The Global Achievers Issue 11/2020 | Page 16

The Village Headmaster series was then one of the most popular series on television. It was almost a must-watch for everybody. People were always rushing on Sundays to watch it. After that particular incident, I had the privilege of chatting with some of those big names. Over a period, I started sneaking from the house to attend rehearsals with them. I got a few strokes of the cane as a result, but I never told them at home that was what I was doing. For being absent I got a few strokes of the cane. But the very first day I had the privilege of taking part in their recording it came on air on a Sunday and my story changed because my father became a proud father of an actor on television. The neighborhood came visiting to confirm whether it was Yemi or not. That was the beginning of my acting career on television. And I then did that for a couple of years.

Back to the NTA experience. I will give kudos to Mr. Akin Sofoluwe because he gave me my first opportunity in Arts and he is an influencer. I also worked under him while I was there. Though I was a floor manager, it is probably one of the lowest ranks in the broadcasting setup, I approached it as if my life depended on it. I remember wearing a head phone that never worked and as a floor manager you needed one. I was given one that never worked, but it was my business to ensure that guests in the studio floor never knew it wasn’t working. And I took it seriously. I never knew the management was taking note of this. I enjoyed every bit of what I was doing and became interested in almost everything within that setup except engineering.