In this question and answer session, Alex Eyengho takes us on a journey through his career path, family life and his passion for portraying the African culture through filmmaking. A proud alumnus and a member of the MSc FT4 class, he also tells us how the SMC has impacted his career and family life.

My name is Alex Oritsegbeyiwa Eyengho. I was born in Lagos on May 8, 1969 into the family of Mr. Friday & Mrs. Sumele Eyengho. They had 9 of us (5 boys and 4 girls) and I am number 5. My late father, Mr. Friday Omowu Sholuwa Eyengho hailed from Delta State as indigenes of communities like Ijaghala, Ode-Ugborodo, Omadino, Orugbo, Abiugborodo, Kantu etc, all cutting across the three Warri Local Government Areas of Delta State, and Ilaje in Ondo State. My mother, Mrs. Suleme Grace Eyengho (nee Okotie-Ogunje Olomu) hails from Koko, Ebrohimi, Bobi; Egbokodo and Agbarho etc, all in the three Warri Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Ethiope East LGA of Delta State, and Ondo State. I attended St. Thomas Aquinas Primary School, Lagos and Atunrase Boys High School, Lagos, where I obtained my West African School Certificate in 1987. I proceeded to the Anambra State Polytechnic, where I obtained my OND in Mass Communication in 1992 and went further to obtain my HND in Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic Oko. I then went for my MBA at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom where I graduated in 2012 and proceeded to the School of Media and Communication of the then Pan-African University (now Pan-Atlantic University) where I obtained my MSc. in Media and Communication in 2013/2014. I hold several other certificates in journalism and filmmaking from Nigeria, Europe and America. I am currently a media practitioner, filmmaker and a professional in partisan politics. I am well travelled both nationally and internationally where I have been to virtually all continents of the world mostly for industry-related events. I am married to Matel Oritseweyinmi Alex-Eyengho (nee Ejejigbe) with children.

2. Tell us about your career path and how you became a Filmmaker.

Like I said earlier, I am today a media practitioner, filmmaker and a professional in politics. I have always known from the outset that I am a creative artiste. However, when I was a child, I loved the uniform profession like the army and police so much. This explains why in 1987 the year I rounded off my Secondary school, I applied to get into the army through the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) but was never shortlisted. Not giving up, in 1988, I applied to the Police Academy, Pashinkara in Kano State to become a Police Cadet Inspector. From the thousands of applications from the then Bendel State, I was first shortlisted among the first 20 applicants who went for the one-week training at the Academy and latter to the last 5 applicants. The Provost of the Academy then was Assistant Commissioner Akagbosu who is also from Bendel State. He called the 5 of us (4 boys and 1 girl) Bendelites into his office and addressed us. He was very cordial and indeed spoke to us like our father. He told us we all did well but because of quota system and the fact that Bendelites are believed to be very many in the Nigeria Police Force, only 2 of us will be selected from Bendel State, while most of the other States, particularly the Northern States will have minimum of 10 per State. When the final result was published in the Daily Times, truly, only 2 out of the 5 finalists from Bendel State were selected; the only girl and another boy. I cried because I was so close. It was so painful. If I made it to the NDA in 1987 or the Police Academy in 1988, my rank today would have been nothing less than Brig. General and AIG respectively. I tried the NDA again in 1989 but was not also shortlisted. That was when I gave up my desire to be a member of the Nigerian armed forces. At this time (1989), most of my secondary school class mates who gained admission into the Universities were already in their 200 levels going to 300 levels the next year being 1990. The sale of JAMB forms had closed during this period and I was not about to waste 1990 being completely out of school. At this time, one of my childhood friends (Ben Dunno) was already studying Mass Communication at the Anambra State Polytechnic. He encouraged me to enrol since I had the required WASC subjects. I did immediately but as that was being proccessed, the Federal Government introduced JAMB system into Polytechnics. That was how I became one of the pioneers of Poly JAMB. I passed and got admitted to study for my OND in Mass Communication. After my HND in 1995 and NYSC in Minna, Niger State in 1996, I came back to Lagos and joined Nollywood same year as an actor from where I also started learning the ropes as a producer and director through the opportunity given to me by Joe Dudun, a veteran Nollywood filmmaker. As they say, the rest is history.

