like that, you need to be softer on your face!’ So, yes, everybody is very friendly, professional and encouraging. All the girls I work with are my friends. We do things together and hang out together.

What are you working on at the moment ?

I am currently working with fashion photographers experimenting and developing new fashion concepts. I have also started a business in interior designing because this is what I learnt at the university.

Have you participated in any show in Nigeria?

No, I haven’t done any shows in Nigeria. I have done mostly fashion shows on the international scene.  I look forward to doing good shows in Nigeria.

What is your assessment of the Modelling profession in Nigeria?

 Modelling in Nigeria is definitely coming up, there are a number of professionals in the industry. This includes designers, photographers and models and I must say that they are doing very well. I must say that I am impressed with what I see and hear about the sector because the professionals are definitely pushing themselves in terms of their work. There is still room for much growth.

Where do you hope to be in the next five years?

In the next five years. I plan to have developed a design house, covering fashion design, interior design and graphic design. I am already working on this and my desire it to make the dream a reality soon.

Manji Zakka Deyin is a graduate of Zoology but along the line he went back to music, his first love. His unique sound and distinct rap-singing style gave rise to the alias “The Geniuzz” which he adopted as his stage name. In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, he talks about the passion , achievements , challenges and more.

WHAT did you study and how did you get into music? I studied Zoology at the University of Jos. My journey into music was an awkward one in the sense that I started by falling in love with radio at age seven. I loved soft rock and back then growing up in Jos, soft rock had a lot of air play and it had a big influence on my sound. The interesting thing is that my passion for music came in different phases. The melody got my heart first then later on I fell in love with studio engineering.

Gradually, I started evolving and it was at the age of 17 that I started writing and recording my own songs. So the transition was from loving radio and melody to studio engineering, then to writing and recording. I started as a rapper and from that point, I went into singing rap.

What are the things that inspire your messages?

I am generally motivated by my mood and environment. I write as my mood is and you can see this in the messages that I portray in my songs. In general, everything inspires me one way or the other. I just have to be in a position to write, that’s all. I love recording music, so I find inspiration by any means necessary.

My music displays a wide variety of styles and influences that range from hip-hop, reggae, R&B and afro-pop.  André 3000, will.I.am, Lauryn Jill, Wyclef jean and Buju Banton have greatly influenced my style of music.

I was recently signed on a multi-million naira deal as a brand ambassador of e-wallet brand NairaBox. Some of my notable performances include, Dance Afrique SummerFest, SSE Arena, Wembley (2015), Road to MAMA Lagos, Gidi fest (2016) and Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, 2016.

Tell us about the turning point in your career in music

I have had a number of significant moments in my music and career but if I have to single out one very important event it has to be when I got signed by Effyzzie Music Group, my current label. It turned around everything about me and my career and somehow I discovered that I had moved on to a whole new level. I also came to the realisation that this is a serious thing and that I was going to be in this for a long time if not for life.

What are some of the achievements recorded?

There have been a number of achievements over the years. First of this is sharing the same stage with some iconic artist and, this I must say, is one I’ll ever cherish as most of them are people I have idolised . Some of these role models include people like Yemi Alade, my label mate who has graciously allowed me open a number of events for he; others include 2face, Akon, Illbliss and a host of others. Other achievements include being able to go to other countries around the world to share my music with fans, a number of awards and recognitions. Interestingly, the recognition in my career started since high school days and they have all been a source of inspiration and motivation for me. In addition, I get motivation from also being able to be a source of inspiration to a lot of young people who are also dream-chasing.

What are some of the challenges encountered?

Challenges are part of the process. This is what occurs in any job or career and they come in phases. At every phase of your career, challenges abound but the key thing is overcoming them, make it a learning curve and keep moving. The biggest of challenges has to be the difficulty in promotions largely due to the fact that the industry in Nigeria is still young and needs a lot of improvement in terms of structuring. Thank God for my team, a lot of things have been made easier but still they also encounter a lot of bottlenecks to get things done. But largely no one can keep a good man down. Good music will always thrive. In this regard, I say thanks to my fans for always demanding that good music is played.

