Quick Questions with Ayomide Oriowo.
.From studying Estate Management at the prestigious OAU University to co-founding and leading partnerships and industry relations. at Nigeria’s data-media house, TurnTable Charts.
Ayomide Oriowo has pursued his ideas no matter how wild they seemed at the time. We caught up with him discussing life as a young Nigerian in the current socio-economic climate and his industry projections for Q1 2024 .
What’s the Highest and lowest pound-to-naira conversion rate you anticipate?
I don’t want to say the kind of number projections in my head but I’ll say 2000 naira to a dollar is terribly near reality.
I hope it comes down to a reasonable amount. The pertinent question now is, What is considered a reasonable amount? Frankly, I don’t see a 100 naira to a dollar happening anytime soon. Not with the current government and the realities of the times.
What did you try to buy recently but the increased price sent you back to reality?
I tried to buy a generator recently and the price I was given had me gobsmacked.
Could you tell me about your journey with TurnTable Charts? I’m curious about how the idea came about, your planning process, how you executed it, and where TurnTable stands today.
It started as one of those pandemic ideas, then it became more serious when we got more partners, deals, and arrangements with data providers, record labels, radio, and media platforms.
We knew it was becoming serious. We had a roadmap and set targets to guide us in achieving this goal.
We have been able to tick some off and set new ones and deliberated on strategies to be put in place to attain the rest on the list.
At the moment I function as the Lead for Partnerships and Industry Relations. Prior to that I was lead on Media relations and before that, Editor-In-Chief.
In your role, where you focus on nurturing human connections, what do you find most challenging? Especially with the mix of music, consumers, data, and partnerships.
Hmm… there is a thin line between bothering people and convincing them enough to be excited and enthusiastic about your dreams and plans. So I try to find that balance that makes it easier for both parties..
I find this important as majority of the people I work with, who do not work for Turnatable, but with our partners. So it can sometimes be a complex relationship dynamic that requires meticulous management.
Do you feel like your current role at TurnTable is something you dreamed about during your university days?
I always knew that I wanted to be a part of something like this.
At the time, I didn’t know the term for it, but I have always had this Idea which I shared with just one person. I remember trying to sell the idea, the plan was the company owning it and I would be among the shareholders administering the execution.
My dream Job is to maybe become a producer, I hope I can still do it. There is no correlation between what I studied in school and what I am currently doing, but I would say It was a conscious decision not to do what I did in school. I am honestly happy with how things are playing out.
As someone on the inside, what are your thoughts or predictions for the Nigerian music industry in the first quarter?
It is always hard to know because Q1 is often the aftermath of Q4 of the previous year. Typically that means taking into account the recurring pattern of things I have witnessed over the years, and I doubt this year will be any different.
If It will be any different, which I highly doubt. My projection for the First Quarter of 2024, will be the major artists or those successful within the previous year might follow up with an album or another release during Q1.
What’s your take on the controversies surrounding artistry and the emphasis on numbers? How do you personally feel about it?
To be honest, I am quite indifferent as I don’t pay any attention whatsoever to artist controversy. Other times you would find me protecting my peace and minding the business that pays me.
If you had to share a word of encouragement with someone who looks up to your journey, what would you say?
Hmm, I would say two things.
The first will be that regardless of how crazy and alien that idea sounds, it is up to you and how much belief you have in it, and this should take you taking overt steps to see it through because you can never know or tell what will work out later.
The second will be networking and making genuine connections, you can start by finding a group of people who you align with and have a genuine good relationship, more like your own tribe. This way it’s easier to build up from there.
What’s one significant lesson you’ve learned about the media, especially in the Nigerian context?
Presentation matters, you could be saying the most bogus random, and seemingly illogical things, and people will buy into it simply because of how it is presented to them.
Presentation is key and that is one fact within the Media sector that can’t be overemphasized. Whatever you do, be it good, bad, or average make sure you are presentable and it will score you some good points.
If you were to give an album as a Valentine’s Day gift to someone, what would it be?
It will be Banky W’s ‘R &BW