3. What are some projects you have worked on in the Nigerian film industry and any upcoming ones?

I have worked on so many projects (movies, soap operas and stage plays) for others as an actor, production assistant, production manager, casting director and assistant director. However, my own projects thus far as producer/director include but not limited to Beyond Obligation (1&2), Nanna of the Niger Delta, Judgement Day, The Return, Scruples, Oma tsen-tsen, Suara la, Ogodobiri, A Trip to Ugbege, Bishop Iloputaife, Itsekiri in Capsule, Nanna Olomu, Olu Akengbuwa, Oleri, The 20th Warri Monarch among others. My current jobs still at pre production stages are The Riota and The Naming Ceremony.

4. Tell us about your family life?

As stated before, I am married with four children (all boys) including a set of twins. In order of seniority, my four children are Abemiyor, Oyorworli, Oyortemi and Itseworli. I met my wife, then known as Miss Matel Ejejigbe in 1998 at the audition for the film, Nanna of the Niger Delta, which took place at Ebute Meta, Lagos. Aboyowa Ikomi was the executive producer. Joe Dudun was the director while I was a supporting lead actor and one of the two assistant directors. She (Matel) came for the audition to get one of the acting roles. Incidentally, Joe Dudun as NYSC teacher thought her in Secondary school. The moment I saw her, I told Joe Dudun that “I must marry this girl.” Joe Dudun made the introductions and I took things from there. She got a role in the film and we were all in the location together with other members of cast and crew for weeks, somewhere in Ajido, Badagry. She did many yanga for me all through our stay in the location. She was already a movie star before then because she had played lead and supporting lead roles alongside the likes of Eucharia Anunobi, Gloria Alozie Young, Emeka Ike among others, in some major Nollywood films then. So, her shakara was much when I told her that I already see her as my wife. I would buy her bottle water (that’s the only water she drinks till date) and buy pure water for myself because I don’t have money (laughs). I did not give up and on July 1st and 2nd 2002, we married the traditional and christian ways respectively in Warri, Delta State. She is also a trained marketer by profession. We do all our businesses together. She has been a great pillar of support to me all this years. We also publish the monthly WARRI MIRROR magazine, a pioneer and ubiquitous grassroots print medium in the Niger Delta region. I try to always be the best husband to my wife and children because they are all I have.

5. How do you keep up with your work and family life?

In life, one must always strive to strike a balance in one’s activities. I travel a lot because of the nature of my job. But whenever I am around, I make sure I give them the maximum time and attention.

6. How has your schooling in SMC impacted your career and family life?
Very positively. One of the very best decisions I have ever taken in my life was to proceed to SMC for my MSc. in Media and Communication. My experience in that University was awesome. It made me a better person both in my career and family life. This was why I went back to SMC for my PhD in Media and Communication which I had to suspend one year into the minimum three-year program. This was due to time factor and my endless travels in and out of the country within the period. You know that SMC don’t joke with class attendance. I couldn’t meet up with the compulsory class attendance in the first year which has two semesters. So, I had to opt out during the second semester. I hope I will find time to go back and continue but this time, I may just switch to PhD in Film studies.

7. Is the African culture being protrayed as it should by African filmmakers? If not, what needs to be done?

I don’t think we as African filmmakers are doing enough in this regard. Culture comes with a lot of things (food, dressing, language, religious beliefs, etc). I see us portraying more of foreign cultures in our films as if we are not proud of the rich African culture. The way forward is for us to go back to making films in the various indigenous languages of Africa and subtitle such films. You cannot separate language from culture. The western languages, particularly English and French have somehow recolonized us in Africa and and by implication, our culture. This is reflecting in our films. We must reverse this trend. The more local, the more global. We must think of globalization only from the keyhole of glocalization.

8. What three books would we find on your bookshelf at home?

I am a Pan-Africanist. I am also a student of African history. Anyday, anytime, you will find in my bookshelf at home the following three books: Merchant Prince of the Niger; by Prof. Obaro Ikimi, The History of Itsekiri, by William Moore and the last but not the least, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe.

OPEYEMI OLULEYE

My name is Opeyemi Oluleye. I prefer to be identified as a Nigerian with multi-cultural affiliations. I am a Branding and Corporate Communication Consultant, leading Strategy at Geitwei Inc.

QUESTIONS:

1. How did you meet? What attracted you to each other?

Bukola and I have known each other for a while, say since 2010, because we attended the same church. However, we were just friends that later got to volunteer in the same Unit – Media Department. One thing I had always admired about her though is that she was different – unique way of thinking, living a quiet lifestyle, intelligent, beautiful, and a rare writer.

