When my colleagues at the University heard that I had gotten a job at Cool FM, they were impressed. It was “the” radio station and it had the best and most respected OAPs like Dan Foster and others. But what they did not know was that I only earned N20,000. They offered the sum to me as a stipend, but I expected a review at the end of 6 months. I was frustrated when it didn’t come, but I stayed because I needed to learn.
Before I got the job, I was confused about what I wanted to do with my life. My parents wanted me to be a doctor. When I didn’t get that, they decided I should become an Engineer, like my father. From my first year in Engineering, I knew I wasn’t cut out for it. I felt that way till the end of my course. When my parents asked what I would rather do, I had nothing in mind. Out of frustration, and to give my dad an answer, I told him I wanted to go to Computer Village to fix phones. He was disappointed! He expected more from me considering the opportunities I had and the fact that he believed I was smarter than all my siblings.
The job at Cool FM was me only trying something out. I didn’t think I would enjoy or stick with it. While in school, I had done sports on an amateur radio station. Everyone who listened in gave their positive reviews, but I never thought much of them. As a child, my father exposed my siblings and me to a lot of football. In primary school, I got caned a few times for writing sports scores from the back pages of my note all the way to the middle. So, when I found out I enjoyed broadcasting, I wanted to learn as much as I could. Fast forward to the end of my 13-month stay at Cool FM; I moved to another station and then another until I got a big break when I did the World Cup on NTA. Few people had DSTV then, so the NTA audience was large. One of the viewers was my father, whose respect I suddenly earned, seeing how good I was.
Since then, I have grown to become a voice in sports. It feels good to be in a field that comes to you naturally. I don’t envy people’s jobs. To think that all that time when I struggled to find my path, all I needed to do was stumble right.