By Victor Gotevbe

Life’s challenges can propel one to settle into a profession that seems  like the real calling. Prince Oyeniran Adebayo,27, a.k.a. Tush, is a confirmation of the foregoing.This gentleman, a native of Agurodo village, Ejigbo, Osun State who has a degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from Ladoke Akintola University is now an events planner, Publisher of a magazine and CEO of TDA Multimedia. He is the organizer of Tush Awards which started in Ogbomosho,2009. In this interview, Adebayo shares his trials and victories. Excerpts.

What would you regard as  most challenging time in your work ?
I’m sure if you ask millions of youths in Nigeria this same question, 90% of them will tell you the challenge they face daily is Money. That’s true to some extent. Indeed, I have been faced with so many challenging situations in these few eight years in my personal sojourn in this line. It gets more interesting if you look at the fact that in TDA Multimedia we have more than two products that we re working on.

There were times in University days that I would go hungry for days, or resort to drinking ‘garri’(cassava flakes) or solid pap because the pocket money had spent either to get something for the magazine or  used for travelling to interview people. You won’t believe I went as far as Calabar, Yola, Port Harcourt etc  to interview people. They were times ,we had to trek just because we didn’t have enough money.

OYENIRAN

I remember vividly a situation that happened while I was in 400 level. We were supposed to cover a DBanj show in Ilorin that night and I left Ogbomoso with a colleague (Solomon) around 9pm thinking the show would start by 10pm. When we got to the venue for the event, we were told the show had been postponed; it was around 10pm then. We couldn’t go back because it was late, we knew nobody in Ilorin , and we couldn’t lodge in any hotel because we didn’t have enough money. We had to stay with a ‘SuyaMan’ untill around 2 am when he closed. When the cold was getting too much around 3 am, we found a closed shop where we slept on a bench right beside the street. So many challenging periods like this, but the underlying factor is resources, were not available.

Tell us about your level of impact on young people and how did you go about it?
Thank God for the invention of the Social Media. Hardly would a day go by that I won’t get messages of the positive impact I have in people’s lives. I had a lot of young guys that took me as their “School father” while I was in 500 level, they wanted me to tutor them which by the grace of God, I was able to do. There is even a guy that presently own his Youth Magazine and he is doing very well in the publishing industry.

I won’t be able to quantify, but I know through our various outfits, God has used me to touch people’s livese through De Pearl Magazine or through Tush Awards. Recently, the Vice Chancellor of FUTA recognized and commended the Best Campus Comedian for Tush Awards 2012 in a personal letter to him. The guy called me  to thank me for his award. I felt happy that I  impacted on this guy’s life positively.  One thing I know is this, people are watching and getting encouraged with what they see of me.

What will you envisage about yourself in the next  five years?
Five Years? Hmmm… Fulfillment is what I pray to God for. I want to be fulfilled in my calling and I’m sure in five years, I would be there…  see my outfit, TDA Multimedia diversifying into other areas affecting the lives of the youth in our  country. Also, we want to be able reach out to more less privileged in the society as its our cause to do something with 10% of the proceeds got from Tush Awards annually. This year, we are focusing on Diabetes and Diabetic Homes.

What would be your advice to your contemporaries and other young people for their service to humanity?
I believe there is nothing impossible with God. One of my slogans in life is this: “if it’s going to be, then it depends on me”. With  God by my side, I know I can never fail at anything… I would want everybody to first and foremost, believe in God, seek His way and never give up on what you believe you want. Never say never… .

What are you currently working on?
Well, right now, we have TDA Multimedia which has De Pearl Magazine as a youth quarterly publication circulating all universities in the country. We intend launching out another publication which would focus on motivation, development and empowerment of the average youth in the society before the end of the year.  We have started the preparations for this year’s edition which is the 5th successive edition of Tush.

All youths Awards which has been scheduled to take place Saturday, November 30, 2013. We are currently discussing with some corporate organisations, individuals and state government towards supporting this edition of the awards. We want everybody to be involved in the planning, execution and success of this youth movement. I can tell you, out of all the youth awards that we have in the country now, Tush Awards is one of the most  appreciated and respected. We wish to make this bigger and all inclusive. It is our prayer to involve every tertiary institution in this year’s edition. That’s why we would want to use this opportunity to invite corporate Nigerians to support this initiative.

YOUNG NIGERIANS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

RAYMOND OKPARA, aka Jazzy Ray, LAGOS STATE:
Fondly referred to as the JAZZYRAY—‘The Inspirational M.C’ by numerous satisfied clients, Raymond Okpara is a cutting edge highly-sought-after compere, comedian and proficient voice-over artiste with a passion for lighting up hearts and events. He is  the chief executive officer of weTHINKalike Communications…an events and brand management company located in the  Lagos Metropolitan area.

RAYMOND

Business organizations, NGOs, faith-based organizations, educational institutions and high net worth individuals from all over Nigeria depend on JAZZYRAY’s authentic ‘eMCeeing’ and voice-over gift and firm passionate commitment to quality service to ensure the success of their events.

From corporate stakeholder dinners to wedding parties and receptions, AGMs to conventions and seminars, sensitization programmes to customer appreciation events and corporate retreats…JAZZYRAY is the perfect solution for important events;   and great results, non negotiable.

Organizations that have hired JAZZYRAY to pilot and voice their events include Brilla Fm, Omatek Computers Nigeria, Loyalty Prepaid Card(MasterCard), World League Academy International, Sickle Cell Advocacy & Mgt. Initiative, Whetstones Consulting, TREM, Golden Gate Hotels, Illumination Assembly just to mention a few.

He’s the team leader of SOTERIA MOVIE CAFÉ. Jazzyray has been the brain behind numerous entertaining shows including the Lagos Worldclass Concert planners seminars and the pilot edition of the upcomingREDCARD REVOLUTION” – A 500 -Youths movement stirred up by the Spirit to put an absolute end to the demons of Immorality & juvenile destruction that has engulfed the community (Ajegunle/Olodi Apapa) in the recent years!

According to him, “We are serving them the RED CARD” this season!!! The Movement/March will happen on 1stApril. Takeoff point is from Goddey Cinema Ground (through the streets of Olodi – Ajegunle etc…) and ‘landing’ point is at the Ajeromi Ifelodun Council office.