When I speak about, analyse or criticise the entertainment industry in Ibadan and Oyo State, some people often ask: “What effrontery does he have? What does he know about entertainment? What are his track records?”
I simply laugh.
The truth is that many of those asking these questions had not even finished secondary school when we started. We have been there, we have done that, and we are still here. We have not left the scene, and we have no intention of phasing out.
We have evolved with the times. We follow the trends, understand the realities of today and continue to operate in the present, while never forgetting where we are coming from.
My involvement in entertainment is not something I discovered yesterday. I have been involved in music as a singer, created a space for myself within the music business, and built platforms that have showcased entertainers and entertainment in Oyo State for more than two decades. My footprints have also extended into the wider Nigerian mainstream entertainment industry.
The Emmense Music Company Era
I can categorically state that we operated a recording company and record label that was established in Ibadan as far back as 2002.
It was called Emmense Music Company, and it was established in the heart of Ibadan at a time when the contemporary recording and independent music-label structure in the city was still developing.
Among the artistes associated with the label and recording environment were Blade, Trigga and Shorex, alongside several other artistes who found a creative home around our studio.
We were not merely talking about entertainment—we were actively creating it.
We recorded songs, developed artistes and produced local hits from our studio. Those songs may belong to a different era, but they remain part of the story of Ibadan's evolving contemporary music culture.
And that history matters.
Ibadan has a long-standing entertainment heritage. Academic research into the city's entertainment history documents how its hotels, clubs, theatre institutions and musicians played important roles in Nigeria's cultural development, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s.
Our generation inherited that tradition and contributed another chapter to it.
From Music to Shows, Media and City Branding
Between 2007 and 2012, we consistently organised shows and concerts. At one point, we were running monthly lounge events back-to-back under the IB Connect platform.
We also published IB Connect Magazine, which became one of the platforms dedicated to promoting Ibadan, its people, entertainment and lifestyle at the time.
Then came IB Connect on Premier FM, a weekly radio programme that ran for four years and was focused heavily on Ibadan and Oyo State's entertainment identity, promotion and development.
That work was happening during an important period in Ibadan's media evolution. Premier 93.5 FM itself was commissioned on October 30, 2001, with a mandate that included informing, educating and entertaining its immediate community.
The city's entertainment ecosystem has continued to expand dramatically since then. Reporting on Ibadan's media landscape notes that the city had only a handful of major radio voices before the emergence of private stations, while the sector has since grown into a highly competitive market with dozens of stations.
So when we talk about the evolution of entertainment in Ibadan, we are not speaking merely as spectators.
We were participants.
A special shout-out to Lummy, Flip Marshal, DJ Black and BK BMG, among the many people who were part of that journey and era.
Still Here. Still Repping Ibadan.
Today, we are still doing what we have always done: following the industry, observing its transformation, participating in its growth and speaking about what we believe can be done better.
The platforms may change. The technology may change. The audience may change. The music may change.
But the commitment remains.
We have been here. We are still here. And we are still repping the city of Ibadan.
This is not about claiming to know everything. It is about having lived experience, having contributed to the ecosystem and having earned the right to participate in conversations about the direction of Ibadan and Oyo State entertainment.
We did not just arrive at the scene. We were part of building it.
And as the industry continues to evolve, we intend to remain part of the story.
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