Let’s talk about your antecedents as well as life before music

I was born and bred in the city of Jos in Plateau State, Nigeria, to a nuclear family of Mr. Zakka Deyin and a brother. Pretty much sums up my nerdy life. I was a game-loving introvert, who later fell in love with music. My life was pretty much simple, plus I had strict parents. At the same time, I had to be stubborn in order to pursue my dreams. My life before music was a simple one just like any other person. I started showing a genuine interest in music at a tender age by penning rhymes, songs, and poems. These talents were later improved upon when I joined the local church choir and performed within my neighbourhood at locally organised shows.

After graduating from St. John’s College in Jos, I started pursuing my music career. And just even before college, I was recording and performing solo projects at several shows in and around Jos. During those years I got a chance to work with more prominent artistes in Jos and gained more experience.

What are some of the memorable moments in your career?

Some of the memorable moments include the day I told my parents I was going to be recording artist for the rest of my life, the shock they expressed was massive and funny. The most memorable was the day I got signed. I will never forget that day.

Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

The greatest influence in life was my dad; he was a very principled and generally a happy man. Others include musical icons such as Bob Marley, K’nnan, Wyclef etc. All these people have had a great influence in my choice of sound, words and expressions. I am thankful to them and appreciate what they stand for.

How would you describe the efforts put in by your colleagues in the sector?

I believe that art is an individual self-expression and it has to come from self-conviction and inspiration, so I pay no mind, really, to what others have to offer. I am focused on my art and what I can offer.

What are some of the other things that occupy your time?

I love reading to get information and widen my horizon.  I get occupied with reading non fictional books, hanging out with friends, playing video games and also having a big heart for pretty girls.

Teju Kareem is the founder and owner of Zmirage Multimedia.  It is a set design outfit known for its multifaceted approach to stage lighting and technology.  This is an outfit he has taken to a higher level and it is the foremost in the theatre and entertainment industry in Nigeria and beyond.  In this encounter with Edozie Udeze he talks about his voyage to the present and the essence of Zmirage and more.

ZMIRAGE has come to stay.  How did you come about the name?

My inspiration came when I was at the university.  That was the University of Ibadan.  I had always been fascinated by the mirage each time I travelled.  And fortunately my mum would always send me to Kaduna to visit my younger sister.  And I’d always been caught and amazed by the beauty of the mirage ahead of the motorist.  I was amazed because it was my desire to see the motorist or the driver pursue the mirage ahead and get to the end.  And I have always thought that in doing so, as much as you get to the beauty of mirage, the danger of over-speeding is there.  So it was easy for me to understand that as much as you reach your target and have the ambition to achieve what you have to achieve in life; we must approach it with care and with mutual respect for every other person we meet on the way.

Otherwise you might not get to the mirage.  You may only have to see it.  I was fascinated by the word mirage.  And everyone is talking about using the word mirage.  And I wanted to make my own different.  In the process, I added Z to it.  It is just a way to be different.  And Z is an initial of one person who is so dear to me.  This was how I got to it  oh, Z  mirage, Z and so Z came to stick.  But what has become over time, my own gratitude to God is that he is the one from whom inspiration comes.  God gives inspiration; he directs you in whatever you do.  We owe it to God.  But then the brand itself developed totally that we have lived up to the uniqueness of the name.   We provide services to the industry which is the theatre and the entertainment industry.  We have the expertise in the technical areas of the industry and this is what we’ve been providing over the years.  The industry is now big and we have stepped up our own game to meet with the demands of practitioners and those who need our services.

Did you envisage that the name itself would fit into stage lighting and what you’ve been able to achieve today?

It was in my first year in the university.  I had not even understood in totality the total concept of mirage or what it was all about.  But it intrigued me, I mean the word.  The totality of the power of lighting the theatre was not even too known to me then.  What the technicality of the theatre meant then didn’t mean a lot to me.  I didn’t quite understand it.  I didn’t know that our stories, the stories of theatre, would be told beyond the scribble lines of the playwright.  I didn’t understand telling stories would be more and larger with technology and providing stage light and more, would be helpful in elaborating the story.  I just wanted to provide something unique in the theatre and entertainment industry and for which my company would be well-known.  That was what I set out to do-to be different and then the name came.  But over time, I now found out that the light and technical aspects of the theatre have become the vogue, the new things that are important for the sector to move on.  The story writer and the story teller must seek to meet to make the story one and for it to make sense to the audience.