In 2014, we found ourselves in the same room, writing an application test to join the School of Media and Communication. It was a coincidence but we shared similar interest areas so we were happy to be pursuing the same degree. Fast forward to getting admitted and resuming (SMC was still at Victoria Island). She lived in Agungi and I lived in Ajah, so I would usually pick her up in the morning and drop her off in the evening – started off with her meeting me at her bus stop and dropping her off at her bus stop. Those moments, on days when there were no extra passengers, we would gist, laugh, tease each other, lament about school work, etc. These were the conversations that then strengthened the bond and even made me see her more beautiful than I was seeing in the past.

2. Were you in other serious relationships prior to your marriage?

My last relationship was in final year of my first degree (2010/2011); I was single until Bukola and I got together.

3. How long did you date? What was a typical date like?

The relationship officially began November 2014 – interestingly, at school we were thought to be siblings or cousins or distant relatives, and most still did not figure it out until after we got married – and we were in it for 3 years.

During our time at Pan-Atlantic University, I will say our typical dates were the moments we spent together – lunch in school, trip to school and back, a visit to her place and vice versa. Moments like this, I will mention that we shared dates with friends like David Ajikobi and Morolake Dairo (classmates) without them knowing.

4. When did you decide to get married?
   

    

For me, I would rather set my goal and work backward. The day I asked her out (I will leave that story for her to narrate) was the day I made the decision to marry her – it’s all in the head. However, it took me 2 years to actualize this journey. The conversation had longed moved from deciding to marry to my ability to pull a surprise on the day of the proposal.

December 2016, we traveled to Dubai for a friend’s wedding – the UAE government decided that I was going to Dubai to propose and not attend a wedding that I was the best man at because my visa came out a day after the wedding. On the day she was to return to Nigeria, my friend, Toyosi became a make-shift event planner. We waited for Bukola’s Uber to arrive and her luggage loaded into the boot. I then called her into the lobby of the hotel – this was around 2am or so – and a few inches away from a humongous Christmas tree, I went on my knees and pulled out the ring. What would Bukola do? She ran away, as in took off. Who does that? Her friends ran after her and brought her back. I then said, “Will you marry me?”, then whispered, “You better say yes”.

5. What do you do together for fun?

It took us a while to figure out how to have fun together, and this is because we are two very different people. But things are different now. We joke and laugh together. We discuss people, ideas, thought processes, and other matters that arise.

6. Describe each of your roles in the relationship. How did you come to have these roles?

Our roles are quite unique, as a couple, from the generally accepted standard. We have grown to support each other at all levels so that we do not have one person carrying the burden 100%. We learnt to do this by desiring to do things together, and this involves spiritual, financial, domestic, and social roles.

7. What are your biggest arguments about in your relationship?

Negligence. I have a bad habit for either forgetting to do something or storing information given me by her in a long-term memory. When it is time to pull out these information and I drop the ball, an argument becomes inevitable.

8. Do you have children? If you do, how has having children
   

   changed your marriage?

Yes we do. Oreoluwa is 2 years old now and has been a great catalyst to change in the family. The little man is living his best life yet and really doesn’t have worries because Daddy and Mummy should know what to do, and this is the definition of change in the marriage.

For every movement, every naira, every decision, Oreoluwa has to be considered. This, friends, is inevitable change that cannot be reversed.

9. Describe your job. How does your work responsibilities impact your family life?

I am a Media and Communications consultant. Until now, I worked with an Education Development organization as a Communication and Knowledge Management Lead. My office was in Ilupeju and so I would spend the entire day out of the house and return home tired. This clearly took a toll on my family because I was not available.

The pandemic eased things a bit because we got to work from home fully. It was also during this period that I began to find time to do spend with the family.

Right now I am transiting to full-time consultancy, working with my wife. Our work is focused on using storytelling to grow brands. We had started a company about 3 years ago but she was the only one running it. Since we function in the same field, it is easier to execute projects and still have time to grow the home.

10. What is the biggest strength of your relationship?

I think it is the willingness to align despite our multiple differences. This means that we have grown to make efforts in ensuring that we both are not just existing as partners but growing as a family unit.

