The Chief Executive Officer of The Temple Company, Idris Olorunnimbe, tells KEHINDE AJOSE about his journey as an entrepreneur, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on his business, and his role in the Lagos Independence Festival of Excellence
What inspired you to set up The Temple Company?
Part of the reason we are here is to represent and project us all in the best possible way through how we communicate with the rest of the world, in terms of film, music and the entire creative industry. It is difficult to separate entertainment, sports and tourism. I refer to them as triplets. As a matter of fact, sports is defined as entertainment in some places.
How exactly did you start the Temple Company?
In my ‘old life’, I worked in the public sector. From 2007 to 2015, I worked with a former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, as a personal assistant. When he left office in 2015, I thought of what next to do. The easy thing would have been to go into construction or consulting in the public service area, or even get involved in politics that I had somewhat been embedded in for about nine to 10 years. However, I wanted a challenge. We looked at the country’s economy in a bid to identify areas that had great potential and was not saturated. We wanted a place where we could cause a ‘disruption’ and leave a legacy. We then chose the entertainment and sports sectors which dovetail into tourism. There are quite a few players there but they are not enough. And, there was a space for us. That is basically the abridged version of how we got here.
The entertainment and tourism industries were severely impacted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. How were you able to get through that period?
Aside from the medical and food industry, I feel the entertainment industry also ought to be considered an essential service. When people were at home (due to the lockdown), they needed to be engaged in something. We all were neither allowed to go out nor mix. What does one do when ‘forced’ to stay at home? One had to watch something. In a way, the entertainment industry functions like a bank. Everything that has been done before (in the industry) can be found somewhere, so we had initial succour with the materials that had already been created. However, we needed fresh materials, and we had to be innovative.
One of such was a content we created with one of our clients, Bisola Aiyeola (of Big Brother Naija fame) and her daughter. At the height of the pandemic, they were working out every morning and posting the videos on Instagram and YouTube. People could then join them with their children. We also had one with actress, Mimi Onalaja, who was interviewing people in diverse topics and posting it on Instagram and YouTube.
In all of these, the entertainers were engaged in a different way.
Also at the height of the pandemic, we shot our first movie titled, Introducing the Kujus, and it went to the cinemas. We just made sure everybody that worked on the movie underwent COVID-19 tests. All the cast and crew members were accommodated in one location. That way, they were only going from the movie set to their hotel and back. We figured that consumers deserved fresh content, so we got creative. There was a diminished revenue capacity but we chose to make fans happy.
What is the motivation behind the forthcoming Lagos Independence Festival of Excellence?
There is one day in the Nigerian calendar that is local to us and that is our independence day, October 1. Most other holidays are inherited, such as Christmas and Workers’ Day. The only two days that are local to us are Independence Day and Democracy Day (which was formerly May 29 but is now on June 12. Every July 4, which is the United States of America’s Independence Day, every American celebrates it. It’s such a big deal (to them). But, that is not our culture here. It is a public holiday but that is almost where it ends. Me and Ezekiel Adamu, the CEO of Balmoral, then came up with the idea of LIFE Festival. It is basically a collaboration between the Temple Company and the Balmoral Group. He (Adamu) came to see me and we got talking about Nigeria.
There are some things one is born with and there are some things one learns. Ordinarily, one is not born a patriot. One’s sense of patriotism is developed from one’s experiences. They say the pessimist sees the cup as being half empty, while the optimist sees it as being half full. So, we chose to be optimists— that in the middle of all the things that are not working in the country, some other things are working. We then decided to showcase the things that are working, so we can elicit a sense of pride in our people and make them committed to the Nigerian project. There is a lot of indifference among Nigerians about Nigeria. That indifference does not help us. It is the commitment that will define our country. Imagine 10 of us on a boat and we are all supposed to paddle but only one person is paddling. That means we won’t go anywhere. But, if eight people are paddling, it is very likely that we will get ashore. We believe that by the time we deliver LIFE, and we are able to showcase the best of Nigerian arts, cuisine, entertainment, history, and give a peek into what our future can look like, we would be able to develop more patriots.
We have decided to be more deliberate about telling our stories and showcasing the things that matter to us, and letting people experience it. I think it would be a win-win situation for us (the organisers), the attendees and Nigeria.
In what ways would LIFE differ from other festivals?
We have broken it down into two series—daytime and nighttime series, catering to the unique needs of both children and adults.
The daytime series will be dedicated to children, and there would be games and storytelling. They can attend the exhibitions, where there will be food, musical performances and other things to explore.
We are also speaking to the Lagos State Government because we want to have the presence of some government agencies.
For the nighttime series, there will be concerts adult-centric entertainment.
What drives you?
Read Also
One key element is that I am an unapologetic patriot. I love Nigeria and it is very important to me that the country works. A lot of people think wrongly that one has to be in the public sector to make a difference but it’s a fallacy. The public sector drives policies. But, the private sector is more important than the public sector because the private sector drives the public sector.
The public sector is the one that has the rule book but we shape policies and when they make policies that are bad for us, we suffer the consequences. When they make policies, their intention is to improve whatever sector it is and the earning capacity. The major source of funding for the government is tax. And, an unemployed person cannot pay tax.
While working with Fashola, there was never a time that working with him did not feel like there was something chasing him to do more. For every day of eight years, I saw a man driven to make Lagos, and ultimately Nigeria, better. It was a challenge for me. When one sees people like that, one cannot afford to be mediocre.
Some people seem to have given up on the country. Do you think Nigeria is worth celebrating?
Yes, I think Nigeria is worth celebrating. In our individual lives, we experience ups and downs. But, when there is life, there is hope. We have never been in a state of hopelessness and we will never get to a state of hopelessness. We need to inspire and encourage people to do more and get committed to the Nigerian project. For LIFE Festival, we will get significant buy-in from the people. I think the festival is an opportunity to celebrate ourselves and our country.
You have been running the Temple Company for about six years. What lessons have you learnt so far?
The company turned six in March. I have learnt that Nigerians are some of the ‘coolest’ people one can ever come across. I have also learnt that a lot of people within the creative industry, and even generally, are self-taught.
Also, there are many foremen—one person doing the work of four people. Nigerians have a lot of mind-blowing potential. One can actually choose one craft and be a master at it.
What do you think the creative sector needs to reach its potential?
I think we need two things. One is infrastructure. We (Temple) have done something in that area by creating Ogidi Studios. After that, there are other projects that are in different stages of development. Beyond that, we also need some type of reorientation. The average artiste survives at the pleasure of their fans. Micheal Jackson remains one of the greatest entertainers of all time because of the large fan base he had.
What does success mean to you?
Success, to me, is about leaving behind a legacy. Success to us is when Temple keeps going, LIFE keeps going, Lagos keeps thriving and Nigeria keeps working.
Success is when my children do better than me. For as long as I am alive, I intend to continue challenging myself and raise bars. I will also continue to improve everything I have the ability to touch. Success, to me, is dying but staying alive.
How do you unwind?
I unwind by spending time with my wife and children.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