As you can see, Michael Jackson as powerful as his voice is, with fast movements on stage, needed to be pushed to the limelight through the technical aspect of the theatre.  Towards the end of his career and life, he relied totally on the entertainment technology, powers of flashes of light; powers of the reinforcement of sounds, then the powers of stage craft.  These were what he used to mesmerize the audience and achieve his peculiarity on stage.  He used this to sell his art which is the music.  The same thing with film.  It is the same effect.  In the Titanic, they were telling stories and they all relied on stage light to have the desired effect in terms of technology.  That is the effect of light.  Incidentally, naming our brand Zmirage is a challenge; to live up to the uniqueness of the name in terms of the services we render to the public, to the entertainment industry we have today.

How did your days at the University of Ibadan influence all the dreams you have today as an entrepreneur?

I was fortunate to attend the University of Ibadan, just like any other university; I know at the University of Ibadan as undergraduates we met the best theatre practice, the best theatre training, I mean the practical theatre training we had was deep.  Imagine coming to the class with a clean shirt, looking good and neat and the first exercise you’d be taken through was to roll over the floor of the theatre.  And you’ll be sent to the zoo to go and study the body language of the animals there.  And also being trained by some of the most known theatre teachers in the sector was quite instructive.  And you watched to see how these big names behaved and you’d say to yourself, this is how I will like to become.  Not only in terms of how they dressed; how they came in immaculate dresses, but also in terms of details of how they approached theatre as it were.

So I am fortunate and privileged to have come out of that sort of training from that kind of university.  There we went through the musicals, total theatre, directing, technical and so on.  There, the reality just got into you that this is the reality of this profession and what you’ll become in future.  You are in education where you are as serious as if you are in Medicine.  You are in education where you are as serious as if you are in Law or Pharmacy.  That much became the reality and you approached your studies with that level of seriousness and commitment.  The same enthusiasm, the same zeal, any of your contemporary would approach it.  And one of the secrets of it all is that if you approach it with that same zeal, the sky is the limit for you.

How have you been coping in your relationship with your family given the time you spend on your profession?

As it is to the forbearers so it is with me.  As it is with the WoleSoyinkas of this profession, so it is with me.  As it is with the J.P Clarks, to the Osofisians, they’ll tell you.  Theatre is jealous.  Theatre holds you.  Theatre won’t let you practice it as secondary.  No.  People I know that practice theatre, it has not let them practice it as secondary.  The Ogundes of this world, theatre is their life.  They give it all they have; all they know.  They eat it, they breath it, they sleep it, they wake up with it.  But what is important is also that theatre, first and foremost, seduces you and trains you to be a team player.

In this case, your family is also involved.  In this regard, you see that your costumier is your family person and so on.  Theatre trains and allows you to live in a family way.  So, if you take that into your family life, it becomes easy for you as much as you blend as soon your theatre releases you into your family life.  The communal nature of theatre, you take it into your family and live that sort of life; you can then blend, have that kind of leadership quality you exhibit in theatre and show it to your family.  What a good character is; what does he do on stage?  It is all about the family, about the life you live.  And you want to be a good one then take that one home.  So the little time you spend with them, the little space the stage gives you, turn it around to make the family happy.  Give it to the family.  Make it up to them that they’d gain what they may have missed all the while you were not there.  Yes, it is true.  Theatre takes you away: it takes your time.  But the truth is that it keeps you close to the family whenever you have the time to be with them.  Definitely, I have spent more time with the theatre than I have spent with the family.

When you have your spare time and you want to spend your holidays, where do you usually take your family?

Well, I have been to the Idanre Hill with my family because that’s what I can give them.  I have taken them to Olumo.  I have also taken them to ObuduRanch.  I have also taken them to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.  My wife and I had to celebrate my 50th birthday in Mecca.  It was good; it was cool.  As an artiste, you are capable of understanding that taking your family and going into the world itself is good and as well as helping you to relax.  It helps you refresh your nerves and puts you in a better mood to face your work.  It is also an opportunity to educate and that I have always taken into cognisance, to help me understand theatre.  And also when I have the opportunity to take my family out, I look out for a place where I’ll take them to and have education.  Yes, I have really taken them out on holidays but most times it is working holidays for me.

