Welcome
aboard Royal Highness, Prince Peter
Could
you tell us about yourself, Sir?
Thanks for having me
around Topflyers. My name is Prince Peter Okafor. I am from Umuokwe in Ehime
Mbano Local Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria. I am from a royal family
indeed. My father is late King, A.E.O Emeforonu of Okwe Royal Kingdom in Imo
State; his burial ceremony is coming up this year by December so TOPFLYERS are
cordially invited, (rest on peacefully Dad). Actually, I’m based in South
Africa, and by profession I run some businesses in South Africa. I am the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Madiba Media Productions Limited now Madiba Media
Group Ltd which is comprised of Madiba Media Film and Television Training
Academy, Madiba Media Casting & Artist Managements, Madiba Media Records,
Madiba Lodge and Shuttle Services and Madiba Media Private Security Services. I
have been living in South Africa from 2002 till date. Unfortunately, I noticed
that same challenge of regressive Economic Status of Africa as it is painted,
which made me leave Nigeria for greener pastures was still very present at the
new residential location I found myself, especially the challenges of youth
dis-empowerment/unemployment and more. As a young man, if I had the opportunity
to groom myself 'business-wise' in Nigeria without the challenges of politics
and hardship, I wouldn't have travelled. So, I came to South Africa believing
in better opportunities especially when we talk about infrastructural development, business
policies and status, equal opportunity and rights to practice what you believe
in which seemed very difficult to do in Nigeria. However, I came to realize
that all fingers are not equal, which is one of the reasons I left Nigeria.
Like I initially stated, coming to South Africa, I still realized that we are
faced with the same African problem where most youths are suffering and going
through challenges due to their inability to reach their big heights, create
establishments, feed, fit into the society etc. which thus makes them engage in
different kind of habits like smoking dangerous substances, obsessive drinking that results to unstable
relationships, raping and all manner of social/moral vices coupled with one
recent development which the world has embraced but not minding the havoc it
does to the world and to the men---that is, empowering women without a
structure and empowerment orientation.
Interviewer adds
in: Really Sir. Are you trying to say empowering women shouldn't be embraced?
This is actually the first time we are getting to hear a different view about
empowering women. Please could you kindly help our readers understand what you
mean.
Replies:
(smiles) I am not saying that empowering women is
bad. They are supposed to be cultured and empowered so they can assist their
families where there is need. Giving the women the 'overall power' makes them
believe that they have become the 'heads' of the house and that, I believe,
spiritually and psychologically has done some damages on some men by
demoralizing the spirit of the youths/men because it is a new system that is
introduced by the government without educating the society how this new system
will roll out or work in some families. This in a way, has challenged some men
into fighting back, but literally fighting back in a wrong way by way of killing,
raping and committing all sorts of atrocities. Although
joblessness/unemployment is playing a big role in what we see today as the
youth of this nation because what we see today is different from the freedom
charter of South Africa and what President Nelson Mandela stood for.
Considering the
challenges above, gave birth to my Foundation called "Teens Tulk Africa
Foundation". Teens Tulk Africa is a
foundation that caters for education, skills development, charity support etc
from young to old people. The vision of Teens Tulk Africa is to re-groom,
reaffirm and reprogramme the mentality and vision of the youth. We want to redirect
the mindset of the youth to learn differently by engaging in skills training
development programmes especially for those who choose not to further their
education after matriculating. We have over one thousand people that are been
training for free for a period 12 months (1 year) in film and television
productions.
When they graduate,
they’re able to find jobs in the media and entertainment industry and it keeps them
out of the street. We also have businesses in terms of Hotel and Shuttle
Services. Our recent establishment, Jabic Investments Ltd produces Sanitary
Towels, Toilet Rolls and general Hygienic useable, we’re looking forward
manufacturing more materials that will create more employment and uplift the
livelihood of the poor masses.
Moving
on, what brought about the concept of 'Madiba' rather than your own name as the
name of your media outlet?
(Laughs) Well, having
Madiba as a business title was never my intention or plan. I simply went to the
CIPC where businesses are registered in South Africa as required. To My
surprise, all four names I submitted were already registered business names by
other people. I had to do a rethink of another name immediately to avoid coming
another day for the registration. As God would have it, the only name that
flashed in my mind at that moment was Madiba Media Productions Limited, Lo and
Behold, the name was free for registration so that was how the name came about
and into effect.
Does
Madiba Media Productions Ltd have provision for online courses for people who
are not based in South Africa?
We have recently
designed an online programme for our learners all over the world. As it stands
now, we are looking at a hundred learners from Nigeria and we also have from
other countries who are coming in to join us though because of 'Covid-19
threats', they cannot be able to travel down to SA. So, we designed an online
programme for digital training which will help them continue their training by
breaking the distance barrier Covid 19 has created.
How
can people who want to apply access the website?
Our website is
www.madibamedia.co.za. The electronic learning (e-learning) platform will
officially be completed and launched this month and that is when people will be
able to access it our e-learning portal.
Interviewer
adds: That's a great one Sir! So everyone #Anticipate
You
are an honorary doctorate degree holder plus other accolades from your
engagements and involvements in changing lives as your interest, do you mind
telling us why you choose media and communication instead of continuing with
what has profited you in your generous journey of life?