11. What does love mean to you?

Love has taken a new meaning for me. You will probably never hear me give you Oxford Learner’s Dictionary definition of love again. Now, love means value exchange. I ensure that I am of value to someone, not expecting anything in return.

OLUBUKOLA OLULEYE

My name is Olubukola Oluleye. I am a Writer, Editor, Content Curator and Management consultant.

QUESTIONS:

1. How did you meet? What attracted you to each other?

We met in church, in a group of other friends. I don’t remember our earliest interactions, but I remember thinking he was stubborn. We knew of each other before we started speaking to each other. What drew me to him was the way he carried himself – like a person of substance. PAU brought us closer together, of course. We spend a lot of time together because we went to school together, we were in the same course stream, and we went home from school together.

2. Were you in other serious relationships prior to your marriage?

Before Ope, I had only been in one other relationship. I didn’t really have the courage to date multiple times.

3. How long did you date? What was a typical date like?We dated for about three (3) years. We didn’t go out much because some of the time, we were in school (PAU), and the rest of the time, we worked on opposite ends of Lagos.

4. When did you decide to get married?
   

    

We got engaged in December 2016. Funny story – I ran away when he proposed.

5. What do you do together for fun?

For fun, we try different meals or make fun of each other’s palate, we watch movies, listen to old music together, or have general discussions about human nature.

6. Describe each of your roles in the relationship. How did you come to have these roles?

I’m not sure we have strictly defined roles; I think we just find ways to complement each other where there is a need. If one person can’t do something right now, the other person does. If one person can’t be one thing right now, the other person is. We’re figuring out our rhythm as we grow.

7. What are your biggest arguments about in your relationship?

Many of our arguments center around our different temperaments/personalities. Sometimes, I like things done a certain way and he likes them done the opposite way.

8. Do you have children? If you do, how has having children changed your marriage?

We have a son. His addition to us has made us both grow, I believe. We understand each other better, and every day we get a better sense of the responsibility on our hands. We frame his first views (which will likely last longer than many others) of life and human relationships, so it’s on us to model kindness and humanity the best way we know.

9. Describe your job. How does your work responsibilities impact your family life?

I work as a writer/editor half the time. The rest of the time, I’m on a product development and partnerships management team. My work schedule is pretty hectic, and that means that I’ve had to be more deliberate about creating work-life boundaries, setting aside time to rest, and time to be a family. I don’t always do it right, but I try. Ope and I also work together on a lot of things, so we’re in constant communication.

•  
  

  What is the biggest strength of your relationship?

I think our biggest strengths are our determination to work hard on our relationship, and our willingness to find joy in little things. We both love to laugh.

• What does love mean to you?

That’s a big question. I don’t think I have one definition that encapsulates everything I think about love. But I will say that love is attentiveness. It is deliberate kindness and service. Feelings of deep care and adoration are the cherry on the top.

SMC ALUMNI WEBINAR SERIES

The SMC Alumni webinar series is an alumni event organized by the school’s alumni relations office with the aim of fostering significant engagement among alumni and industry leaders. Previous episodes ran from April 21, 2020 to May 15, 2020.

Indeed, the webinars were insightful. They attracted an unprecedented number of attendees within the university community and interested individuals across the globe.

Kindly find below the details of the webinar series. Previous recordings can be found here:

SMC Alumni Webinar Series

Subsequently, the series will hold quarterly. Details of forthcoming episodes will be published in the next edition of the SMC newsletter. Alumni are encouraged to participate actively.

‘Meet the Expert’ Series

‘Meet the Expert’ series, organised by the internship and alumni relations office, is geared towards the personal development and professional formation of full-time Masters of Science degree students at the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University.

The series is also central to our master’s programme since it facilitates the primary goal of the school- formation of media and communication professionals, to enable them to pursue their calling of service to human cultures with a sense of creativity, skill, knowledge, and values.

In addition, the event creates a platform for our students to engage industry leaders and learn from them, thus serving to achieve the objectives of the Master’s programme. The special guests are required to speak about their life/professional experiences and career journey in light of the professional values, they hold dearly (for instance, leadership or industriousness in the workplace). Their presentations also highlight the qualities that their organizations seek in prospective employees. The series have successfully engendered professional mentorship and internship placements for our students.

Alumni are herby encouraged to oblige when they receive invitations as guest speakers.

Notably, this series has been running for six years; and attracted distinguished personalities (some of whom are prominent alumni) including: