By Emmanuel Ashemiriogwa
Students of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) who attended the 31st Monthly Professional Forum on Wednesday, June 4th, would not easily forget the phrase “Pay now, play later; play now, pay later” repeatedly emphasised by the Executive Chairman of Brila Media Group, Dr. Larry Izamoje.
Dr. Izamoje, who also founded Africa’s first sports radio Brila FM, delivered a lecture on the theme “Standing Out in a Saturated Market” at the Kensington Adebutu Media Resource Centre, Ogba, where he urged media and communication students to pay the price of honing their craft while they are still young so they don’t end up living a life filled with regrets.
Unsurprisingly, the veteran sports radio host began his lecture with a case study of Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal, who recently became one of the highest-paid players at Barcelona after dedicating countless hours to practice.
He said, “I tell my colleagues in the office, when we do training sessions, that we can all watch matches from Europe. But you must go back and be different in your reporting or analyses. You must make research.
“There’s a giant in everyone. But some need the giant in them to be awakened. So pay now and play later, or play now and pay later. And paying later is usually paying in the hard way.”
He juxtaposed the grass-to-grace stories of international athletes and the journey of media students, emphasizing the need to develop a unique selling point in order to stand out and build something meaningful in an already saturated media industry.
Dr. Izamoje advised media scholars to “have a personal you and a professional you.” He stressed that as students receive training across various facets of the media, they can distinguish themselves by embracing what he referred to as the 11 Ps: passion, proclaim, project, plan, persist, prioritize, practicalise, persevere, positivity, pray, and praise.
He explained that, “Passion is the reason you wake up at 4am and want to research what has happened to Inter Milan. Passion gives rise to action. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from.”
While recounting the internal challenges his media company faced in its early days, the pioneering founder explained that succeeding in Nigeria’s business environment is more likely when one applies the PESTLE approach to analyze the media landscape. According to him, the acronym stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental considerations.
He told the students, “When you leave here and want to be self-employed and want to stand out in the market, you must come up with a media product that solves a problem. Any business that doesn’t solve a problem cannot yield money. For example, our job at Brila is to solve the problem of people who need sports information.”
He urged students not to be timid or silent about their unique talents. In his words, “Also, promote what you’re doing. Let the world know, even in this school, that ‘I’m the only one who can talk, write, think, analyse or present like this.’”
The Onitsha-born sports radio analyst and founder also used the opportunity to call on the federal government to review the high interest rates attached to loans made available to media entrepreneurs seeking to start their own ventures.
During the question-and-answer session, Dr. Izamoje also addressed concerns raised about recent controversies on social media involving Brila FM and former staff. He clarified the misunderstanding, noting that some matters are already in court, and affirmed that honesty has always remained central to his leadership at Brila Group.
In his contribution, the NIJ Provost, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, told the students, “It is not too late to follow your dream.” The NIJ boss, earlier in his welcome address, had described the Brila Group founder as a “great professional and fantastic entrepreneur.”
Dr. Izamoje was presented with an award of recognition by the institution. Also present at the forum were the Deputy Provost, Dr. Adeboye Ola, management and faculty members of staff
The NIJ monthly professional forum is an interface session that is integrated into the students’ activities to bridge the gap between academia and industry, preparing them for successful career in journalism and communication
Chairman/CEO, Brila Media Group, Dr. Larry Izamoje being presented with an award of recognition by the Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye at the 31st Professional forum facilitated by Dr. Izamoje at Sir kesington Adebukunola Adebutu media resource centre, Ogba, Lagos
