Hurray! Niyi Alonge, Nigeria’s Foremost Advert Guru Tells His Grass to Grace Story At 75

Nigeria’s most misconstrued advertisement prodigy and multi-billionaire Omoniyi Alonge clocks 75,  a major milestone in life today. To have survived three quarters of a Century, the Edo State-born philanthropist, always shy to talk to the press, narrates a very inspiring and motivating  story of his rise from grass to grace, for the first time. The Adwork founder spoke with Ben Memuletiwon from London saying: “At 75, there’s no better teacher than experience.”

Popularly called Omo Iya Eleba ni Mushin, Alonge debunked claim that he was born into wealth insisting that he worked his fingers to  the bones before finally hitting the goldmine and eventual breakthrough.

Below are the juicy excerpts as told by the man who has fought so many wars and won all:

My Background

My parents met in Iddo Motor Park, Lagos, where my mother had a food stall where she sold Eba (a trade she did all her working life). That’s why I always call myself “Omo Mama Eleba”.

My dad came from an Edo-Akure family and due to crushing poverty at home in Benin, he migrated to Lagos and found menial jobs at Iddo Motor Park. There, he met my mum and being both of strong Akure background, there was a meeting of minds that produced this man you are interviewing today.

My early years were birthed in that economically tough environment but my dad was a strong exemption. In spite of the tough economic circumstances, his strong faith brought him a future he could never have imagined. From the Motor Park he got a job as a cook with an expatriate and through this got another job as a chief on the famous MV Aureol Commercial Ship sailing from Lagos to Liverpool in the UK.

From that he then started job with Mandilas Ltd as a clerk and through dint of hard work, honesty and loyalty, he rose to become deputy chairman of Mandilas Limited.

Harsh Upbringing

I had a tough childhood upbringing and it helped me all my working life. I have not honestly taken annual leave or months off work. I just enjoy working. That is the first contradiction about me. One of my closest friends, Prince Yemi Adefulu described me this way. Another brother of mine, Theo Ayeni said this about me.

From what I said earlier, I was not born with a silver spoon at all, but my junior sisters and brothers may be comparatively termed as such as our parents’ economic circumstances positively changed years later.

I was born in Benin City and was brought to Lagos as a baby. In my life till date I lived 90% of my life in Lagos starting from Ebute Meta in a poverty stricken abode.  I also lived in Alagomeji, then to Tokunboh Street, Lagos. I started primary school in government school, Ebute Elefun, near Sangros and lived in Obalende , then to Little Road, Yaba, Adeniji Street, Surulere.

My mum tended her Eba business in Olorunshogo, Mushin and I’m a Mushin Boy but not notorious as the real Omo Mushin..

Life in Mushin was an eye opener especially during the famous Operation Wet e upheaval in Western Nigeria. I really experienced that political turmoil that ravaged the Western Region as a young boy. I was in Children Homes School, Molete, Ibadan, then to Government College Ibadan and my ‘A’ level at Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro. And then I moved to the University of Lagos.

In Mushin, I mixed with all sorts of rascally boys. A lot of my Mushin childhood friends, as expected,  dropped from primary school and became Molue drivers. Many of them are gone but I still help their wives and children till this day though I had since moved to Ikeja and now Ikoyi.

In Benin, unluckily for me, I’m being seen, even in the palace where His Royal Majesty “OMONOBA EREDIAUWA ” of Benin Kingdom referred to me as “expatriate Benin man”. I actually agree with that.

As I said, my childhood life was poverty soaked but as my parents economic fortune brightened, mine too did. The notion of silver spoon came from that aspect.

One thing though, my father was very strict about our education and as his fortune improved, he made quantum investment in our education. That’s how I was able to attend ‘Children Home School’, Ibadan (A primary school in the boarding house). Most of my junior brothers and sisters attended the same primary school. I must say all my juniors completed their education in the USA and UK, all privately funded by our father. I now retrospectively like what my father did to me then: he brought me up very tough. It has greatly helped me. One of the benefits of my father’s strictness instilled in me is that people often have a bundle of contradiction of their perception about me. In fact, my father’s strict warning made me to shun many vices associated with young boys.

