From editing the first weekend newspaper in  Nigeria, Weekend Concord, which he calls his “Baby’ to pioneering the tabloid, The Sun Newspapers and now, Entertainment Express, stylish columnist and evergreen journalist, Mike Awoyinfa has seen and done it all in the journalism profession.

On Monday, July 23, Awoyinfa will turn 60 years of age. And to mark his birthday, his friends and well-wishers are organising a dinner in his honour at Sheraton hotel, on the 1st of August. He belongs to a generation of Nigerian journalists who have brought glamour, style and distinction in the practice of journalism in the country.

Looking back

For me, 60 is just a number, I don’t feel 60 years at all. I feel like Im in my 40s, and I wish I were still in my youth.

That is exactly what I’m saying. If I had known about 20 years ago what I knew today, I would have become a billionaire. I have learnt so many lessons in life.

Mike Awoyinfa

Perhaps, if I had known, I would have taken the path of entrepreneurship. Though I’ fulfilled with what I have been able to achieve in my lifetime. I wouldn’t say I am not a successful man. I may not have all the money in the world but I think I am fulfilled.

For me, a man who in his lifetime could pioneer three successful newspapers should always have a cause to be grateful to God. ‘’Weekend Concord’’ was a Newspaper I edited at the prime of my youth. I was over-ambitious as far as becoming an editor was concerned. At a point, I attempted resigning  my appointment as a Features Editor  of Concord Newspaper to become the Editor of a magazine called ‘’Flamingo’’, edited then by Victor Ubani.

But along the line, something went wrong and I had to return to Concord. While in Concord, I co-authorized a book called the ‘’Art of Feature Writing.’  I got the opportunity to edit the  Weekend Concord.

Then,Dr Doyin Abiola came back from a holiday abroad and decided to establish a weekend newspaper. She had asked me to pioneer the title, having been satisfied with my performance as a Features  editor. Initially, there was resistance among the Concord family.

The emergence of Weekend Concord changed the phase of weekend newspaper journalism in Nigeria and suddenly, every newspaper started establishing its own weekend titles. I’m  happy we set the pace for others to follow. The Sun newspaper was a follow-up to what we did with Weekend Concord. We are looking at our stories from a humanized angle.

Looking back today, I am very happy that ‘’The Sun’’ is a success story and there is no way the history of  the organisation would be  written without mentioning my name and that of Dimgba Igwe.From ‘’The Sun’’, we have gone ahead to pioneer another newspaper-’’The Entertainment Express’’, where we are exclusively looking at entertainment. We have already established the Sunday title and we are planning to do the same soon  with the Daily Entertainment Express which we hope to make a full newspaper.

Now, I’m  in a new phase in my life, practicing the same profession but this time around in a higher dimension. We recently launched the biography of Segun Osoba where three Nigerian former heads of state were in attendance. Journalism is a very important profession that has taken me around the world. I have lived a good life,  all thanks to journalism.

Family life

God blessed me with a wife that understands  my lifestyle; A woman who understands me like a book and gave me three wonderful children. I met her many years ago while she was still a young girl. She happened to be my junior at school then, and I never knew she would be my wife. She has been a blessing to me and I never had any cause to regret marrying her. I wanted to raise a family and there was so much pressure from my parents.

They were anxiously looking for a grandchild and almost forced me to marry a woman of their choice. I objected to it, as God would have it, I met my better half in the church. I’m not a difficult person but I’m always restless when it comes to looking for stories as a journalist.

What life has taught me

It requires you to be a master of your own destiny. If you have a mission you pursue it with aggression and hard work, all the forces would work in your favour to achieve success. I have always believed in the philosophy of excellence in whatever I do, putting my best into whatever I do. At the end of the day, people appreciate your hard work.

Also, I believe in making haste while the sun shines and that there is no room for failure or losers. Once you are a failure or a loser, you are on your own but once you come out of the past, make a breakthrough and stay on the winning side, the world would want to associate with you. Nobody wants to be associated with failure and I believe that working hard to achieve success in whatever you do. It is essential in life to identity your role models. Without choosing one, you may have no clue as to what your future should look like.

I wouldn’t say I saw too much poverty. My family was just average, my mother provided enough for us as well as nd my father . I had a very happy childhood but at the age of six, I was taken from my parents to live with my eldest brother who was a school teacher. Life with a school teacher was filled with books, I was exposed to literature and I read a lot of it.

At 60 years

By July 23rd, I would be 6o years of age.  Since I began this journey, it has been quite exiting and fulfilling. A journey of no regret although there have been many disappointments But I  thank God all the same. I don’t feel 60 years and even when I tell people, I’m 60, they find it had to believe in me.

I often wonder why they think I would be lying about my age. I can boldly say God has been good to me and may be, I didn’t  abuse my body, or perhaps, it is as a result of my mindset that makes me younger. I am happy to clock three scores. My friends and well wishers are putting together a dinner in my honour on the 1st of August at Sheraton Hotel Ikeja.

There is a book I have written which involves editors from all over the world. It is an interview with celebrated editors;  editors of the Sunday Times of London, of the New york Times Daily, Los-Angeles Times and many others. It is a book I intend to launch to mark my 60th birthday. I would subsequently present it to the public hopefully this year.

He did his best to excite readers and make them happy. He made sure journalism was interesting and ridiculed himself to make others happy. I want an award to be inscribed in my name: Mike Awoyinfa Award for Human Interest Journalism. That is an award very dear to my heart.