Interesting! You know
in life, sometimes, "man proposes and God disposes". Right from my
childhood, I have had interest in sewing clothes. I was a fashion designer when
I was in Nigeria I had, at age 21 established my creative fashion home called Udee International Tailors Ltd. My
fashion business took me very far. In 1999 I travelled to Hong Kong exhibition,
in 2002, I was actually travelling to Paris - France to exhibit my clothing
brand as well and as God may want it, I found myself in South Africa. Again,
while I was still in Nigeria I was also engaged in a television programme
called 'Kiddies rendezvous' on NTA Channel 6. That is where my interest in
media started but at a time I was focused more on my fashion brand to groom it.
Later, when I came to South Africa, it
became a land of the unknown where one has to look for a way to survive. The
truth is, there are many opportunities but one has to find them by oneself, by
God's grace, I found myself in the same business I was doing which was fashion.
I established a boutique called "Royal Couture". We supplied clothes
to celebrities everyday and that took me back to what I was doing before which
is 'Kiddies Rendezvous' so I decided to study by doing a media course, and after
my graduation I was employed as a casual cast coordinator at Urban Brew, the
producer of "Yo TV", an educational children TV playroom. From there,
I saw the gap and more challenges in the youth that media houses were not
addressing - the issue of skills development, orientation and integration into
the new dawn of the new South Africa, by avoiding racial challenges, work
related matters and new age livelihood, what to expect and what not to accept
from the public, government and the society at large – the major focus was on academic
Education but not in skills development. I am not against education but I am
against education without job and that is where I picked up the interest of
registering my own Media house and I promised myself that I will help the youth
and expose the weak-link that has gunged the continuous growth and better life
for all, and I am very thankful to God for giving me that ability to fulfil my
promise and we will continue doing so. Like I said earlier, we have groomed
over a thousand youth for free and many of them have jobs now and doing well
too. We don’t groom people without making sure that they are gainfully
employed.
Every
business is set up to make profit but considering the number of people your
medium (Madiba Media Academy) has groomed, what then is your profit?
Well, “man shall not
live by bread alone but by ever word that procedeth out of his mouth”, the
Bible said. As an established production company, we do have other resourceful
avenues that generate income; we produce contents for TV’s, cover private and
public general events, photography/videography etc. Those activities generate
income to cater for the support we give. It is however sad that, the local
agencies in South Africa is only taking 20% of contents produced by
non-indigenous citizens. So due to this challenge, we only sell contents now to
international channels. Consequently, generating revenues from these channels
is what is helping us assist our trainees for free.
What
would you say are the challenges of Madiba Media Productions Limited?
We have one general
problem which is Pan-Africanism. Pan-Africa is something South Africa is finding
very difficult to embrace and deal with. For instance, getting budget/funding
from any institution for productions is very difficult to all but especially if
you are a non-indigenous “born” citizen, it becomes more difficult. If we are
given a leverage like every other person, we will perform better; that is why
we are unable to produce contents adequately especially for local channels. All
these are so because priority is placed on indigenes of South Africa. So far,
these are the setbacks we are facing here in South Africa and we wish our own
government can rescue such situation by supporting us in our businesses here in
diaspora.
Interviewer
adds in: Hmmm. that's expository. We (TOPFLYERS MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL) would
like to use this as an appeal to government in all states/countries. I believe
we are all first humans before culture comes to play. In as much as we need to
promote and protect our particular cultural heritage (which is a welcome
development), it's still important to give others privilege too and ease tax
rates for non-indegenes. That would probably easily lead to cultural
transmission and break language barrier which will foster unity at large
directly or indirectly.
Replies: Thanks
for that contribution
If
you had some magical powers, what would you use it to do for Madiba Media
Production Limited?
(Laughs) If I had some
magical powers, I would love to use it to change the mindset of African
leaders; I will use it to transform the mindset of African Youth to see a
better Africa. I will use to unite Africa as one to have a United States of
Africa.
There
is a saying that African youth are lazy, do you think if African youth are
given the opportunity to lead, they will lead more than the elders?
The elders have done
their own part, they have paved ways, fought the war and liberated us, now I
think they are supposed to take the back seat and be in the advisory part by
leading the youth. So personally, I
advise the elders to take the back seat for the youths to lead, many of them
have the creative, political and academic potentials and abilities to
restructure, renew and restore the hopes of Africa, so yes, the youth will do
better with the help of the elders, because grooming the youth is growing the
economy and the nation itself.
Interviewer:
Okay, once again, thank you, Your Highness (Dr.) Sir Prince Peter Okafor. We
really had an amazing exclusive moment with you Sir. Your experience which you
shared with us is indeed an eye opener to us and others out there. We've come
to the concluding part of this exclusive interview only available on
www.topflyersmagazines.com
To our readers, make
sure to let us know how this interview was helpful and follow our social media
pages @topflyers_magazine_intl on Facebook and Instagram . Also ensure to
follow the social media pages of Madiba Media Productions for notifications of
opportunities to come.
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