I Became a Teetotaller

I have never smoked or drank any form of alcohol throughout my life till date.  In the last 40 years, I have not been to any night club because I can’t stand the alcohol or especially cigarette on my clothes.

My father truly became influential in Lagos and Benin/Midwest. I got close to him escorting him in his car to Chief Awolowo, Zik, Balewa, Okotie Ebolu, Chief Omo Osagie and most Federal permanent secretaries; offices and their  Ikoyi homes .

As a result, on graduation my father asked me to join the Federal Civil Service based on his contacts. But I rejected it.  I had my reasons for refusing. I had observed my mother’s Eba trade telling on her, especially her eyes. She blows fire from firewoods early hours of the morning to 9pm daily. My mother started Eba without soup, popularly called KOLOBE in Mushin. To end this trade, I reckoned that Civil Service wage of £720 per year for graduates wouldn’t carry my responsibilities. So, I made a research into what professional study I could undertake that will allow me to be self employed to carry my responsibilities. I then settled for advertising with a view to owning an Advertising Agency within five years post-graduation. My father wanted me to go for PhD being the first graduate in my entire family. I told him my plan. My father refused and he won’t tolerate my disobedience.

In his stern manner, he refused to fund my UK advertising course. My Mum took up the task from her Eba business to which she added frying puff-puff snacks for street hawkers in Mushin. She usually started this at 3am every day till 6am when street hawkers would have taken what they wanted. From 6am, she would start the usual business.  She paid my UK fees from this.

My dedication to her, post death and to this day, even after her death, endures till what is left of my life.

I must say that when I then returned to Nigeria, having completed my  post graduate advertising course , it was my Dad’s contact with my subsequent corporate benefactor, Alhaji Babatunde Jose  , Chairman of the Daily Times that got me employed in Daily Times. My Chairman had far sighted graduate policy in Daily Times. A lot of graduates benefited from this policy. I was too, as it gave me my management break when as first graduate in Daily Times Marketing Department, with post graduate qualification in advertising, Alhaji Jose stopped me from leaving Daily Times  for  Lintas as Client Service Executive as he elevated me to the post of Deputy Advert Manager  and later as Group Advert Manager.

Life At Daily Times

I have heard many comments from media sources that while in Daily Times, I joined the Jose Must Go Movement. Never! But my Deputy Advert Manager was in that movement, going by the list of signatories on the Jose Must Go paper. I worked hard to convince the late Gbolabo Ogunsanwo to step back from the horrible venture which would affect present and future generations of Nigerians who will suffer if the editorial independence of Daily Times which represents the street voice of the voiceless and speaks to power on behalf of us all is taken over. I was damn right!

To this end, I joined a couple of close friends, Dipo Odujinrin, Yemi Adefulu, the late Tunji Ayanlaja, the late Femi Somolu, the late Gbolabo Ogunsanwo to form a company called Mayfair 6 Ltd. And we opted to appoint Gbolabo Ogunsanwo as MD which will pull him out of Daily Times and he abhorred the movement. He turned it down.

By the time Alhaji Jose was removed as Chairman and government brought in Alhaji Aliko Mohammed as Chairman (who was a better choice to Adamu Ciroma , ex-editor of New Nigeria, who was erroneously named Governor of CBN , which was a position slated for Aliko , a chartered accountant), I looked at the whole scenario and I knew it was time to leave the high profile job in DAILY TIMES to start my own business  and started my life ambition to be self employed.  I left DAILY TIMES thereafter.

That led to Adwork Advertising being formed.

I had quite a few advantages that helped my quick success in setting up my advertising agency ADWORK. I had the fresh huge well known relatively high profile image which years in Daily Times gave me. I also had my father’s good public and political influence across the spectrum. But my father then never knew I was tapping, actively his business contacts. When he did, he was highly happy at the good report he was receiving.