How do you create your own fashion?

Like theater teaches, for me it is like costume.  It is part of the theatre practice.  For me it is a part of telling the story at all times.  That’s what fashion means to me.  My fashion is pre-determined by my psyche when I wake up in the morning.  And I have had enough of me wearing perfumes; I have had enough of me wearing jewelries.  I have had enough of wearing chains.  I have had enough of wearing good and expensive shoes and all of that.  But I am at a point where I don’t wear chains any more.  I don’t wear wristwatches any more.  I don’t wear rings any more.  I am at that stage where I can live wearing them and not wearing them.  Now, I enjoy myself and I look so fanciful to myself.  That’s the joy now.  It is therefore more of residing in my psyche than in the physical.  I am capable of looking good now and also capable of fitting into the society, whether I am wearing them or not.  So my fashion now is more in my sub-conscious and conscious self.

How do you conceptualise the kind of light you give to the stage when a show or play is staged?

I merge myself in the story.  I try to understand the social, political, cultural demands of what the play or what the occasion or the event is all about.  Beyond that, I am tasked with one thing which is what theatre is; which is what a playwright is, which is what a director is.  And which also is what an actor is.  These people are philosophers and they are prophets.  They are future seers.  And so as a stage designer, I also make sure that I make my design to be ahead of what they have.  It is to prophesy to help project the message they have and the image they have set out to convey to the people.  Even in that moment, I also make my design to rely on what is on and welcome you and give you total comfort and confidence in what is to unfold on stage.

So, I must be there ahead of the story to tell my own audience, to fulfill and to compensate my audience for coming out to watch the show.  For them to sit in the hall, I must let them know how that comfort can be enjoyed.  I must reassure them that they will have a wonderful time.  And that they have not wasted their time by coming out to the theatre.  And at the same time, I must be able to hold them on and give them a refined design.  My design will be able to ginger them on before the show takes off.  I must just be provocative, you know what I mean?  I must just not pre-empt the story but keep the suspense in total check and give out the kind of suspense that will reveal the story itself as it goes on stage.  So it is a task, a big one at that, that I find myself all the time in the set designs that I do.  After one event, I look out on how my set can do better than what it did before.

What are some of the striking moments in your career to date?

Ah, well, it was when my stage collapsed and the high dignitaries fell off my stage.  What became of me then was the volubility of the human person.  And the much we try to attain perfection, the more we see that the road is so rough.  I was at that point challenged not just to rebuild a better stage but to also rebuild a stronger stage.  To me, it was that event that struck me most in my career, because when a stage is done I often get so lost in numbers that I forget to do a few other things.  But I was not afraid of that failure, you know.  So far, I have been doing more daring designs, when it is not daring, it does not appeal to me.  Oh, there’s one I also remember now.  It was one show Soyinka himself saw.  When he saw my show, he sent me a text, saying; bold, beautiful and magical.  A feat of technical dare:  And that has remained the only review of my works done by Soyinka.

Dr. Emmanuel Adeoye is the Director General, National Ethics and Values Compliance Office (NEVACO). In this interview with ADETUTU AUDU, he sheds more light on the duties and objective of the commission and his plans to make impact on Nigerians

WHAT are the aims and s of NEVACO? National Ethics and Values Compliance Office (NEVACO) is established to correct the wrong, the evil vices ongoing in our country and society today. It is to make sure we do things the right way which we have not been doing in the country. Even the little child in Nigeria today wants to make money through wrong means. So, the aim of the commission is to educate people to be upright and sincere in whatever you are doing. For instance, you want to go to the ministry for something, you must have to bribe somebody to help push the letter, this act is wrong and we want to correct it. So, we are out to let everybody know whatever you are doing in the country, let it be ethical, let it be done in the right way. Ethic is to correct the abnormality in the society, to correct the misimpression by the outside communities.

