•Reveals Why She Supported TINUBU During The Campaign
Morayo Afolabi-Brown is many things rolled into one. She is a Media Personality. She is a Media Consultant. She is a Public Speaker, Content Creator, Moderator and Government Relations Expert. Call her the Queen of modern day time television, you won’t be wrong, hosting Your VIEW the number one breakfast chat show on TV.
Her face hits most of the time on the morning belt of TVC as she plays host to other ladies who present Your View with her. Because of the politicial affliation of the TV Platform where she presents her breakfast show many see her as an APC member. And because she supports Tinubu, many people have come to see her as an APC member, which she is not. She is not a Card carrying member of APC.
Many don’t even know that she is not a staff of TVC. She is only a Consultant and Content Creator. How has she been able to cope with all the criticisms that have come her way over the months for supporting Tinubu, City People asked her. She explained to City People that all she does on a daily basis is to consult for her clients. She runs a big Consultancy firm.
Let’s tell you a little about how Morayo started her career 17 years ago at CMC Connect, a foremost PR Company in Nigeria as a Client Service Manager. She moved on to Cue Media where she developed numerous TV scripts and concepts, one of which won the Multichoice New Directions $100,000 award, called The Room. She moved on to HiTV, Nigeria’s indigenous cable TV company where she worked as the Head of Content Acquisition and facilitated the purchase of content across continents. She also became the commercial Director of the same company and ramped up sales revenue from N35 million to N400 million in a short period.
Morayo moved to TVC as Deputy Director of Programmes, where she led her team to develop multiple revenue generating content. Today, she is fondly referred to as the queen of modern day-time television, hosting the number one breakfast chat show on TV, Your View. Presiding over 2300 episode every week day for 9 years.
She is currently the Chief Media Consultant of Kabiti Media House Limited, her media outfit that engages businesses and organisations for their integrated marketing communications solutions. Kabiti Media is also a high level governmental relations expert that manages stakeholder engagement, facilitates payment from government and manage potential crisis for their clients. She has successfully facilitated payment of N20 billion for her American client, over a period of 3 years.
She graduated top in her class at Rutgers University in New Jersy. She has her Masters in Media & Marketing Communications from the prestigious Pan-African University, here in Nigeria. She has her MBA from Zurich Elite Business School, Switzerland. She is a Chartered Management Consultant. She holds vertifications in Advanced Leadership, Public Relations, Public Speaking, Content Development, Script Writing, Time Management and Neurolinguistic Programming.
She is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). She is also a member of the board of director of QUINTAS. Over the years, she has done well for herself. •She is amongst the top 25 most influential Women in Journalism Africa (WIJA). •Recognised for being in the top 100 Eko Women, 2021 by the Executive Governor of Lagos State. •Received multiple local and international awards of excellence, outstanding leadership, TV Hosting amongst many others. •Produced some of the greatest revenue generating shows on TVC today. •Organised some of the highest revenue earning events at TVC, some of which includes, LABI Boat Cruise and the Annual Family Fun Fair. •Received multiple awards for most of the TV shows created under her watch. Some of which are AfricArts, Woman’s World, Health Matters and others. •Intervewed some great personalities such as the Nigerian First Lady, Madam Aisha Buhari, several Governors and Ministers. She has also interviewed captains of Industries within Nigeria.
Below are excerpts of her interview with City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE.
A few days ago, you were the one that anchored the early morning Acceptance speech,by President-elect in Abuja.How did you feel, playing that role?
I was highly honoured to have been invited by Idris Olorunnimbe.He was part of the organisers. He called me and asked, Mrs Morayo would you like to be honoured by anchoring this historical event?
I was so excited and he told me to get on the next flight to Abuja, which I did. I got there.Then,I had to wait and get dressed. He told me to look the part,and I asked myself what am I going to wear? So, I remembered my Mum, what she would wear in that kind of situation and what she used to wear.
So, I just got iro and buba and I tied my gele. I think It was a fantastic event, in the sense that it was historic and I was really proud to be in the midst of politicians, and I saw how an Acceptance speech such as that is given.
Over the last few months, all through the campaign to the elections , how did you see the whole process?
Last year, I got drafted into the women Presidential Campaign Council of APC. I got a letter to that effect. Then, I went for a meeting in Abuja, and I had to go to Kwara, Bauchi, Maiduguri and different states in different parts of the country with various women.
It was really interesting at the meetings. I was put in the committee for the Media, which is great. Then, when ICC came to Lagos, I was also drafted into the Strategy directorate which is very exciting.I attended several meetings. So It was nice, just hearing conversations from the politicians, how to strategize, what is important to them, the type of songs they sing, and stuffs like that.
I have attended quite a number of rallies and I have enjoyed the experience. My mum used to be part of the campaign for MKO Abiola.At that time, she and Kudirat were very close.They were like buddies. So everything that happened at MKO Abiola’s campaign, she was part of it. So, I always hear that story, I wanted to be part of this one. It was just me doing what I think my mother will also allow me to do, or accept me to do.
A few days ago,you did a video and you were not happy with some of the commentaries on social media,about you being an APC supporter.
How did you cope with all these criticisms?