My Eventual Breakthrough

I was also lucky with people like  Uncle Sam  Amuka  who  may not remember today but because of my impact in newspaper advertising industry, on leaving  Daily Times, he gave me a London flight  ticket to UK to acquire whatever I needed for my ad agency. The Punch Chairman, Uncle Olu Aboderin, supported me by giving me the advertising accounts of Alatede and Punch to advertise. I created Pack A Punch campaign. Through his contacts, I got the advertising accounts of REVLON GROUP OF PRODUCTS, a USA-based account.

Alhaji Aliko  Mohammed gave me Bank of the North account. In no time, my Daily Times advertising manager’s image gave me NNPC account, I pitched for Nigeria Airways account against then Oglivy Ben and Mathers,OBM , an international Agency and I won. I also won National Oil, Union Bank and split Big NICON account.

Adwork, within its first five years, won the Ad Agency Award for two years for highest volume of media advertising bookings on TV and media print. The agency also handled such well known accounts like GLAXO, BOOTS PHARMACEUTICAL, FLOUR MILLS, MOUKA, NEW NIGERIA BANK , NIGERIA DISTILLERS LTD, COCOA  INDUSTRY LTD to mention some of the few leading accounts we handled.

And because I was always, to this day, hunted by fear of poverty, I threw myself 247 into growing my business.

I must say most professional colleagues misconstrued me. Some close friends who knew me correctly used these quotes to describe me: Prince Yemi Adefulu wrote this about me: “People don’t know that beyond the facade of what they think is Niyi’s unseriousness is a most strategic and brilliant mind and that Niyi’s strength, they underrate him thereby allowing him to deliver killer punch while least expecting”.

Professor Bayo Williams  wrote: “Despite Niyi’s sartorial supermanship and dazzle razzle, Alonge is a man of restraint and utter modesty  who has vivid political and business foresight and imaginations “His brother , Mr Theo Ayeni  always quoting what one of Niyi’s Higher School teachers said of Niyi:

“He (Niyi) is a BUNDLE OF CONTRADICTION”

True, I was a most underrated advertisement man who ran a most profitable business outfits especially Adwork. Unfortunately, one of Adwork’s most notable account, but certainly not most profitable – Nigeria Airways brought down the entire business group. And a deep change in my life.

Adwork was hugely owed media money by Nigeria Airways. Also, I must admit I brought

this Nigeria Airways misfortune on the Agency but for good patriotic intentions. This was because I was so hugely disturbed that Nigeria Airways Adverts were never living anywhere up to their advert communication promise due to most recurrent failures of prompt take off or incessant cancellations of flights with no due notice to passengers coupled with bad inflight services

I Impounded Nigeria Airways Plane in London

While competing with foreign airlines like BA, AIR FRANCE, SEBENA,  ALITALIA, LUFTHANSA and  AMERICAN AIRLINES  for same fares, on board Nigeria Airways catering service was nothing to write home about. Its inflight films had stopped altogether due to refusal to pay bills for the inflight services, all suppliers at all international flight airports in US and Europe that Nigeria Airways flew into refused to honour their orders.

This led me to tell Nigeria Airways that if they will pay promptly, I will ask the inflight suppliers for films and catering to invoice me directly. Nigeria Airways accepted. I raised bank UK loan and Sony did accept. This went on for few months but Nigeria Airways reneged. I also carried Airport terminal ads at some international airports like Heathrow and others, all duely signed by Nigeria Airways.

But due to non-payment, our bank in UK, HSBC, demanded we go to court to back our claims before they will agree to reschedule our loan. We did go to Nigeria court and got judgement in Lagos High Court. Nigeria Airways accepted monthly spread payments but after no more than 3 payments it stopped again. HSBC asked we to register the judgement in London court if I must save my securities. Adwork accepted. Again we won and once again went into agreed spread as approved by court. But as usual, Nigeria Airways failed. We had no choice but go back to court and one thing led to another culminating in seizure of the plane based on UK COURT ORDER. All these issues were purely commercial. They have nothing to do with politics or being a NADECO or Afenifere member.

