Recently, I had the privilege of attending a function at the old National Theatre at Iganmu, Lagos. The centre is now known as Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts after it was named after the renowned Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
Recall that the facelift of the facility was bankrolled by the Committee of Bankers in conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria. It was my first time visiting the facility after the well publicised rehabilitation some few years back.
I was blown away by the quality of delivery of the facelift and my hope in Nigeria was rekindled. If we choose to, we can fix the rot in every sector and reposition Nigeria on the path of progress. I commend the financiers and executors of the project for this noble act of patriotism.
Now that the content has been upgraded to a befitting status, I am not sure if the managers of the facility are doing enough to market the centre. I suspect there might be more people like me who are not aware that the center can host their events in a serene environment.
As it is with the old National Theatre, so it is with any product (good or service) that must be sold, including you. All of us are selling something. If your product is good, your confidence to market the product will be boosted. How good is your content before you start marketing it?
Technology has disrupted and keeps disrupting the way we live. The advent of internet and the unlimited access to information is one of the greatest inventions mankind has ever witnessed. I imagine what life would be like in the 21st century without the internet.
Internet democratised access to information and the world is better for it. Knowledge is available in large quantity by a click of the button but the depth of knowledge may not be growing in the same proportion, depending on who the user is and how he chooses to acquire and use knowledge.
Many online self-proclaimed experts who profess authority in diverse fields know nothing beyond hearsay from another self-proclaimed expert on social media but they are selling to unsuspecting buyers. Many a time, the branding looks good but the content is hollow.
Neither is mutually exclusive, they complement each other. A good content not well packaged or marketed may rot on the shelf but there is a greater risk when you package an unbaked flour and sell it as a finished product.
There is beauty in personal branding but don’t oversell yourself. Be versed in what you profess. You may outwit others and get away with it but when you outwit yourself, you become your own victim. Overrating your capability limits your capacity for growth. Think about it.
Compliments of the season. Christmas is coming 🎄
©️ Akin Oluwadare Jnr
15 December 2025
