MEET THE DUBAI BASED MEDIA GURU - EJIRO OSAKEDE
A SPECIAL INTERVIEW SESSION WITH THE DUBAI BASED MEDIA GURU -
EJIRO OSAKEDE
Question 1. Tell us about your family, early childhood, education and the influence of these factors in your life, business and career?
Ans: Thanks for granting this interview. I feel honoured to be sharing a part of my story with your audience. I am the first in a family of seven. I’ve got four siblings from my mom and two from my dad’s concubine. I was born in Sapele, Delta state to my parents after a long wait of eleven years. So I was sort of an answered prayer and a womb opener for my parents, hence my Dad especially never joked with me. I knew He loved me deeply and of course my mom too. But I didn’t get to appreciate mom’s love till I was a bit older. LOL. I guess it’s that thing with fathers & daughters Vs Mothers and sons. But I am grateful for my parents. They weren’t both well educated. They only had basic primary school education and then my dad became a sailor and grew his way up to a captain on fishing vessels.
So my dad was always away. If we were fully Yorubas I guess myself and my immediate siblings will all be called ‘Bidemi’ (born in my absence) - A name given to children whose father isn’t around when they were born. But we are a mixed breed as my paternal grandmother is from Ondo state. The longest one was my baby sister the last born from my mom, she came in just days after my dad left for a trip so for the first couple years of her life she didn’t know our dad as he was often offshore for over a month and onshore for about a week or two.
I had an interesting childhood. With a lot of challenges and some unpleasant events that I am not ready to share yet. But we came to Lagos when I was little, I think about 2 or 3yrs old. So I grew up a Lagos girl. I schooled in Lagos too. My educational background is a bit of a rough ride. I didn’t get to graduate from secondary school due to unpaid fees. So I wrote GCE when the funds were available and had my OND in Secretarial Studies at Lagos State Polytechnic. I thought I was going to go back for my HND and become a chattered secretary but I truly wasn’t cut out for that life. I am a creative person and for the longest time, I have known deep down that I would be on the screen somehow. That is where I belong hence my choice of career pursuit.
I often introduce myself now as an audio engineer by training ( With an Associate Degree from SAE Dubai), a media practitioner by passion - (all my pet projects, web series, podcasts and media-related stuff) and an energetic being by personality - hence my stage alias - The Energetic EJ.
I love to sing, speak and teach which all involves sound, hence my decision to get a degree in sound engineering with a focus on studio production. I’d say I am still on a journey, I don’t quite feel I am there yet, so the journey and exploration continue for me. But for now, this is what I am.
Question 2: Who would you say is or has been one of your greatest influencers with regards to what you do and why?
Ans: God and my Dad.
I’ve always wanted to make my dad proud. Sad he is not here today to watch me grow. But one thing I am sure of is he is always proud of me regardless of what I accomplish or not. And the same thing goes for God. I’ve always sought to know Him better but most importantly felt a strong need to make Him proud. And ever so often He would remind me that I didn’t need to prove anything to Him, He already loves me with an everlasting love. Yet, to be honest, I really still want to make Him proud of me which is what keeps me going and keeps me trying out new ways to make the ideas he’s blessed me with. Like I’d always say, I am still on that journey.
Question 3: What are the things you are so passionate about and would like to change if you have all the necessary means to?
Ans: I am passionate about helping people. I know this sounds bogus, however, this has always been my drive. How can I help the next person be a better version of themselves? How can a person who meets me and interact with me leave with either a smile because of something I did or said to them? This is what drives me and it comes through with any project I am working on per time. I also realize I am a woman of many passions. Hahaha. I love to sing - so I hope that someone smiles, laughs or things when they hear me sing. I dance, I create, I train, I speak. All to help one person per time to think and act on becoming a better version of themselves.
So If I have the means, I will empower others within my reach with some of the skills that I myself have acquired that resonates with where they are going so that I can help them get there faster. It’s a work in progress and the fine-tuning is taking place as time goes by.
Question 4: You've been passionate about audiobooks and media production for over a decade. How has this influenced your life, perception, relationships, business and personal success?
Ans: Well, first of all, it’s not yet a decade - lol. We are close though. I am an auditory learner myself and I believe there are people like me out there who assimilate faster by listening. And when I came across the making of the “the Bible experience” at The ProEmcees Academy in 2014, I knew this was something I would like to dedicate my time and resources to. Helping African authors bring their books alive. This vision has since then evolved.
It started with helping African authors reach a wider audience while giving book lovers an alternative way to read by listening, then to help self-published authors successfully launch their audiobooks while making reading fun for book lovers and reaching the visually impaired and busy executives.
Now the vision is to help African authors leave a digital footprint in the audiobook space. Tell our own stories and preserve our culture and heritage, while giving book lovers a feel of Africa and a fun experience with books authored by Africans of people of African descent.
