HOW I WAS IMPREGNATED ON CAMPUS – Seye Kehinde CEO, City People
Our campus personality this week is Seye Kehinde. He is the founder and CEO of acclaimed Nigerian highest selling soft sell magazine, City People which he gave birth to officially in 1996. Joseph Dinwoke of brojid.com recounts how his life took a dramatic turn on campus.
He was admitted to Obafemi Awolowo University to study History/political Science but in the process he had an intercourse with veteran journalists, Dele Giwa and Ray Ekpu who implanted love for journalism in him when they came to his school for a conference.
In 1984, City People magazine came to him as an idea and remained at incubation phase waiting for the fullness of time when it will be given birth to. “That was when I had the idea to set up a Magazine that will deal with celebrities, how they live, their lifestyle and everything. As a student, I kept the design and after I left school I went into journalism.” He recollects.
In his days in as a university student, there were incessant strike action by university students. He seized the opportunity to get better acquitted with his new love – journalism by hanging around Nigerian Tribune office learning and observing practitioners. “Whenever we embarked on a strike back then, I went to Tribune and wrote pieces.” Seye recalls.
He was encouraged to write articles by Mr Folu Olamiti editor of Sunday Tribune at that time, which got published and that was how his romance with journalism started fully. He continued enjoying working for different media houses where his talents were refined and skills sharpened.
Besides working for many media houses, he was the founding member of TheNews Magazine. He left the magazine to give birth to the publication which he was impregnated with as an undergraduate when the fully matured baby could not let him rest as it’s time for delivery had come. “Something kept pushing me that this was the time.” Kehinde confesses.
At that point his friend who knew he had the idea, to start a magazine that focuses on celebrities and their lifestyle, when they were on campus called his attention to the idea and that was the point he finally took the step to start City People magazine.
Today, City People has become a success story in Nigeria journalism and entertainment.
Take Away: Campus is not just a place to certificate; destinies are shaped there. Don’t overlook the people you come in contact. The ideas that come to you there might be the seed of your greatness. Guard it jealously and don’t be complacent to overlook it.
Quote Credit: Ijebu News xtra Image Credit: Yes International Magazine
