The Nigerian Hustle

Atuma Chidi is a teacher and education entrepreneur. He is the Coordinator of Deo Gratias Tutors in Lambe, Ogun State.

Anthony Kehinde Joseph is a screenwriter with more than 20 titles to his credit. His latest work, Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper, is currently showing in cinemas across Nigeria.

Jide Alli is a reality TV director with more than 14 credits to his name. He has been a series director and content director on such shows as Big Brother Naija, Project Fame, Nigerian Idol, and most recently, the Real Housewives of Lagos. 

Azeez Amida is the CEO of Pan African Towers Ltd. He has over 18 years of professional experience that cuts across 6 countries and over 12 industries including telecommunications, fast moving consumer goods, healthcare, investment banking, private equity, art, publishing, etc.But that's his Clark Kent persona. When he puts his cape on, he is, in his own words, "on a mission to help BUILD a new generation of leaders, professionals, and businesses with enough capacity to make Africa the next world leader on all fronts." He is the author of the book "EPE Principle: understanding the opportunity cycle." EPE stands for Enter, Perform and Exit.

Oluwabukola Ajayi (first of her name, slapper of goat balls and Baba Iskilu's worst nightmare) is a butcher and livestock supplier in Lagos, Nigeria. Find her on Instagram at @lagosbutcher or contact her via WhatsApp at +2348188887438.

Shola Edu is the Creative Director of "Deluxe Creation Studios" in Ebute Meta, Lagos. He is a game developer, a 3D/2D Animation & Graphics Designer,  and an Arsenal fan.

Edem Dorothy Ossai is the founder and executive director of Mentoring Assistance for Youths and Entrepreneurs Initiative (MAYEIN). Her organization started as a mobile library for rural and impoverished communities in Oyo State, but now does everything from vocational training to tutoring for students who are trying to get into universities.We talk about the childhood observations and experience that led Edem to advocacy work, which ultimately led to creating her organization; we discuss how she tries to engineer cultural change in the communities she serves and the challenges of keeping young people engaged in her programs. We also talk about some success stories of her work, the importance of role models in mentoring young people, and a lot more.

Timothy Adeniji (aka Coach Emir) if the owner of Team G Boxing Academy in Agbelekakale, Lagos, where he trains young boys and girls free-of-charge.

Kanyinsola Ogunsolu (@thatofadagirl) started selling ofada sauce on a lark in 2019. Within less than a year, she had turned it into a full-fledged profitable business. In this episode, we talk about EVERY aspect of her business - preparation, profits, losses, employees, customers, good/bad reviews, etc., as well as her plans for expansion.

Mrs. Sherifat Motunrayo Salawu sells smoked fish near the Ten Ten bus stop in Lambe, Ogun State. She talks to us about the joys and agonies of life, and the challenges of raising and supporting her children with limited resources.

Adeleke Adeyeye is the Proprietor and CEO of Wembley Viewing Center in Lambe, Ogun State.

Akin-Tijani Balogun is a film and TV director, producer, writer and actor. His recent credits include The Best Men (2021), Best Friends (2020), and Baby Daddy (2017).

Priest Faloore Omosile Fakayode is a babaláwo, and one one the leaders at Ile Ijosin Alabalaye Society of Nigeria, Ogbe Ola, in Ibadan.

Our conversation this week is with Tobiloba Ogunbanjo, a Nigerian politician and social media curator (based in Lagos) who talks to us about his passion and faith in Nigeria as he continues to believe that the country is on the right path.

Tope Asokere is a photographer, photo journalist and travel agent in Abeokuta, who specializes in mobile photography. We talk to him about his craft, his beginnings as a photographer, the advantages of ditching DSLRs for mobile phone cameras, the risks and rewards of his profession in Nigeria, experience working in other countries, and more.

NB: This episode is in Yoruba. Tosin Agunbiade, aka "Sir T Woko" is a boxer and boxing trainer in Shala, Iju Ishaga. We discuss his career as a boxer, starting in the 80s, following in the footsteps of his dad, his experiences in the many tournaments he's competed in, and his desire to compete professionally in spite of his age.

Emeka Ossai is the founder of Campus Labs. He is a social entrepreneur, who is focused on designing and implementing solutions that address the curriculum gaps in Nigerian higher institutions with the goal of ensuring young people gain the required employability, entrepreneurial and technology skills to compete in the 21st century. We talk to him about why he cares about young people, what skills young Nigerians need to prepare for the future, why he won't go into politics, balancing public service and making money, and more.

