How Pastor Adeyemi made me discover my artistic side — Adewunmi Adisa

Dr Adewunmi Adisa, a creative entrepreneur in Media  and Advertising, is the founder, My Green Gene. He spoke with SEGUN KASALI about his growing up and a major factor that changed his career path.

HOW was growing up?

Growing up in Nigeria was beautiful, but also very tough. I grew up in a place called Odo, in Mushin, Lagos. It was a very close community. I grew up with a lot of people who were destitute because of drugs, cultism, brutality — that kind of tough life.

 What strategies did your parents put in place to make sure you didn’t get involved?

I’m blessed to have very great parents. My mom is a Christian,  and my dad, a Muslim. They were very upright. They called me Pastor in my area; that’s how they kept me away from vices. So, even though as a young child, you would get involved in some pranks, I stayed away. I was close to people on the street.  I even learned their language. Sometimes when I speak, even though I’m a pastor, you will know I grew up in that kind of setting, and I’m proud of it. I’m not dissociating myself from my community, though some of the vices I saw around are not commendable. Because of that sincerity, people in the community really loved me. If police were chasing anyone, they would run into my house.

Can you give us an instance?

There was a time this popular footballer, who was deported to Nigeria, came to my street. He brought things like CDs and LaserDiscs, which were not popular at that time. When people wanted to keep those things, they couldn’t keep them within their own circle because they might get stolen. So they brought them to me. That was when I realized the trust people had in me.

Looking at your mom and your dad, who would you say you took after more?

My dad was very disciplined. He doesn’t pamper you. Typical African father. Uprightness was everything. He didn’t care if you were going to cry. I took that uprightness from him.

My mom is the softer one. She is still alive, almost 77 now. Even now, when I send my mom money for herself, she must share it with my younger siblings.

Growing up in such  a community, what was your career ambition at that time?

I loved to be a scientist. In primary and secondary school, I focused on science. I had older cousins who were my role models: one is a mechanical engineer, another is a pharmacist. My elder brother didn’t go that far educationally. So, I looked up to my cousins. I wanted to be a Chemical Engineer.

But then Pastor Sam Adeyemi came into the picture. He said, “Discover your potential.” I realised I had this artistic side.  I could sketch, produce, make greeting cards. I used to think white-collar job meant wearing a tie to an office.

I used to listen to Pastor Sam on the radio in 1994/1995. So, I said, let me go to Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) to make inquiries. Fortunately, I have a big cousin who was secretary for ARCON (Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria), then APCON  (the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria). I went to meet him and he said, ‘You can work in an advertising agency, you can work in a TV station’. I thought artists were only those who draw portraits by the roadside. I even had a studio opposite a hotel where I did murals and sculptures, fountains when Magodo was just coming up.

 When he said I could work in an agency, I realised I could be in an office environment. They told me ‘Graphic Artists do this, Ceramists do that’ My mindset changed. I had to take extra GCE to add art-related subjects to my science background.

Did you get your dream course?

I didn’t even get to OAU at that time because there was no admission going on. The only admission was polytechnic. I wanted art-related courses, but they put me into architecture. When I got to the school [The Polytechnic Ibadan], the head of department said I wouldn’t cope because I didn’t have a technical background from secondary school. They said I should do a pre-degree, remedial — another year. I said no.

So they fitted me into Fine Arts at the Eruwa campus. The school had three campuses then. That was where I graduated. But when I was doing my HND, I majored in Graphics and Advertising.

How would you describe your life in those two schools?

First of all, God is supreme. He sketches our lives, and we are only trying to walk into that sketch to make it a reality. Those two schools shaped me a lot in terms of self-development. It was more of hands-on kind of teaching.

Any particular incident you can never forget at the school?

I was a politician in school. When I was in ND, I was the Student President of my department. I also contested to be Treasurer of the Student Government. And in HND, I was Deputy Speaker of the Student Government. It was an opportunity to multitask. To even contest, your GP (Grade Point) must be high, because Student Affairs will not allow you otherwise.

What did life present after school?

A bit of a challenge. Even before leaving school, I started working full-time in an advertising agency while waiting for NYSC. I remember when I was going for NYSC, I went for another interview. The Creative Director asked, “When are you resuming?” I said, after NYSC in Akwa Ibom/Cross River State. He said, “Do you think this is a part-time offer?” But my creativity and interpersonal relationships helped.

Tell us your journey to the UK.

I didn’t want to come to the UK because I was stable back home. I came here for a visit, got my visa and everything just to spend a few weeks, and it turned into a different story.

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What were the early years like in the UK?

I was working with MediaCity — like the Hollywood of the United Kingdom. I was working there with some friends I met in Nigeria in the profession. It was tedious but a learning process. So I went back to being self-employed.