I felt sad.The thing is that,some felt my brand is like an APC brand.It is because yes, I have a lot of family members who are in APC, and lot of friends who are APC members.That’s what i have really known in Lagos for so many years. So, I am associated with the party.But truth be told I am not a card carrying member of the party. I’m not only interested in APC, because of APC, but because of Asiwaju.He is somebody I personally believe in. I believe in who he is.I believe in his capacity. I believe in his vision.He is a visionary. I believe he is a man who is able to put a blue print and a road map for Nigeria’s future. I really believe that.And I voted him because of him as a person and all those things. So, people now condemning me because of my choice,I don’t like.For me, it doesn’t really bother me because I don’t read comments a lot, but people read the comments and they just come around and say Morayo,this is not you.All the things they are posting about Asiwaju is not you.When I think of the things they post, I blame Asiwaju for the fact that,he didn’t use to respond to all the negative things said about him,even before his plan of becoming the president or before he came out for president.He never came out once to condemn,all the negative things written about him.People who knew him were surprised that he didn’t reply any of the negative stories demonising him.Nobody came to defend all those stories in the past years.They allowed the rumour of Asiwaju to fester and it has now been stamped on him. No matter what Asiwaju says today nobody will believe him.Some will say is it not that man they said owns Oriental Hotel. Now, all the lies about this man has to stop.So I told myself take a lesson from that. Taking a lesson from that,means you guys are not going to tell me the negative things and expect me to keep quiet like saying Morayo took money to do this,or that and she has compromised herself and who she is.
So I had to come out to say that’s not how it happened, let them have that on record. I had to come out and be seen to defend my name and who I am as a person. That’s important for me to do, and I’m not going for less.
Some have called me that you don’t owe anybody an explanation. I get that. I don’t; but because of the future, anything that happens in the future they will now stamp that to my name.That is it not that girl who collected money from APC the other day,abeg I can’t hear her.And that’s not who I am. I did not collect any money from APC to do anything for what I did for APC. I have taken this as my contribution to who I believe Asiwaju is.Period.
What advise do you give professionals like you, who also do similar things, like those who are on social media and broadcasting?
I always tell people that there are three types of journalists. There are broadcast journalists which involves those on Television.There are some broadcast journalists who are on the road, who are doing the reportage.There are journalists who are print journalists.There are different kinds of journalism.I am a Media Personality,also an On Air Personality. What I do is I host a show. I don’t comment on my show.I’m more like moderator.My job is to stare up conversations. Sometimes, i do throw in my personal opinion,once in a while to elicit a rich conversation.It is not that I’m the person given out the opinion. So, when I make a choice on a campaign choice, it’s my personal choice. It’s not for me to influence and impose my thoughts on anybody else.
On the show, I always tell people that I’m not commenting.Sometimes I do just throw it in to make it interesting. Mainly, I stare up controversy to get the ladies to speak; that’s my job.
So, I have my own personal reasons for coming out to show support for who I choose to show support for. I don’t want to say, my job is in the traditional role, where it’s unethical to outrightly be partisan in certain ways. I am an On Air Personality; I am a person who has influence,however, I’m being careful the way I use the influence. I am not imposing my opinion or thoughts on anybody.That’s why I went back to know what Oprah does because I created that show after Babu in US. Oprah is a person all of us on television look up to, somehow. If Oprah can come out, and come out openly to endorse Barack Obama. Why can’t I come out openly and endorse who I want to endorse especially,because this person I’m endorsing has had a bad reputation online,for years.But they are doing their regular TV campaign.But on social media, there’s no one on the space that has enough confidence to defend this man.Because I have that platform and I don’t have much followers, i thought I could build up small followers,so I said I will use this platform to help few people.
After speaking with few of my friends,about the real Asiwaju they realised that Asiwaju is not the demon they say he is.So I realised that some people can be persuaded actually.They are indecisive, they have not made their decision. So,I said let me use my own small platform to push it out.That’s why I made that choice. That’s the reason I did that, I just felt that social media is not been fair to this man, and i felt that I have the platform, let me use the small platform at least to help you understand better who this man is.
So, I started calling people to say let me do IG with you, just to get more information on this person many people has totally demolished.
I watched your interview with BRF.Let me commend you because I like the way you went about it, actually it’s something I would also have done the way you did it.
I thought it was quite interesting.When I called him,i said oga mi you will have to do this interview with me. He said Morayo, I will do anything, because I explained to him and gave him the same reason,that this person doesn’t have enough support online, and I will like to do something for him on social media and he obliged. I think it was a good interview because many people trust Fashola; they respect him.They see that he is very knowledgeable, and he was a good leader in Lagos. It was only right for us to listen to, let us hear what he has to say and because he was able to articulate what Asiwaju did and how it was replicated in other states. This man you’re condemning is a visionary that other states are adopting his model.If not for anything, but the fact that people are adopting his ideas, that is enough for us to say this guy has continuity. He has legacy projects, what we can touch like this is what he did. That was the reason why I said we have to be in this one.
I really enjoyed that interview, and it was great. I have done others.I have also interviewed Tunji Bello, and some other people who worked with Asiwaju back then, who can vouch for what he did in Lagos.
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