The Nigerian Hustle

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In this episode, we speak with veteran actor, Toyin Oshinaike, about the agonies and ecstasies of his 30+ year career on stage and screen.

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From not being able to write her own name to successfully completing an OND at the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Olamide Ogunyemi - a dispatch rider in Ibadan - has bootstrapped her way through life quite remarkably. We talk to her about her background, what growing up was like in a polygamous home, how she developed an interest in motorcycles, plans for the future, and more.

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Michael Apoti-Eri Erinle is the head coach of Akanbites football club in Lambe, Ogun State, and he also runs the academy for the club.

We talk about the structure, or lack of structure, of the grassroots football system in Nigeria, the challenges of making it in the professional game, how he got into coaching, the backgrounds of the players in his academy. We also talk about whether football age as a big a problem as we think it is in football, and more.

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Bamidele Ogunshola is the Technical Director of TOS Funerals. He's a mortician with more than 20 years experience in the funeral services industry.

We discuss the social perception of his profession, his experience embalming tens of thousands of bodies, what he has learned about life while working with the dead, and lots more.

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Bukola Majekodunmi Ekuri is the owner of BeHealthy Nigeria, a producer of dairy products aimed at health conscious people, with BeHealthy Greek Yogurt, being their flagship product.

We talk to her about how she got into the business, the process of producing greek yogurt, the challenges of that business in Nigeria, what makes their product stand out from the competition, and how she keeps the business afloat, being a small fish in a big pond.

We also talk about her other life as a dancer, singer, model, etc.

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In this episode, we speak with Biodun, a Bolt/Uber driver in Ibadan, not so much about what he does for a living now, but about the path that led him to it. We talk about his experiences after graduating from university - looking for work, starting businesses, and the emotional effects of feeling like one has underachieved in both.

Biodun is representative of millions of Nigerians who know what it means to have dreams stalled, visions and hopes hampered by a system that is not structured to empower them economically.

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Pamela Elekwachi is the founder of "The Girl On Project"; a menstrual health and hygiene advocacy organization based in Ondo State. 

Our conversation covers why menstrual health and hygiene needs special attention and its own dedicated NGO. As men, we mostly want women to wear sanitary pads and shut up about it but she explains how it affects us all and why we should care.

We talk specifics about her organization's work. She serves very low-income communities where sanitary products have no place in household budgets, so they train young girls to make their own.

We also talk about cultural and religious obstacles to her work, as well as the other irons she has in the fire.

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Our conversation with Dr. Bisi Olawuyi of the Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan provides an intriguing view into the world of teaching in a university environment, the seemingly insurmountable task of surviving on a meagre paycheck, and the internal politics within the four walls of Nigeria's premier university. 

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In the concluding part of our conversation with Edem Dorothy Ossai, we discuss some success stories of her work, and the importance of the right role models in mentorship. We wrap up with a description of her grand vision - a special kind of school she's working towards establisihng. 

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In Part 2, we talk about the early days of MAYEIN, the kind of work Edem did then and the kind of work she does now. We also talk about how she tries to engineer social change in the community she serves, as well as the challenges of keeping young people engaged in the programs her organization offers.