Are there structures on ground to kick-start this programme, bearing in mind it is a national agenda?

We are just forming the structure. As we go to the states, we form structures. We are looking for credible people to take over, not just anybody that would come to destruct the whole process. As I always tell people, Nigerians are fond of two things: they like the uniform and titles. You can see someone who will tell you I am a chairman, I am a director, and you ask director of what? So, structures have to be on ground. Everybody must know their functions, not for a watch repairer to stand up and tell the whole world he is a managing director. In other words, we need to get the message of government to the grassroots; there must be orderliness and a structure for everybody to carry out their respective functions.

How come the FG appointed a Director-General without a structure?

No, we have structures. If you would remember vividly how Ethics and Values was being run, the former administration appointed her Excellency Sarah Jubril as Special Adviser on Ethics and Values and later on my office was created. I am the first Director-General. So, based on this, what was in existence before was Foundation for Ethics and Value (FEAV). At the time, she was not given any fund, so she had to use her NGO to carry the message, which to me was a good idea.  She started it as a corporative society to help the people with their communities. For instance, if there is cassava in a particular village, anybody can borrow money from the cooperative and process the cassava, refund the money after selling, and the loan given to another people. That was how the structures were established based on NGO basis. What the government is doing now is that they are interested and decided to say let us make it a proper structure. But, again, there is no fund, what we told the government is that we will create something to be generating fund, so that the burden would not be on the government alone. That is what the government is looking for; that is what everybody needs now. Because the government can’t do everything, there’s no money anywhere at the moment.

We intend to create employment by training people on different vocations. For instance, in Ekiti State right now, the yam flour mill is down; it has not been working for a long time. We are looking at NEVACO taking over the mill. We can talk to the people, they bring the yam to our warehouse, we can buy it from them, process it and repackage it for final consumption. We have to invest; we have to also look at bringing in investors to partner with us. We must find a way to create employment; we don’t need to wait for the government for everything.

With what you said, NEVACO may still be seen as a cooperative society, how do you intend to correct this notion in the mind of the people?

It is a wrong notion; they were talking about Ethics and Values. This is National Ethics and Values Compliance Office. Compliance means we have to comply to the ethics of the land.  I don’t want to say we are policemen but to correct the abnormality in the society people have been doing. We came to correct that notion, we are Compliance Officers. For instance, when you are running a cooperative, we need to check if you are following the decree that established cooperative societies in the country, who are the members etc. We need to make sure people follow the laid down rules and regulations. To put it straight, we are here to correct the wrong in the society. NEVACO cannot shy away from the fact that a good number of people have committed a whole lot of efforts to the projects of FAEV, but I must say it emphatically here that NEVACO is miles apart in ways of conducting its business vis-à-vis FAEV. But this is not to say that the previous endeavours are wasted rather, it will form the stones on which we will step for easy performance of the task ahead. So, the process of staffing in NEVACO is directly guided and coordinated by Federal Civil Service Scheme of Service. The relevant parts of the scheme will be made available to each state for the perusal of every member.

As Compliance Officers, don’t you think your duties would conflict with that of the already existing agencies, like Police and Civil Defence?

The police is established to act after the offence, the police arrest because you are a criminal, the DSS arrests because you are a criminal but NEVACO is a compliance office; we are there to correct everybody, all Nigerians and to preach the change.  We are compliance officers and make people adhere to the ethics and values of the land. We let people know their right from wrong. We are there to correct people, even the policeman can be corrected by a Compliance Officer. We were with the Inspector General of Police recently and we told him we are here to partner with them. We told them they also need to establish ethics and value in the police force to deal with any officer that tries to go above the law. Every department of our lives, every ministry, parastatals must have a compliance officer to correct abnormality in the country. It is a must; we must have ethics and values to correct the wrong in the society. We don’t arrest, we make sure you don’t commit the crime. The police is there to arrest when one commits a crime, but we prevent the crime from being committed. We are going to partner with the police and already existing armed forces; we are here to enlighten people.

Don’t you think NEVACO would be viewed as a Buhari/APC agenda?