I have grown to be more open-minded, more inclusive, always thinking of how what I do and say affect others. It has grown my love for storytelling and story sharing. I am a believer that in sharing our stories we help others live through our experiences and also learn from our failures and successes. I have also grown in my listening skills and it keeps getting better.
Question 5: What is your opinion on the influence of social media especially in Nigeria and Africa with regards to growing businesses, governance and social structure?
Ans: Hmm, social media has its blessings and it curses. So it all depends on the handler. In the hands of the right people, it is a tool for visibility, positive impact and change movements. In the hands of the wrong people, it is a weapon of mass destruction.
I think businesses and governments should leverage their positive power. Of course the negative will still exist, that’s life but can we focus on the positive? Can we be more intentional about spotlighting the greatness that is embedded within us leveraging the power of social media?
We are now in a global village where it is easier than ever before to connect with people from different parts of the world. Hence, social media is a powerful lens to view any community, business or people. We can’t continue to handle it carelessly without any aim or goals in mind. We’ve got to be intentional about what we share on social media. Not to have biased and falsely curated images and perceptions but to highlight what is great about us as a people and as an entity.
Africa for example generally has a negative perception of her, can we use this same social media to flood the internet with the amazing things being done by our people across the globe? Rather than always being seen for only the wrong or do I say for majorly the thing that is wrong with us. It is going to take a collective effort and it begins with having the right mindset and vision as a people.
Question 6: What are you currently into and which media platform are you currently working with as a channel through which you are expanding your influence and also impacting your audience?
Ans: I am big on collaborations.
Hence I work with a couple of organizations and brands either as a volunteer or virtual assistance, or consultant or as a part of their team behind the scenes.
You’d need to follow me on social media to get a glimpse of who I might be collaborating with per time.
Question 7: As a business person and media practitioner with vast experience and exposure, what do you think can be done to improve the social media industry in Nigeria and Africa?
Ans: Having a collective Vision
If our leaders will put heads together to come up with a vision that will bind us together as a people, then it is easier for everyone to find their place in the bigger scheme of things and contribute their quota to making that vision a reality. It will serve as a code of conduct on how we portray ourselves both online and offline.
the Bible said it in Proverbs 29:18
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (King James Version).
Question 8: There are so many young people looking up to you and there are those who aspire to be like you. What's your deepest and heartfelt message to them?
Ans: I am a person of faith and so I will speak from that perspective. BELIEVE IN WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE. I would have said believe in yourself, but that can be misleading sometimes as it was for me. For the longest time I wallowed in self-doubt and to be honest, it still seeps through every now and then, but my anchor is in going back to who God says I am. He says I am loved eternally by HIM. So when I lack love from those dear to me, I can go back to Him and hold on to His love for me till those around me come around. Cos as humans, we can be very unreliable especially when we allow our emotions to take charge, and they do from time to time. So having your anchor in the supernatural in my case God through Christ, I can find my way back every time I get into the pit of doubt, fear, and small-mindedness. Once your anchor is set, I’d say be your authentic self always. Remember who and whose you are and don’t allow anyone to intimidate you. It will happen, but when it does, remind yourself and then keep investing in YOU to be a better version of yourself daily. The same way your mobile devices are being updated you should update yourself ever so often by taking a posture of continuous learning. This has been my experience so far.
Question 9: If you were allowed to be the president of Nigeria for one month, what would you do to bring about a drastic change in the country that'll positively impact the economy of the country?
Ans: I would appoint the brightest minds into the offices where their brilliance can be put to work. And because they have a proven track record and results to show for their brilliance I have no doubt that in one month they would come up with something foundational that even if they were replaced, anyone with the right heart and attitude will be able to run with it and still make a difference.
Question 10: What are your future plans and what other areas of life are you involved in with regards to your personal development, finances and social impact?
Ans: I am currently working on my wealth blueprint. It was in shambles and so it's taking a lot of excavation and deep-rooted work to lay a solid foundation because I am aiming for sky-scraping wealth and it will require a deep lasting foundation. Hence my consistent hunger for learning and renewal of the mind. I am the value and so I need to constantly invest in myself. Keep an eye out for the evolving me.
However, here are some of my projects that you can plug into should you be interested.
- I run the Afrocentrist Podcast - Where we explore everything from personal development to fulfilment, African pride, dating and all things that make your spirit thrive. The Afrocentric Podcast is not just for Afrocentric people but for EVERYBODY. Our show will entertain as well as educate and focus on uplifting positivity.
- I am currently in pre-production for a web series called Biz O'clock where I get to feature businesses owned and run by Africans from across the world, to showcase their brand stories as well as give the audience an insight into amazing products and services. So if you fit in, you can reach out for a feature.
- If you are a business seeking to expand into other parts of the world, I can plug you into organisations and individuals who will help you with market research and business set up especially in the Middle East and North Africa - MENA.
I am @ejiroosakede across social media platforms.
It was nice having you at our interview session.
© Daniel Kemka Blog
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