“I am a cinematographer, but as was the tradition in many homes while I was growing up – a child should be a doctor or a lawyer or an Engineer. Back in secondary school, I was in the Arts class and so my desire was to become a lawyer. However, I soon found out that I didn’t enjoy reading much. I could read as a hobby but not for a program or course. So, I ended up studying Mass Communications. However, during my IT at Lagos State Television, I ended up in Digital Interactive Media. It was there I fell in love with cinematographer, then I began to desire to make good movies. That was how cinematography came to be.

In Ibadan, I only deal with photographers, only the photographers. A couple of the top photographers in the city are my friends. I have not really seen anyone who has come to appreciate their craft when it comes to cinematography in Ibadan. When you grow up in Lagos and you’re an online person, like me, you appreciate the quality of productions in Lagos. Then you come to Ibadan and you watch BCOS and there’s no top-notch production, I’m sure you get what I mean. If you ask me why it is so, I’d tell you – exposure. That’s all, exposure.

I just shot a spoken word video for a spoken word artist at Mapo. When I show people and I tell them I shot it in Ibadan, they find it hard to believe. Yes, the video may have been shot in Ibadan but the brains behind it are definitely not in Ibadan. Basically, it’s about exposure. Name one film school in Ibadan, none. Until our taste grows to the high point,, then we’ll still be taking backstage in cinematography. For me, I look up to the top guys in the industry and there are no top guys to look up to here in Ibadan when it comes to cinematography.

If not cinematography, I’d have become a pastor. Those are things that get me excited, really. If I am not behind the camera shooting, then I’d rather be on the pulpit preaching, winning souls for Jesus Christ.”

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