How I Escaped Abacha’s Goons

The Military regime of Abacha took extreme actions. First declared me and all or any business I was connected with National Security Risk.  All businesses and banks must stop any link with me. My family was dealt with, all vehicles taken away. The proscription was total or better still blanket. My businesses all died instantly. All funds dried up.

I ran out of Nigeria once I sensed what was in the offing. I was in exile for six years. And I experience the political divide of Nigeria in a bitter direct real sense. An NNPC senior accountant of far North origin tore a multi-million Naira NNPC cheque due Adwork on grounds (in his own words)” you Yorubas are ungrateful. We gave your Diya number 2 position to Abacha and you are seizing the Aircraft same week. The plane unfortunately crashed in Kano with Abacha’s son in it .

Even the acceptance of Nigeria Military to allow me back to Nigeria was negotiated through the good personal contacts of Osoba , Adenaike and the late Peter Ajayi. This, in spite of three Federal Government  Judicial enquiries into operations of Nigeria Airways that completely cleared Adwork with the last one accusing Nigeria  Airways of malafide as no wrong legal or otherwise was found against Adwork or his MD , Mr Niyi Alonge.

I must say His Excellencies Osoba and Oyegun are two most respected senior brothers of mine to whom I’m absolutely grateful to for their unflinching backing of me even when in London it was very risky to visit me in my London abode. Or even my Lagos home. Governor Oyegun once uttered one of the deepest descriptions of me in Benin regarding some Benin property which led him to say “Niyi, you are a person who operates under radar.”

From my Daily Times days till now, Osoba has openly treated me as Aburo and ever watching my back.

Politics? Count Me Out

Politics?  Yes I love politics but in Nigeria, I know I will soonest have clashes. I know so much have been perpetrated and given my early life deprivation, the fear of poverty,  I can’t support a lot of what one sees in Nigeria today. Because I negotiated my return under strict conditions, I still obtain Nigeria visa to enter Nigeria till date. The impact of what I went through is deep. But I give thanks to God.

You ask about some escapes I had from Abacha goons. I will give only two out of a few. During early years of exile, I wanted to meet some people from Lagos. So we agreed to rendezvous in Cotonou , Benin Republic. I flew from London on my UN REFUGEE RECOGNISED PASSPORT. I arrived Cotonou on Sabena Airline at night. I noticed of all passengers, I was the last to be cleared. The airport had become scanty.  I got a taxi that took me to Sheraton Hotel. While awaiting the two people from Lagos, I asked room service I wanted to iron my babariga .I was told it would cost 150 dollars. So I turned it down.  I then asked the room cleaner that this being a Yoruba town there must be dry cleaners  He confirmed. We agreed I should give him 20 dollars to rush to town.  When he came back he gave me 10 dollars change. I told him to take it. He left my room to return minutes later. He said I’m a good man. He said I made two mobile calls to Lagos. He then said I was expecting two people from Lagos. True. He revealed they have been arrested at Seme and all they were bringing seized. He said I’m not security conscious as I never suspected I was a person of security interest and but for some suspect I would have been driven elsewhere. So, he told me to check out of the hotel immediately and fly back to Europe. I was sweating. He told me my ticket is flexy and I can fly back that night on any airline not flying to Lagos. He helped to . arrange a safe driver and I was driven to Air France office. On hearing my story and inspection of my air ticket, I was given a seat and driven to the embassy.  My late night flight out of Cotonou, landed, and the embassy drove me straight onto the  tarmac and straight into the aircraft. The two Lagos people were released after a day and only given transport fare.

The second was the simultaneous burglary of my London home and my Lawyers office where all files relating to my case against Nigeria Airways and the Federal Government. It was reported to London Metropolitan Police who said we should give time for them to investigate. Within 48 hours, the police returned all the stolen files and told us the people who carried out the crime had accepted to return all the files for non prosecution and agreed not to work for Nigeria again  or kill any Nigerian on British soil.