Premium African media today by Audu Maikori? Meet Audu Maikori, a pioneer and promoter of Afrobeat music , media and entertainment Entrepreneur & entertainment lawyer focused on film, Esports and TV. I have since diversified into Esports, and film and it’s such an exciting space watching the fast-changing landscape knowing that its not only fulfilling but also creates wealth and jobs for many young people- and its even more exciting operating from one of the most exciting cities in the world – New York! And initially it seemed a little overwhelming but the same principles apply in every project or job or work- put your head down, listen, learn and work hard, and eventually things will work out. So I simply applied the principles I learned in music, transaction advisory, and deal structuring to Esports and its so very fulfilling to see the outcomes.
Audu Maikori is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, lawyer and creative industry expert. Audu sits on several boards including Recycle Points (a recycling and waste management company), Global Rights Africa (a human rights and advocacy NGO) , Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and is the Chairman of Beat Drone (a drone tech company). He is an alumnus of the University of Jos, Pan African University, Lagos and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of management, Boston respectively.
Hi Audu, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted? I don’t believe that businesses /start-ups need lots of money to be successful- or should I say- I don’t believe that the amount of money you raise or can access determines how successful your business will be. Instead, I believe that the key determinant of a business’s success is the amount of value that is created for an identifiable target market/audience/customer and the amount of work being put into continuously creating, delivering, and capturing value for the client/customer. The money usually comes after.
Audu Maikori: The idea was very basic. It was just to create opportunities for people, especially those from the North to get a chance to become stars as well. Because what I saw was that every major thing about music business was in Lagos. I found out that many people from the North had to go Lagos to become stars. So why not set up something that gives them a chance to become stars from where they are, so that they don’t have to travel to somewhere to become stars? And when I say ‘North’, I don’t mean Northerners by birth but by location. Because there are many people that live in the North but they are not Northerners. There are many people in Kaduna, for example, who came from Igbo land and Yoruba land but they’ve been there for many years. So the idea was to give those people a platform to realize their dreams.
It’s been a busy last few weeks for Group CEO of Chocolate City Entertainment, Audu Maikori. In line with his unwavering commitment to elevating the conversation around African music and business, he has been front and centre at a number of different engagements – the most notable of which being the Roc Nation brunch, and a lecture at Harvard Business School.
Mr. Maikori stated, “I am truly honored and excited about joining ESAIYO Inc and working with such a visionary team to help solve everyday problems using blockchain technology, interconnectivity of objects and the power of storytelling . I believe that SIO’s are the future. In my view, the ground breaking work ESAIYO is doing has the potential to redefine numerous industries across the globe.” Audu Maikori is a Nigerian lawyer, entrepreneur, social activist, public speaker and creative industry expert. He hails from Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State. He is the Founder of one of the biggest record label and entertainment companies in Africa, Chocolate City. The label is well-known for producing popular artistes such as M.I Abaga, Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz, Jeremiah Gyang, Djinee, Brymo, Femi Kuti, Ckay and Blaq Bonez, just to mention a few. See additional info on Audu Maikori.