Any serious government all over the world must have Ethics and Values.  Just take a look at the advanced world, its duties is to correct, train and enlighten the citizen. In Nigeria, we are developing and as developing nation things like this will need to stay together as one. Other organisations will come up in the nearest future that we are supposed to have. Even in the National Assembly at the moment we have a committee on Ethic and Values to check them.

How optimistic are you that the bill to pass National Ethics and Value Compliance will see the light of the day?

It will scale through. That is what the public is looking for. Everybody wants to correct the vices in the country right now and it is only Ethics and Value that can raise the moral; it is the antidote to corruption. So, everybody is looking forward to having the bill because Her Excellency Sarah Jubril started it and I will push it while I am in the office. It has to go through; it has to be a national thing to correct the wrong devices in our society.

Currently, Nigeria is passing through hard times, what is your view on Nigeria today?

No, Nigeria is not going through a hard time! What do you mean by we are going through a hard time?  It a pity that we have been very lazy before in this country; we like free money. Someone recently came to me and said ‘Oga, there’s no money’ and I asked where he was working and he said he didn’t have a job. His excuse was that his brother has been carrying certificate everywhere looking for job and he felt there was no need for him to look for a job since his brother had not gotten any. I laughed and I told him, can I give you some cassava to go and cultivate, he said no, that he has a degree I cannot go to farm. We are blessed in this country with soil and weather. You can plant corn now, in three to four months’ time you start to harvest. Instead, everybody is looking for the oil industry. My advice is that young people need to go back to farm, there’s job for everybody. The land is everywhere for everybody to plant. We have what we call commodity exchange for NEVACO. If your local government is planting tomatoes, and mine is planting okro, we simply exchange the two commodities between the two local governments and if there’s access, we sell and give back the money. So, we encourage everybody to go to the farm and stop complaining there are no jobs.

Why do you think it is difficult for Nigerians to obey ethics and values?

Because we have been lawless for so long – impunity has eaten deep into our morals. There is this syndrome of do you know who I am? Nigerians are the best, but we are so proud, we are everywhere in the world doing greatly. But the problem of arrogance is in us. That is why we need to go back to the farm.

What is the different between ethics and compliance?

Ethics is your behaviour, your culture; while compliance is for you to obey the rules and regulations of the people.

Can a Compliance Officer arrest a policeman for doing the wrong?

Yes, of course. You can correct them.

Mrs. Ngozi Nkoloneyi is the Chief Executive Officer of Bloomingale. The amazon also has a bridal outfit, Valerie Bridals, which is one of the most sought-after for brides. The amazon opens up in this interview with OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL, on how she has been able to cope with life without her husband, his death and other issues. 

WHAT is life as an entrepreneur like? After my studies I did not work in any office. So I started my life as an entrepreneur very early and I had a vision of where I wanted to be in life. Even though it was not easy when I started, it’s with the grace of God I was able to scale through all the hurdles I encountered.

What were the challenges you faced then and now?

There were a lot of challenges then and even more now than when I started. You know we are into production and we need power, but we generate our own power with generator. Most times, we run the generator for 22 hours out of 24 hour. The result is that the cost of diesel is high and it affects every business.

You were known to be a French lace merchant, what happened to the business?

Interestingly, I was the one who brought the awareness to French lace to our fashion sector. Even though I have been buying it for myself, as they say, “media can make you or mar you”. At that point in my life, it was City People that wrote stories about me then and God used them for me. They also helped to discover my talent and it opened my eyes to many opportunities in the sector.

Everyone knew that you and your husband were like five and six, how did you cope after his death?

It wasn’t easy at all. When he died, my life collapsed and I was light as the feather without strength to do anything. I felt empty and nothing was within me again. I didn’t know where to start from and I wanted to go with him.

I was in London when it happened. It was around 2 am that he felt somehow and by 6 pm my boys were at the airport to see him. I could not believe it; he was not sick, I spoke to him an hour before he died. He walked into the hospital by himself and a few hours later he was gone. When I saw him at the mortuary I could not help but grab him and give him the last kiss. I could remember that when they were pulling me from him, a little bit of chemical got into my lips. Few days later I was seriously sick, all my systems broke down. It was by special grace of God that I survived and I can still talk to you five years after his death.