To the glory of God, the church I was attending in Manchester gave me opportunity to manage their annual concerts. With my advertising background, I brought branding, vehicle branding, promo. At that time, nothing like that was being done. Since I got involved, the festival has grown. We used to occupy 2,000 capacity, now it’s over 10,000 capacity.

 And when did you see God in the UK?

There was a time I was so down, I even planned to commit suicide. If you are back in Nigeria well established — you have boys working for you, your own company, everything working — only to come to an environment where you have to start from the scratch. Imagine going to a party to record with your camera, maybe someone’s birthday, and you meet someone you once presented a proposal to for Supreme Ice Cream or for a bank. They tap you from behind and say, “Ah, Adewale!” They still call you sir, but they are seeing the Creative Director of a big company now doing quick photo jobs.

It’s like seeing someone who had an automobile company in Nigeria doing Uber delivery. I was at the peak of my life.

And how did you overcome that?

When I was about to turn 40 in 2015, I told myself I needed to take a turnaround. I said, I would need to start something that would  make people recognize I have more potential than what they have seen. Because all this while I had been struggling with my marriage breakup.

 So instead of celebrating my 40th, I launched My Green Gene with full lighting and editing, and put the brand in the limelight.

Tell us about it?

I have been doing this back in Nigeria, but it wasn’t named My Green Gene. I attended a leadership course and there was a topic called National Development. I’m a lover of Nigeria. I like a place where Nigeria is spoken about positively across the globe. So I started renovating houses. I invited Shodex. I went to a paint factory, got paint. Told those guys- Let’s teach them that they can live in their palace even in face-to-face houses. We just need to tidy our environment. We got paints, painted houses, grew flowers. A three-storey building that was run down started looking like 1004 Estate.

Then I invited speakers, entertainers — musicians, comedians. Because Nigerians like entertainment, if you want to get across to them, use entertainment to pass the message.

A few years after, I relocated and couldn’t continue. Until I saw someone do something similar.

On coming to the UK, I found many people struggling with their destinies. When you come, people tell you to go into security, care work. Every dream starts going down. But some are able to push forward.

I said, why can’t we celebrate these guys? There are Nigerians in top positions, even in government, in entertainment in this country. But because we don’t even know they are Nigerians.

So, I started going out to meet people. Richard Ayoade is from Ogbomoso. If you see him, you won’t know he’s Nigerian. I googled him, met him at an event in London. The queue was like 2-3 miles long. White people queuing to see him.

Before I went there, I did a magazine — My Green Gene Magazine prototype, front cover. I went with two friends. We spoke to the secretary that we wanted to see him. They put us in front of the queue.

After that, there’s also a guy who organizes Strictly Come Dancing — he’s Nigerian. I also met Anthony Joshua.

I told them about the dream. They gave me their support, and  said they would come on stage. That was why I decided to do My Green Gene inauguration in a big way to get everyone’s attention. And we were able to do our 10th anniversary last week.

Yes, consistency. The next stage is to bring it back home — My Green Gene Nigerian edition. Where we will have all these people come to receive their honour in Nigeria. The story we are painting is for Nigeria to be spoken positively through our food, our arts, our fashion.

What gives you so much joy, maybe not money?

What gives me joy is making sure I’m giving the opportunity to talk about how great Nigeria is. For the past 10 years, we’ve been running My Green Gene events, and I would say we have barely met our costs. But it’s passion. Having Nigerians come together to speak positive about our country.

 What would you love to be remembered for?

I would love to be remembered as somebody who passionately loves Nigeria and who gave back to Nigeria.

 How do you relax?

I watch a lot of TV movies. And I take myself out sometimes. I’m not a boring person, but I can be indoors for months because I like thinking, creating concepts. So, I detach myself from things that pollute my mind.

What do people misconstrue about you?

Number one, people think I’m married. Number two, people think I don’t enjoy myself because I’m always working. I don’t go to parties except I’m working. I’m an indoor person.

If you had an opportunity to speak to a 25-year-old, what would you tell him?

Do whatever you want to do now. Don’t wait. Don’t try to be perfect to start. Many people try to be perfect before they start executing, and that’s a killer. Look at people like Bella, the creator of Jarvis — English is not his core strength, but he didn’t focus on that. That became his strength and that’s what’s giving him money, and he’s getting married to someone who is intellectual.

Some people wait for things to be perfect before they start. So don’t wait.

 What are you grateful to God for?

I’m grateful to God for existing up to now and for the creativity He has bestowed on me. God is the supreme artist. He sketches things, where we’re going to get to in life. We just need to fit ourselves into these drawings.

My creativity has taken me to where I am today. Without it, in this country I would have been working for someone, tied to a particular job. But I can think, how do I get this thing done and make money? I’m an employer of labour, and it’s by what God has bestowed, not my own making.