Lamina Azeez Abolaji is the CEO, Waves Media Limited. He is a serial entrepreneur with over 17 years hands-on experience toiling in the Nigerian media space. Kunle Adelabu of THE IMPACT newspaper sat with him for a brief interview and here are the excerpts:
THE IMPACT: Good afternoon, Mr. Waves, can you do a proper introduction of yourself for some of our audience who would be reading about you for the first time?
Waves: My name is Lamina Azeez Abolaji. I would like to describe myself as a serial hustler, because to survive in Nigeria, your hustle must be real. I founded my start up, Waves Media Limited, May 2007, asking myself just one question, how can I be more? It is the answer to this question I have been looking for seventeen years after. However, the past years have been very eventful. I have published the all-glossy Waves Magazine, founded a radio program called Waves Gist Zone and again, I have extended my line of business to include TV production with Wavesplus TV show. I equally mean different things to different people. I have clients I consult for and businesses I handle stuffs for and go my way.
THE IMPACT: How has entrepreneurship been for you?
Waves: For me, it’s been quite good. When I say it’s been quite good, not because I have been having it easy but because I have come to a point of realization that to bring anything good to life, it’s never going to happen in a straight line. With this mindset, I am always ready to pay the price for anything I set my mind to achieve. I have had days I asked myself who would catch me if I quit this whole stress but fortunately, I was able to remind myself, I would catch myself. Alhamdulilah for everything. I have been greatly favored in entrepreneurship.
THE IMPACT: You were recently admitted into the FORBES BLK community which is a community of people who are breaking barriers, would you want to tell us more about it?
Waves: That’s also another experience that speaks to resilience. I have been noticing a number of high profile individuals joining the community and thought to myself to give it a try. When I tried to log on to the website, I saw a long list of tabs to be filled. I was discouraged. I just closed it and moved on with my life. At another day, I went on Linkedin and read the beautiful things a newly admitted member wrote and the torrents of wishes, I was inspired and I tried it again, network issues frustrated me. It was at that point I noted it in my to-do-list knowing very well that anything that enters my to-do-list wouldn’t go except I have completed it. It was at that point I got it all filled, uploaded all my certificates, social media handles, etc. I received a mail afterwards that it would take days for my application to be reviewed and fortunately after, maybe, ten days, I received a mail congratulating me for admission into the FORBES BLK community. I was very excited the whole time committed finally paid off.
THE IMPACT: What does Waves Media do and how is Waves Media contributing to the development of the society?
Waves: Thank you for this question. Issues around media ownership is an endless conversation the world would continue to have. Th orientation of the owners of any media outfit will always reflect in the editorials, perspectives of their story and their sentiments. The same applies to Waves media. I am a value-driven person. I approach everything I do from the place of value.
One of the ways Waves media has been contributing to the society is very evident in our contents. We give voice to the voiceless without taking a dime from them. In the past four years, we have been supporting SMEs with free media exposure on television for their businesses. It’s our way of supporting young entrepreneurs like myself and our way of giving back to the society.
Second, if you notice in the past few years, we have been involved in different educational programmes for secondary school students which is where I intend to play big this year 2024. In the last quarter of last year, we founded Waves Foundation as the CSR arm of the business. Waves Foundation would focus primarily on youth advocacy with special interest and bias for their educational well-being and all-round development. That’s our new policy direction and we intend to pursue it vigorously.
THE IMPACT: What have you learnt that you think is worth sharing?
Waves: I have learnt that nothing gets done except you bring it to life and to bring it to life means you are ready to pay the sacrifice. When you have the mindset of getting things done, you will find it very easy to break barriers. I have noted that people who don’t get to bring productive to life are people who always see the challenges before seeing the result. To be result-oriented is to bring things to life because while others are already getting tired, you are only thinking of completing the process and then enjoy the fulfillment that comes with getting things done. I love it when I get things done and I love people who get things done too.
THE IMPACT: How were you able to transition from magazine to radio and then TV?
Waves: That’s a great question. The transition happened as a result of paying attention to details, ability to analyze situations and then adapt. I was publishing Waves magazine and I was enjoying it so much. I have taken the business to the level where we only take corporate adverts, multinationals and then corporate sponsorships. Everything began to fall apart when internet came. Brands began to ask themselves how can they confirm how many eyeballs their adverts got in print media compared to the online platform that gives them real-time algorithm of how many views, comments, likes, reach, etc. I knew it was time to quit when MTN Nigeria started having N5Million advertising budget for print in a quarter. It was that bad. Immediately, I developed a proposal and began to look for sponsorship for a radio program which led to founding Waves Gist Zone in October 2017. While at it, the business needed to increase her revenue drive and we founded Waves photography studio to bring in daily income to at least stay afloat. At some point, I realize the process can run without me, so, I began to look for something more challenging and that gave birth to Wavesplus Tv Show.
THE IMPACT: What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an entrepreneur?
Waves: One of the biggest challenges is staying afloat. The Nigerian economy will never allow you plan as an entrepreneur. For instance, I have been running after a conglomerate that have over six brands under it for years now. I made some investment late last year which got me noticed and I am hopeful of business patronage this year, but with the present inflation rate in the company, the prize of one of their brands have gone to the roof which has affected them and as a result, put so many things on hold. This and many more are challenges business owners like me are faced with and yet, we have to ensure the business keeps going. It’s not been easy, but I thank God for his grace. Tough time never last, only tough people do.
THE IMPACT: What do you consider as your strength?
Waves: I observe a lot. I hate to do things because others are doing it, so, I do things on my own terms after very careful analysis. Before I employ a new staff, I usually have the person’s salary for more than three months before I employ. I am always ready and that’s why you see that when we start something at Waves, we don’t quit. We would have planned it all through to the end. Planning and thinking things through are my biggest strength.
THE IMPACT: What other activities do you engage in when you are not working?
Waves: Most likely I am in the class. I prioritize personal development so I am in and out of the classroom. I am going to be completing my second master’s degree this year and I am enrolling for another program afterwards because I have to fill that space. I am also a social worker. I have been the secretary of an NGO called NURAH Foundation for over nine years, and I also engage in political activities as a member of the Honourable Babajimi Benson led iCare Foundation.
THE IMPACT: What do you think people do not know about you?
Waves: I really don’t know because I am an open book. I don’t hide my personality. As I said earlier, I don’t do things because others are doing it, so, whatever I do is me, not a copycat and as a result, it may not be hard for people to know me. However, what I think people may not know about me is my next move because I only say what I have done and completed, especially on social media.
THE IMPACT: How will you describe your personality?
Waves: Wow. I am a loyal friend. I don’t relate with anyone because of what I want to gain from them. I strongly believe in what I can do for myself, so, when I am with you, I am with you one hundred percent, not because of what I want to gain from you. I learn a lot through observation. I have a very sharp analytical mind. I am always very conscious of how I behave to people and I take note of how people treat me, because I won’t forget. I don’t disrespect people and I hate it when people disrespect me. Overall, I am a very gentle person but strong, very passionate about what I believe in and I don’t give up on things easily.
THE IMPACT: What message do you have for youths out there?
Waves: I have a lot to tell them but let me just say a few here. First, the best thing that would happen to you is that you should find find your passion early enough in life. It would save you a lot of stress. Understand that no one owes you, you owe yourself. Hard work does not kill and there is no substitute to it. Believe only in what you can do for yourself, and if you get help along the way, be thankful for it.
