Lanre Idowu, fnge
Senator Akinola Odunsi is a big brother whose acquaintance I made in 1991 when he was the president of the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria. He was quite supportive of our publishing effort with a unique journal of the Nigerian media called MEDIA REVIEW. He was also a pioneer judge of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) in 1992. He later became a sponsor. in 2015, DAME honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award “for his lifelong devotion to advancing the frontiers of knowledge and strengthening the media as a marketplace of ideas for free and commercial speech to thrive.”
On Wednesday, July 23, it was Senator Akin Odunsi’s 80th birthday. He marked it at Alliance Francaise, Ikoyi with a book presentation. The audience comprised of family, colleagues and mentees in the advertising world, fellow politicians, and old and current students at CMS Grammar School, Bariga, the author’s alma mater. What a fun-filled day it was with alumni of CMS Grammar School, Igbobi College, and Baptist Academy trading banters on the place of their schools in the comity of legacy schools. It was also an occasion for politicians from Ogun State to trade tackles on some of the shenanigans that characterized their exploits, especially in the period, 2011-2015. Former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Senator Kaka threw the first jab, which former Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun replied with counter punches. I share my own remarks at the event, entitled,
BEHIND THE BOOK
I would like to begin by joining the family of Senator Akin Odunsi to thank the Almighty God for the grace to be here today. I believe that I speak your mind when I say, today is the day that the Lord has made and we are glad to be here.
I know that a lot has gone into the preparation for today’s presentation. For the author and his research team, it started from conceptualizing the book, to setting out to research it, to assembling the research team, to writing it, rewriting it, editing it, and finally getting it published. The preparation did not stop there. Being a publication that is tied to the author’s 80th birthday, much thought and planning has gone into deciding the shape of today’s presentation. I think after Almighty Allah, our appreciation should go to the Odunsi family, especially the children, for the diligence that has gone into the planning process. Well, that gift is in their genes; when you are scions of a legend of the marketing communications industry, you do not expect less.
The journey to today’s book presentation of METAMORPHOSIS: My Life, My Story, started in 2017, I am told, when the Negritude Development Company urged Senator Odunsi to document his story. They carried out the legwork, digging out relevant information and conducting some interviews that have helped to enrich the book. At some point, Diamond Publications came in to assess the script for publication.
We must congratulate Senator Odunsi for the courage to tell his story. Too many privileged Nigerians shy away from doing so. Too many go to their graves, concealing nuggets of wisdom that could have changed the course of history. We must rejoice with him that he is here in person and in good health to witness the unveiling of his work. We hold that authoring a book remains one of the most significant things that a professional can do. In authoring a book, the author shares a worldview for us to consider. It is a way of persuading or influencing readers about the choices made in life. It is a way of presenting unknown information or shedding fresh light on what was previously known. It is a desire to document experience in the hope that it will guide others. It can also help in stoking a debate to address a particular issue. It is about satisfying an inner yearning to connect with a community of readers, an exercise in self-expression. Being the product of great reflection, a good book provides readers insight into the challenges faced, the solutions found, and the choices made. It is also a legitimate step to make an income. So, however, we look at it, authoring a book brings salutary effects on life and living.
As the publisher of the book, let me assure you that this is a book that is easy to read. The style is breezy and conversational. Running overall on 206 pages of frontend and backend material, it has twenty-eight chapters, grouped under six themes: “Morning shows the day”, “The family”, “Business World”, “Political Terrain”, “Community Engagement”, “Romance with Golf”. You must read the book to find out how well those themes have been treated.
With the publication of Metamorphosis: My Life, My Story, Senator Odunsi has added a worthy title to the sparsely populated bookshelf of books on Nigeria’s marketing communication sector. His effort comes after that of Law Ojunta’s “Steve Omojafor: His Style, His Thoughts, His Visions” (2000), Lolu Akinwunmi’s “Skin for Skin: The Story of Prima Garnet (2018), Dotun Adekanmbi’s “The Will to Win: The Story of Biodun Shobanjo” (Havila, 2020).
It is my hope that we will buy copies of the book, Metamorphosis: My Life, My Story for personal use as well as for relations, friends, educational institutions, and professional bodies in our spheres of influence.