What role did your children play at this point?

My children acted like my husband, especially Obinna, my first born. He took it upon himself that I didn’t miss their father too much. He is always around and most times I gist with him like my husband. I am close to all my children and they were all around me.

The reason is that I started having them when I was young at 22, they were all part of me; we grew together. In their term, they say, “Mummy we witness you grow.” Thought it’s not easy after my husband departed, the grace of God, my good friends, aunties and the priest in my church were all there for me. It’s very difficult to be alone in the house and most times I wake up in the night and cry ceaselessly. My husband’s departure pushed me into playing of games like scrabbles, and a lot of other games that you can think of.

Are you planning to remarry?

No I can’t marry, nobody can fill his space, and what do I want in a man again? When we built our house in the village, he showed me our resting place and I made sure that he was buried there; my space is beside his own.

What are some of the legacies that your husband left behind?

My husband, Paul Nkoloenyi, was a living legend. He was a very nice man; his legacies are there. This is a man that trained about 20 people from primary school up to university level. Even in his community, they cannot forget him. Since he departed, they have not been able to install an Igwe.

What is your take about the present administration?

It is a pity we found ourselves in this state in this country, people are blaming Buhari but he is not the one, sadly the previous government has cleaned the treasury. Nigeria is like a collapsed building. Before you can rebuild it, you must remove all the debris and it is going to take you a longer time before it could be fixed.

The situation now affects every business. Those of us in the luxury line are not finding things easy. It’s only when you eat well that you can think of buying cloths. These days, brides are no longer buy wedding gowns like before. These days, people are looking for gowns that they will rent. That is the situation of things, but we will continue to pray that God will help Buhari to rebuild the country.

What is your advice for young ladies who want to be entrepreneurs?

They should be more focused, determined and never take no for an answer. The truth is that resilience is the answer if you want to be successful as an entrepreneur. I started my business with my dining table but today we have our factory and we are still expanding. If you want to marry as a lady, please don’t depend on the man. You should be able to bring something to the table and not depend solely on your husband, that is when you will be respected.

How do you relax?

I like to pamper myself a lot in my house. I do electro, Jacuzzi and steam massage. I also have my gym and I do a lot of dancing as well as read a lot.

What is the secret of your beauty?

 My beauty is the inner one, I have peace. I don’t worry myself about anything and the funniest thing is that I don’t have a beauty routine at all. I make sure I eat well, that’s all.

What is in your wardrobe that you can’t do without?

I love my caftan and my boubou because they hide some parts that I don’t want you to see. I also love my high heel shoes because it makes me elegant.

Which are your favourite designer shoes, bags and wristwatches?

These days, there are so many good designer labels out there but they may not be popular. I don’t go for big brand names because when you are carrying the label, you also find other ladies carry the same label, which is fake. So I go for quality bags and shoes, not labels.

Favourite brand car?

I love Mercedes Benz brands.

Which place is your favourite holiday place?

I love Ghana.

Lola Masha is the Country Manager of OLX Nigeria. Just before joining the organisation, she spent four years with Google Nigeria where the amazon led the business development team.There she was responsible for working with a wide variety of partners such as telcos and device OEM across Europe, Middle East and Africa. In this interview with Bukola Aroloye, she shares her passion working with women and more. 

CAN you tell us about life as CEO?

I was born and raised here in Nigeria and I finished my primary and secondary school here in Lagos. After this, I travelled out of the state to complete my bachelor and graduate studies.I have also made several decisions like changes in my career and I am pleased about where I am today and in terms of how I balanced it all. It is really about keeping the priority straight and having a strong team in place. In the office and working to collaborate with that team to achieve a strong projection and I tried to make sure and I communicate this to my team as well as the family.

Family is first and having the right people at work, creating the right culture, right environment and not having the boss/subordinate relationship has helped.

One key difference between a boss and a leader is that of hierarchy. You can have a leader among peers and a boss as someone who is at the top. The way I prefer to manage is very much more flat structure with almost hierarchy. I sit with the team. This place we are is for conference meeting. Here, we relate as peers, no idea is a bad idea.