In this episode, we speak with veteran actor, Toyin Oshinaike, about the agonies and ecstasies of his 30+ year career on stage and screen.

From not being able to write her own name to successfully completing an OND at the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Olamide Ogunyemi - a dispatch rider in Ibadan - has bootstrapped her way through life quite remarkably. We talk to her about her background, what growing up was like in a polygamous home, how she developed an interest in motorcycles, plans for the future, and more.

Michael Apoti-Eri Erinle is the head coach of Akanbites football club in Lambe, Ogun State, and he also runs the academy for the club.We talk about the structure, or lack of structure, of the grassroots football system in Nigeria, the challenges of making it in the professional game, how he got into coaching, the backgrounds of the players in his academy. We also talk about whether football age as a big a problem as we think it is in football, and more.

Bamidele Ogunshola is the Technical Director of TOS Funerals. He's a mortician with more than 20 years experience in the funeral services industry. We discuss the social perception of his profession, his experience embalming tens of thousands of bodies, what he has learned about life while working with the dead, and lots more.

Bukola Majekodunmi Ekuri is the owner of BeHealthy Nigeria, a producer of dairy products aimed at health conscious people, with BeHealthy Greek Yogurt, being their flagship product.We talk to her about how she got into the business, the process of producing greek yogurt, the challenges of that business in Nigeria, what makes their product stand out from the competition, and how she keeps the business afloat, being a small fish in a big pond. We also talk about her other life as a dancer, singer, model, etc.

Pamela Elekwachi is the founder of "The Girl On Project"; a menstrual health and hygiene advocacy organization based in Ondo State. Our conversation covers why menstrual health and hygiene needs special attention and its own dedicated NGO. As men, we mostly want women to wear sanitary pads and shut up about it but she explains how it affects us all and why we should care. We talk specifics about her organization's work. She serves very low-income communities where sanitary products have no place in household budgets, so they train young girls to make their own.We also talk about cultural and religious obstacles to her work, as well as the other irons she has in the fire.

Our conversation with Dr. Bisi Olawuyi of the Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan provides an intriguing view into the world of teaching in a university environment, the seemingly insurmountable task of surviving on a meagre paycheck, and the internal politics within the four walls of Nigeria's premier university.

In the concluding part of our conversation with Edem Dorothy Ossai, we discuss some success stories of her work, and the importance of the right role models in mentorship. We wrap up with a description of her grand vision - a special kind of school she's working towards establisihng.

In Part 2, we talk about the early days of MAYEIN, the kind of work Edem did then and the kind of work she does now. We also talk about how she tries to engineer social change in the community she serves, as well as the challenges of keeping young people engaged in the programs her organization offers.

Edem Dorothy Ossai is the founder and Executive Director of Mentoring Assistance for Youths and Entrepreneurs Initiaive (MAYEIN). In this part, we talk about the childhood observations and experiences that led to her advocacy work, and culminated in the founding of MAYEIN.

We conclude by talking about Lafup's philanthropy, the charity work he does every December, and how when he's not being a performer, he's trying to change the lives of society's neglected.

Here, we talk about how comedians deal with hecklers and disruptors, and how some social issues can be a double edged sword when trying to make people laugh.

In Part 3, Lafup talks about his first big payday; which was the moment he realized just how much money he could make as a comedian, and the types of shows he prioritizes. We also ask about the language he prefers to perform in, and whether any subjects are off limits for him as a comedian.

In this Part, we talk about Lafup's first shows at the University of Ibadan, work he did on TV and the radio in the mid 2000s, and how he became Ali Baba's protege.

Segun "Lafup" Ogundipe is a comedian, MC, actor and writer. In the first part of our discussion, we talk about the early days of his career... clown costumes, roadshows, children's parties, etc. We also talk about how covid lockdowns and regulations have changed the art and business of comedy for him and other comedians over the last two years.

In the concluding part of our discussion, Dr Olanlege talk about: -Plans for her own professional development, and how she plans to balance that with keeping the clinic running;-Word of mouth marketing for healthcare services;-The most common health issues in the community;-The mini scams being run in Nigerian hospitals;-Common misconceptions she has to combat in the community; -And more.