Why I Returned to School at this Old Age – Popular Actor, Odunlade Reveals, Talks on Preferring Abeokuta to Lagos

While speaking in an exclusive interview with Premium Times, 38-year-old popular Nollywood Yoruba actor, Odunlade Adekola who has starred, scripted, produced and directed over a 100 movies, opened up on his career, fame and controversies.

Here are excerpts from the chat;

Is it true that you are presently an undergraduate at the University of Lagos?

Yes I am presently in 500 Level at the University of Lagos studying Business Administration. As a student, I loved business studies and anything that pertains to leadership. That is why I am studying Business Administration. I am also of the opinion that when you study Business Administration, you can fit into any profession. As we all know, if you have a lot of money and you do not know how to manage it, you would squander it in no time. If you are a doctor, heading a hospital, and you don’t know how to manage the hospital, the establishment can pack up. So, the knowledge of business administration is the key to the smooth running of any organisation. I already have a diploma from the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.

You are already a household name, why return to school?

I am a firm believer in knowledge acquisition so I always tell young actors, who want to enter our industry to get an education first. In fact, if you tell me you are interested in acting, I will ask you what you are doing presently. If you say you are currently in school, I will advise you to finish before you join the movie industry. Even if you are learning a trade, make sure you are certified before you join the movie industry. If you are seeking to gain admission into the university, ensure you complete your studies first before you come into the movie industry. If you fail to do so, once you become a famous actor, it will be difficult for you to go back to school. Education is very important in anything you do in life.

As an established actor, you have had a fair share of scandals?

Some elements have hijacked social media for their own mischievous gains. People just sit down and cook up stories simply because they want traffic, they want to make money. I think Nigerians need to get it right. It is not everything that is on social media that is factual. An entertainer who knows his craft should not be carried away with social media. This is because before social media, we have been in this industry. It is not social media that will bring us down. I have been in the industry for more than twenty years. So, social media cannot bring me down.

For a long time, a lot of people have attributed your meteoric rise to diabolic means. Do you feel any need to react to it?

I have reacted to it. I am a Christian. I was born in a Christian family. I grew up in a Christian home. As far as I am concerned, if you are in one level in this country and people have not said this thing about you, it means you have not gotten high enough. If you are a celebrity and you are bothered about what people write about you, it means you still need to pray very well for Baba God to take you higher. We are still praying. People have said Pastors use jazz. So, why would they not say the same thing about me?  I am a Christian and I am still in Christ. I was born in Christ Apostolic Church and I still attend Christ Apostolic Church in Abeokuta. My dad is a former choirmaster in our church and he is now a pastor.

As a Nollywood big boy, why do you prefer to live in Abeokuta instead of Lagos that is known as the entertainment headquarters?

I am comfortable in Abeokuta and there are a lot of beautiful and serene places here. All my family members are in Abeokuta. I was not brought up in Lagos so I cannot move to Lekki or Ajah. Living in Lagos does not mean that one is rich or successful. Neither does it mean that Lagos is a paradise. The mentality of everybody is different, I am in Abeokuta and I would continue to be here. I am not saying that I cannot build a house in Lagos but presently, I am in Abeokuta and I have not seen what would make me relocate from where I am. This is where I was before everybody in Lagos knew me, so why would I leave Abeokuta when everybody now knows me?

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