Olusegun Dejo-Richards talks about his Career and future Plans.

Olusegun Dejo-Richards was once part of the music label, Question Mark, before it went under.  He married actress Monalisa Chinda and they both have a baby together, but the union did not last and their break-up was, major news in tabloids. In this interview with SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, Hazeez Balogun, though he declined to speak on the marriage, he shed light on other areas in his life.

Since your involvement with Question Mark ended what have you been up to?

Since Question Mark, I have been very busy. As you know, I have been doing a number of events here and there, managing and promoting various artistes. I am a management consultant involved in branding, promoting, developing content and shooting commercials. I also run an audiovisual production firm. The nature of my job is service inclined; it has always been work, work, work. Many of the brands you see out there have at one time or the other worked with us.

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We gather that you are about to go on air with a TV programme, tell us what it is all about

It is a lifestyle television programme shot in five countries – Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and in the UK. It has over 15 segments ranging from automobile, movies, fashion, events, comedy and a lot more. We have worked extensively and we are in the concluding phase. It should start airing in the first quarter of next year. The show also features top-notch brands from the countries already mentioned, and also explores future stars in the making in these countries.

There was a time you were working on a musical and it was well reported, but all of a sudden all the noise died down, what really happened?

I am multi-talented and I can do a number of things. I come from a deep-rooted Christian family and I’m also very involved in music. Not just that I own a record label but also come from a background where music is the norm. I decided to do something on my own. I looked at my life and everything I have gone through; God has been good to me and the enemy has not been able to break me down or stop me. So I decided to do a gospel track, which I used to thank God. It is called ‘If not for God’ which I recorded and shot a video for. But I had big plans for the video, I was to shoot in many countries and not just Nigeria. But as a very busy man, I got distracted. I had some jobs I had to focus on and before you know it, the project was put on hold. It is not totally off though, it is a project I will definitely go back to. Also, the television show is our main priority now. I am putting a lot into quality control; I cannot afford to take my eyes off it.

Tell us a bit about your background

Well, I went to the University of Ilorin and from there I got a CISCO certification in Nigeria. Then I decided to go to the UK to take a Cambridge certification examination. But really, the education was to help me become a better manager and help myself as an entrepreneur. I never thought for one day to work for anybody.

We gathered that in Unilorin you were like the showboy. You headed social clubs; how true is that?

I come from a privileged background so it was easy for me to mingle with other privileged students. I was one of the few people who drove a car as a student in those days. I have four siblings and I am the only one living in Nigeria. My mum was a matron in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) before moving to Saudi Arabia to practise. So it was. easy for me to have all I desired. In the social scene, I decided to join an elitist student club called Cavaliers. In fact I think that was what shaped me for entertainment. Being in the club, we were meant to wear only designer clothes. We were to speak only to posh ladies, and also to have exclusive parties. To be sincere, I think all that helped me develop my branding skills and always wanting the best either for my company or my clients. It also helped me draw my boundaries.

Let us into your business history and how you got into entertainment

I have been self-employed since I left university. When I graduated, I was able to raise enough capital to the range of millions of naira. That was huge in those days. Then I started off a business. IT was relatively new in Nigeria then and I saw a big opportunity to make money. Then Supernet 300 was very new, and I was one of the few service providers in the country at that time. In 1999, I opened a multimedia, business centre where everything pertaining to the office was done. We were different then because we also offered internet access. Then, those were very few. We also were into telecoms a bit. We were selling Intercellular and Multilinks phones. Those days, if it was not NITEL, then it was Intercellular and Multilinks. This was before the advent of GSM. So it was a comprehensive business set up. Later I diversified into lumbering and timber business. I bought a few Bedford trucks, those are the trucks popularly known to the Yorubas as ‘Agbegilodo’ (wood transporters). I was taking my trucks to various towns and villages, buying wood and reselling them in Lagos. Sometimes, we just do haulage of these woods. The business was hard, but was rewarding too. It was after that I went to London to further my education.  When I came back, I set out into another direction. This time, I went into the hospitality business. I opened up a restaurant called Bobo Put Africana in Isolo. So you can see, I have had my hands into a lot of businesses.

How did you venture into entertainment?

Entertainment has always been in me. Entertainment started for me with artiste management. I started with a Nollywood artiste who by God’s grace is a very successful movie brand today. I have been privileged to work with a lot of music artistes; most of them when I was in Question Mark. Questions Mark was a joint venture with some other individuals you know. It was there I was able to nurture top artistes. It was after that I went on to set up my own label and took on events, promotions, and branding.

Why did you leave Question Mark?

Like I said, Question Mark was a joint venture. I was the chief executive of Question Mark and a chief partner. There was a lot not going on right on the label, and you already know how that played up. So I decided to leave. Besides, like I said, I do better working on my own business.

Artiste management and promotion is not something that is too popular in Nigeria, many labels die off easily after a brief stint. Why does this happen?

Without blowing my own trumpet, I think I am very successful at that, and that is why I am still in it till today. For others that have failed, there is one thing you have to know, a record label needs to be very professional. Professionalism in the business is something I always advocate for. It is an industry that should have standards and basics. In music management, there should be a clear line in record labels, artiste managers, artistes, repertoire and music promoters. They all need expertise. There should be a clear definition of various artiste brands, their style, their market, their story and their PR. A lot of record labels do not have consultants, many just set up a label and just sign on artistes and at the end of the day fail to achieve anything. Those who hire consultants in all the various fields I have listed, are those that are still standing today.

Everything you have mentioned sounds perfect, yet many artistes in Nigeria still make it big without all that

Yes, there are artistes who are doing well now, and doing everything for themselves. It is very tough, but the question is, how long did it take them to be where they are today? How many pitfalls have they faced? How many trial and error have they done? It took them a long time to learn all these things, so now they know how to move their brand, and what they stand for as artistes. It took them years to get there. But there are thousands of artistes who tried, failed and never got up again. With proper management, a talented artiste can achieve his dream, and the label will also get returns on their investment in a short time. In developed countries, the job of an artiste is to go to the studio to record and go on stage to perform. They don’t care about how their songs are marketed, how it is publicised, or even how they are managed as artistes. Some do not even write their own songs. They don’t know who writes their songs for them. Labels focus on all that, working with various consultants. But here, the artiste does all that for himself. All over the world music management is a major part of the industry.

You have had your fair share of bad press about your life and relationships, how has that affected your life?

When you are in the public eye, there are a lot of things that comes with it. I am a simple person, my turn on is intellectuality and my turn off is dishonesty. I am a perfectionist and do not compromise standard. That for itself is a reason why some certain quarters have misunderstood me and termed me what I am not. If you know me personally, you will know that I am a simple, approachable and very honest person.

So you say stories about your relationships are false?

Yes

So are you planning to take legal actions?

I have seen how people that are not detailed and people that are lazy do their jobs; put pen to paper and write what they don’t know. I have seen how people that are supposed to know decide to say false things. We are in a country that has laws, rules and regulations. When your fundamental right is trampled upon, then action should be taken. All these things they are saying about my life, I would challenge them to bring just one shred of evidence, to back up their stories. One of these days, there will be a scapegoat.  I have lawyers and we are continually assessing the situation. Very soon someone will have to pay for their illegalities.

Can you tell us what led to the break up between you and Monalisa Chinda.

Please that has been some years ago, and I am over that now. Talking about such things is like going back to the past. I am someone who looks forward and not backwards. So on that issue I will respectfully say no comment.

Culled from Daily Independent.