Ibrahim Adeduntan popularly known as Ibro, started out in life as the circulating manger of Global Excellence Magazine. While on that job, he took out time to under go a course on public relations and qualified as an NIPR diploma holder, rather than slap the streets with the certificate looking for a PR job, Adeduntan vied into youth mobilisation and award organising for the young ones that have done brilliantly well for themselves. Recently, he took time off his busy timetable, to speak with newdawn’s Charles Okogene
Ibrahim Adeduntan
What led you into founding Young Achievers’ Award?
I got the inspiration while I was the circulation manager of Global Excellence manazine. Then, I normally travel all over the country. I go to the east, north and while on this trip, I see a lot of things the youth were doing or have done but they are not celebrated. I now said to myself, ‘Ibrahim, you must do something to celebrate them; I learnt the act of appreciating people from the reverend father I grew up with. His name is Fr Alphosus Aniah. He wanted me to become a reverend father but for my grandmother who refused and took me away to another school in Imeko. Well that is another story for another day
But then the training the reverend father gave us is still in me. He taught us how to read and write in Latin and all that. When I was with him, he was the Catholic chaplin for youth diaocese of Lagos
So when I saw what our youths were/are doing, those ideas came rushing back so I went to the owner of Barmoral event centre and told him that I want to do a youth event in his place and he told me that the hall goes for N800,000 to N1m and I was like where will I see such. But later he said I should go and bring N500, 000. I normally do the award on October 1 to concede with our independence day anniversary. I will never forget uncle Loye Amuzat who gave me advert slot in his magazine. I do not want to mention some people who instead of encouraging me, were discouraging me
I remember I covered one of the awards you did in 2baba’s nightclub in GRA
No, that was not an award, it was an evening with young achievers We celebrated the then Lagos State Police Command PPRO, Ngozi Braid; she is now a CSP , she is now head of anti-money laundry at SFU Ikoyi.
Ibrahim Adeduntan
How old is Young Achievers Award?
The award will be 11 this year,
What has been Nigerians reception to it ever since?
I will not lie to you, there was a time I had to sell a landed property in Ota so that I can hold the edition of a particular year because we needed some money and by my nature, I do not like begging for money. I have realized that in Nigeria, if you want to do an event, people will not always support you at first until even the day of the show. So I always like to reserve some money somewhere to pull it through. IBIS Hotel is my special brand now; Ibis has been there for me. The next edition, I want to take it outside Lagos, maybe to Abuja. Oga mi, you will agree with me that there are a lot of people especially up north that are doing something commendable that we do not even know. During the last award, a commissioner from Kebbi State received the award and did a full page newspaper advert to appreciate it. Here in Lagos or south, nobody will do that because we have over celebrated them and they look down on us and say ‘sebi na award dem wan give us’, there are a lot of people in the east and north that we have not exposed and they are also doing very, very well . By God’s grace, I want to hold the award outside Lagos, that is my plan. It has been very rough and tough; I went through hell but I thank God. Whatever good you are doing in life, you must always believe that one day you will have a breakthrough, it will only take time because there is no short cut to success in life, though, I have not seen a good or full sponsor all these year but I still believe God that it will happen. I have written so many proposals to potential sponsors, they will acknowledge that it is a good idea but the moment we part ways, they dump the proposal in a waste bin, others will even steal the idea, implement it poorly behind you. ‘Wetin’ I never see sef? That is why I no longer write any proposal to anybody. We have celebrated many young people and that has always been my joy about this award programme. I cannot forget the late governor of Oyo State, Ajimobi, for his support. In one of our programme that we celebrate an Oyo State indigene who was the best graduating student in a Sudan university, Ajimobi was not in town but he sent four of his commissioners and a perm sec to represent him and kept asking how the programme went. May his soul rest in peace
What has been the response of the young people you have celebrated?
Thank you. Now we are writing a book, the first of its kind in Nigeria, to further showcase them. For instance whenever we are preparing for another edition of the award, I do get calls from people telling me that so and so person that is in Sokoto, Kebbi or Delta is doing so and so and deserves the award. What I have realized is that there is nobody that does not like to be celebrated; anytime I call any of them and introduce myself, they are always excited and want to be part of the award. The response from them have been very, very nice. Now I want to produce a TV programme where I will be interviewing people that have done well for themselves to serve as inspiration to others. You will agree with me that our youths are getting it wrong in many ways. They are going into financial and violent crimes, drug and other vices that is not good for them; they need mentoring. And the programme will be NigerianyouthTV. I have spoken to NDLEA people on this.
What do you think is the reason many people you have approached for sponsorship have refused to sponsor you?
Some companies like FirstBank have always been there for us, International Distillers also, and some others; though, we have not seen a major sponsor. The problem with most companies in Nigeria is that they prefer sponsoring entertainment events to sponsoring education or youth events; even the government too do not care about youths. I think that now that there is crisis of unemployment, government will focus more on youths.
What is the age bracket of those qualified to be celebrated by Young Achievers?
We are celebrating between 18 and 40, we are meeting the deputy governor of Zamfara, he is the youngest deputy governor in Nigeria
When is your next award?
The award is coming up May next year The award has to come before launching our book
