As Seun Oloketuyi turns forty years of age, his trudge down the road of success thus far for him in the media world and as an ancillary investor and stakeholder in Nollywood has been slow but successful. As any wise person would tell you, when success stands on the stage receiving applause, after a hard won fight, on the side stage stands the actual back story, begrudgingly joining in the applause.
And what is Seun’s back story? It is one with plots and sub-plots of vision, doggedness, travails and triumph, all leading to the finale denouement of his present new age, the age where his life really begins.
In his memoirs on the journey so far, Seun Oloketuyi gives the world a book on how it all began. From his delicate years of internship at the then fledging City People Magazine where he wrote for the Arts Pages, to his journalistic junket to Hints Magazine and thereafter Fame Magazine, all these between 1998 to 2001, where the fire achieve and be his own boss were being stoked.
Capitalising on a lacuna he discovered in Nollywood on the industry having a wholly dedicated magazine for its impressive trajectory at that time, Oloketuyi decided to go fill that void in the sector by birthing at first the first directory on Nigerian Entertainment and thereafter, the now popular Best of Nollywood Awards.
In a tale which is insightful and interesting to read, in this book, Oloketuyi gives the reader glimpses and vignettes of his recent history with the Nollywood industry and his topsy-turvy interactions with the some of the practitioners. He also doesn’t fail to tell us his appreciation to those who have worked assiduously with him to make the BON brand the success it is today.
Thus, beyond the glittering lights, the Red Carpets and the award presentations, Oloketuyi reveals the incredible pains it takes to organise these events, sometimes most of them at excruciating personal costs. How he finds the strength to gather himself up from the ashes of the last hosting battle of BON is a motivational side piece of the book itself. He comes across as one who has a never-say-die spirit and takes on every challenge with a zeal which is uncanny to only him. That he gets it done every year till present is a testimony of his resilience.
It is good enough that Seun Oloketuyi has gifted the industry with this narrative and it would be good enough too that the industry and beyond reads this book, if only to support this young man whose new life is starting before our very eyes.
And as we cheer Oloketuyi on, we should marvel at how he has ingratiated himself into the lives of many in the entertainment industry and how his brand finds its niche amongst us.
The Ovation continues…
*Charles Novia is an award-winning Nollywood filmmaker, pop culture critic and media entrepreneur.
