Yoruba movie industry would have collapsed but ... —Femi Odunuga

Yoruba movie industry would have collapsed but ... —Femi Odunuga

• Written by  Segun Adebayo and Seyi Sokoya

Chief Olufemi Stephen Odunuga is one of Nigeria’s leading movie marketers. He presides over Gemini Films and marketing. The Agba Akin of Ipajaland, in this interview with Segun Adebayo, speaks about why marketers and producers will continue to work together in the movie industry and other issues.

How did your sojourn into movie marketing start?
The business started in 1990 when I was still a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro. I had a friend then in school, who is now a member of  the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adefemi Adelakun. He’s the owner of Zentury pictures. They used to call us small Femi and big Femi because he is older than me, but we were in the same Marketing class. It was not easy combining school and film marketing at the same time back then, especially paying our school fees was very difficult.

Why did you have to pay your school fees yourselves, where were your parents those days?
Our parents were taking care of us, but we just wanted to be responsible young men by doing something to support our parents. Then, we faced a lot of challenges of how to cope with the school, to pay our school fees, not that we didn’t have parents, but we wanted to supplement what we got from our parents, so we were involved in promoting Ogunde films. To God be the glory, I have been in the business since then.

How were you able to come over some of the challenges you encountered when you started, especially in school?
The truth is that we faced a lot of challenges then, but I don’t really want to dwell on the challenges. I would rather talk about how we were able to manage the little resources at our disposals back then. Starting a business with little or no resources could be very frustrating, when you consider some of the things you need to put in place to make your business thrive in the face of competition. When I was in school, my friend and I, like I mentioned earlier, used to live on ten per cent commission from the films we exhibited, but after three years, we stepped up our game and started exhibiting at the Gateway Hotel. There was a cinema hall there that time, so what started as exhibition turned out to be full time marketing. In 1999, to be precise, we joined Idumota marketers.

From 1999 till date, you have remained in the business and you have become one of the frontrunners of the business, what have you been getting right?
Right from my day one in the industry, I knew it was not going to be easy. Staying in the business for more than15 years is not a tea party, but I thank God for His grace and wisdom. You need God’s wisdom if you want to sustain this job. You may not understand what I am saying when I mentioned wisdom, but my colleagues will understand what I am saying.  

So, how did you arrive at the name GEMINI?
When I was in school, we had two popular Femi’s in my set. Femi Odunoga, (I) and Femi Adelakun. They used to call him Femi Adelakun Femi agba because he is about 3-4 years older than I, but we were classmates, so we called ourselves Femi and associates. When we wanted to start the business professionally, he picked CENTURY as his company’s name and I chose GEMINI, because of my zodiac sign. I was the president of the Gemini club Ilaro, the club is still there today. I was part of the pioneers of the club; I was the third president. I decided to stick with the name Gemini when I graduated from school. I actually formed it from my zodiac sign.

Actors and actresses have continued to blame marketers as one of the problems dwarfing the growth of Yoruba speaking movie industry, what’s your take on this?
When I’m talking, I’m not just talking as a marketer; I’m representing all the marketers in Idumota. I was once the chairman of all the marketers in Idumota. I know what it takes to control about 204 marketers. To me, marketers are the strong pillars behind the continued growth of the industry; the industry would have collapsed if not for our support. Our major problem is piracy.
Don’t you think that 204 marketers are too much?
We have a total population of about 160million people. Besides, our films are being watched in Ghana, South-Africa and London.

How does piracy affect you as a marketer?
People believe that marketers are better off, because we support the actors with our money, but the truth is that we are always at the receiving end. A marketer gets about one million naira to shoot a film, uses 1.5m to do the mass dubbing and uses half a million to advertise the same movie. If you calculate that, you have spent three million naira. You can’t expect someone to spend three million naira and get half a million as profit at the end of the day, besides, the producer gets half of it averagely, the marketer makes a little more than the producer and the producer may not produce more than three films in a year, but a marketer can market more than 15 films in a year. So, someone that produces three films and someone that sells 15 films, even if they are making the same amount, the marketer will have an edge. Our common enemies are the pirates, and unfortunately, they do it without caring who is affected, as long as they are making money.

You were once the chairman of marketers in Idumota, what did you do to tackle the problem?
When I was the chairman, I raided Alaba market thrice. I risked my life. I charged them to court. As we speak, the case is still at the Federal High Court, in Ikeja.  We raided them with the help of the Army, their machines were impounded, but at the end of the day, they were given the option of fine or six months in jail. They paid half a million but the case is still in court that they have to pay for damages. I was the first person that won the battle against them.

You are also a producer; don’t you think you should stick to one?
 I have been in the profession for years, so I know what it takes to produce quality movies, if you look at the movies I have produced over the years, you will know I am not just a producer, but a professional for that matter. Marketing a movie and producing it are two different things. I don’t just sell any movie; I have also improved on the quality of my movies.

People have alleged that you are one of the richest marketers in Nigeria, how true is this?
I don’t know about that. What I know is that I thank God for my life. I can feed my family comfortably thrice in a day.

Do you find time to relax?
Yes, I like to travel out of the country for about two months, just chill out with friends and family.

Does travelling affect your business?
No, I have capable hands who can handle the business very well even if I am away for years.



Does your influence on movies stop at just marketing or do you also give them ideas?
My input starts from the story line, I also write stories. Have you seen the movie, Tomiwa the Taxi Driver, I had the concept and idea. I also contributed to the story and influenced the cast.
Marketers are fond of owing producers; we have seen cases where producers were dragged to court because they could keep to their own bargain of the deal they had with producers. But you are always saying you have never owed any producer a penny, how have you been doing that?
I have always said it and I will repeat it again, I am not owing any producer  What causes loggerheads between the marketer and producer is if one is owing the other money, and Gemini doesn’t owe anybody money
 
What makes Gemini stand out among other marketers?
Honesty and the fear of God.