How do you manage to combine Theatre (Arts basically) with community services; such as JCI and digital marketing?
I chose to do Theatre because I love the arts, it’s the spice of life and for one it helps me express myself totally and for me it’s the best way to make people happy. Community services comes with my deep passion to impact my generation starting with my immediate community. I embraced digital marketing because it’s the new way of life and this, if well understood will boost people businesses and eventually make them happy. Combining them has no formula, if doing some things makes you happy, you find out that you will do them effortlessly.
You are a fun person, you double as a comedian with your numerous areas of interest. How much time is left for you to be creative?
You see, the more you make people happy, the happier you are most likely to be yourself, so being a fun person like you said is a deliberate action, I guess that’s one of the reasons I am a comedian and for every other ‘numerous’ areas of interest I function, I picked them carefully to suit my ability to function properly, I don’t dabble into things so there’s a lot of time to be creative beside creativity is an art and it comes to me naturally.
How lucrative is stage production? Is it relevant and acceptable today in Nigeria?
I have actively been running my theatre company for two years and have produced and directed several stage play productions in Ibadan, Lagos and a campus tour around some universities in South-Western Nigeria and I can tell you categorically that theatre is very relevant. It’s quite fulfilling to see several audiences give standing ovations after every performance and you can be sure that whatever message we want to pass across is well gotten, so, yes, it is very relevant. Acceptable? Well, not yet, but soon it will, if we have more people come into it but certain factors will dissuade producers from attempting and yes, I pay my actors, even though it’s not much but they get paid because we all understand that what we are doing is investing in an industry that will blossom in no distant time. We share a deep understanding.
Share with us some of your challenging moments and the things that led to it.
Today in Ibadan where I run my theatre company, it’s safe to say it’s the most consistent private theatre company as we have seen one or two others spring up but have not been active again because the challenges are very strong and to survive this challenges, one must have a very deep conviction and passion for it. The biggest challenge however, is accessing funds to execute the productions. Running a single production is quite expensive and most brands don’t believe in it yet to support or sponsor it, so I have resorted to funding it from personal finances until it becomes what we dream of it to be and already its getting there because the movement for it is becoming quite noticeable and that 
With all of this, what exactly is your source of income; theatre, radio, digital marketing?
Very tricky question (laughs). A bulk of my income comes from MC Jobs, for weddings and events and corporate gatherings like product launches, dinners, awards ceremonies etc. and I must say I do that excellently well, call it blowing my trumpet (laughs) Theatre and digital marketing for me right now are investments that should begin to yield in a couple of years.
How easy is it for you to keep your family life intact bearing in mind that you have a lot of women around you, bearing in mind the nature of your job?
Well, I think if you really want to be successful, you need GOD, then women. Women, in my opinion are the best gift God gave to men. Women can have doors open for you just like that and they can also have that door closed as fast as it was opened so women are one of the criteria for success but one needs to be very careful in dealing with them so you don’t find yourself in a scandal that will threaten all the work that has been done. Also, as a public figure, it’s very normal that women flock around you and that’s when discipline comes in. I’d like to think of myself as a principled man with self-discipline. In this regard, I don’t think my family have much to worry about based on these understandings and family issues are never for the public. My wife understands that too.
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How do you source for clients?
Most of the clients I have are referrals. In fact 85 per cent of the jobs I get are referrals. I just get a call from someone who knows me or someone who was at an event I anchored. Sometimes I finish an event and people walk up to me to get my contact for another event. So, because I know that the best form of advertisement ever is word of mouth I try to be as professional as I can be at an event and give my utmost best and that has always worked for me, my best PR strategy, the other 15 per cent I get from social media.
Let’s talk about JCI – why are you there?
Junior Chamber International is an NGO that provides development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change and that’s exactly why I am there. I have had several opportunities to make an impact, contribute positively to growth of my immediate community, execute projects that assist the government to positively affect lives directly. This gives me a lot of joy.
Are you still a radio presenter?
Are you trying to find out if I still work for any radio station? (laughs) Well, for now, no, but I am still a radio presenter. I’d like to get back on radio though but it depends on a lot of things that will need major considerations. A couple of radio stations have approached me recently, we are still in talks but like I said some major considerations will be a determinant but really I’d like to get back on radio. I love it.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am the first of three children, I have an amazing brother and a beautiful sister. I am from a family that was okay enough to send all three children through university, even though growing up had me do several things for my parents and myself; stuffs like selling food, grinding pepper, selling drinks for my mum. For myself, I operated a business center where calls were made, repaired phones and computers, wrote and sold comedy bulletins for N20 back then and other stuff to make life easier. I was admitted to study Marketing (diploma) at the Olabisi Onabanjo University after which I proceeded to University of Ibadan where I obtained my B.A in Theatre Arts as a director. I play football very well, in fact I wanted to become a footballer but my mother wanted her first son to be a chartered accountant (laughs). I got into entertainment as a dancer, I used to be a very smooth and sleek dancer and I was loved for it. I still try to move my body to music now though (giggles), then I got into stand up comedy and here we are today doing several other things. I am married to a very beautiful and amazing woman.
What are your achievements so far?
Well I will try to be as modest as I can be but please allow me blow my trumpet (laughs), I always do my best to stand out in whatever I do and I feel very honoured when my efforts are being recognised and appreciated. As an individual and entrepreneur, in 2016, I was named among the top 30 most influential youths in Ibadan; in 2017 I made the list of the top 50 entrepreneurs in Ibadan; recently, I was also listed as one of the top 50 outstanding entrepreneurs in Ibadan. As a radio presenter, I was awarded On Air Personality of the Year in 2015 and 2016 respectively and also got two nominations at the Nigeria Broadcasters Merit Awards in 2016. I recently created and facilitated a Digital Business Master class for over 30 business owners and entrepreneurs in Ibadan free of charge, training them on digital marketing. I have, over the last two years, created platforms for over 50 aspiring radio presenters to be trained by professionals to make their dreams come true.
I currently sit on the Board of Directors JCI Ibadan as the Director of Individual Opportunities and Trainings and a very active member of the Association of Entertainment Stakeholders Oyo State (AESOS). I am Babatunde Ojobaro, my friends call me Mister Rain. I am a thespian, comedian, an MC, an On Air Personality, a digital marketer, a speaker and a trainer. I am an entertainer and a corporate man. It’s safe to call me “The Corporate Entertainer”
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