What does it take to survive as a woman?

At OLX, seventy percent of our staff are female. If you walk round the office you will see more female staff than male staffs. We have definitely chartered that completely. And I believe women are the strongest sex. We don’t discriminate, we don’t have bias towards women but what we have found is to fully create a fair playing field. At OLX, we support our women and make sure that it not a man’s world.

What is your management style?

It is definitely open conversation. It is important to be very supportive and make sure that whatever my team members like is attended to.

 I don’t call them staff but team members. And that could be at OLX or either outside OLX. If their ambition is to further their studies, it is my job to get them there, if their ambition is to get outside the country, my work is to get them there. The type of my style is being strong and supportingthem in making sure that my team members reach their full potential.

What are some of the things that make what you do different?

OLX is the number 1 online classifieds and we are different from other e-commerce platforms in three distinct ways . First, on OLX, users are allowed to sell both used and new items. We provide a unique avenue for individuals to sell their items to other consumers.  Secondly, OLX eliminates the middleman by having transactions to happen directly between buyers and sellers. This means that our users can negotiate between each other to get a great deal. Unlike other e-tail models, OLX does not own a warehouse, we verify our users and vet the items that are posted on the platform but we also actively advise our users to inspect and test all items before making payments.

Why did you decide to go into this line of business?

 I’m very passionate about technology because of the scale of impact that we can achieve. OLX allows sellers to advertise their goods and services to a much wider audience than they otherwise would have access to. We make it easy to convert used goods such as vehicles, furniture, mobile phones and appliances, to quick cash. These benefits would not have been possible without technology.

How did the interest develop?

My interest in technology developed during my university education in the United States.  At the time, computers were just on the rise and I was immediately impressed and fascinated by the range of capabilities that were made possible by fast computing power.

What do you consider as some of the achievements over the years?

We have made a lot of progress at OLX over the last 24 months. We’ve rolled out new product features such as our Do-It-For-Me (DIFM), where OLX will help users quickly and conveniently sell their items. We’ve also increase the size of the team significantly and creating jobs during the tough economic times.

What are some of the challenges encountered?

Nigeria is a very peculiar market and we have had to adapt our business model to the local nuances of working in Nigeria. The major challenge has been the lack of a comprehensive identify management system. It is important that we verify and know our users before their ads go live on the website.

If you have to compare what you do with counterparts in other parts of the world, what would you say?

OLX is global brand, which means a lot of what we do are similar to the other countries that we are in. The organisationoperates in 40 countries with offices in 25 countries around the world including India, Brazil, UAE, Philippines, South Africa and many more. However, unlike other global brands, we are able to amend our approach for the local market. In Nigeria, we have had to adapt to local challenges in this market. We’ve launched OLX Do-It-For-Me, where we help our Nigerian users sell their items. We handle posting the item on OLX, taking calls from buyers, negotiating for the right price and simply transferring the cash to the seller once the item is sold. We know that life can be stressful in Nigeria and with our DIFM initiative, we provide a convenient, fast and safe way for our sellers to quickly convert items in their homes to cash.

Let’s talk about some of the memorable moments in life and on the job

“OLX is 3” was a very memorable celebration for the brand. We had established ourselves as the number one classifieds brand in Nigeria. We had improved our staff strength significantly and also made major milestones in user growth.  We had a lot to celebrate and be thankful for.

 What are the other things that occupy your time?

 I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

What changes would you like to see in the sector?

I think the government can do a lot more to support the players in the field.  Access to identify information for proper verification is key for the sector. We need to know who our users are and effectively keep the bad guys out of the platform.

What is your assessment of the impact of the sector on the economy?

Nigerians have over $512B worth of used goods in their homes. OLX helps the Nigerian economy by giving Nigerian users the opportunity to convert all those items to cash that otherwise would not have been possible. The industry, as a whole, has significantly transformed the economy by providing a convenient and fast way to trade and transact.  The sector also provided innovative solutions to tackle some of the local challenges especially around logistics and delivery.

If you have to advise women, what would you tell them?

Women should know that they are more powerful than they think. Even though it is difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance, it is possible and women need to find a conducive work environment that effectively supports them.