Some other aspects of D’Banj’s
life have endeared him into the heart of the Bank of Industry, which has
made him its brand ambassador,
Bank of Industry’s relationship with the
entertainment industry seems to have taken another dimension as it has
struck a deal with music star, D’Banj, making him its ‘Brand
Ambassador.’
For D’Banj, the appointment appears to
be another opportunity to assert his relevance in the industry while, to
BoI, it is a way of shedding the conservative toga that many people are
likely to have identified it with.
But the bank is even more strategic in
its current calculations. Information from the event where the deal was
unveiled in Lagos on Monday indicates that the financial institution
zeroed in on him because it feels he is suitable to be the bridge
between it and the entertainment industry.
While D’Banj has, in the past, been an
ambassador for some business organisations, especially Globacom, the
bank had, hitherto, explored other forms of partnership with the
industry. This began to take a particularly significant shape since
about two years ago when it was appointed by the Federal Government as
one of the channels through which practitioners can access the $200,000m
intervention announced by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.
BoI, however, made a major impact last
year when it sponsored Nigeria’s outing at the culture segment of the
London Olympic Games. Then, in collaboration with Joke Silva/Olu Jacob’s
Lufodo Productions, it sponsored the production of plays that include
Wole Soyinka’s Lion and the Jewel and Sefi Atta’s Naming Ceremony.
…close to tears
Although the value of the cash involved
was not disclosed, the bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer, Mrs. Evelyn Oputu, noted that D’Banj represents much of what
the bank is trying to propagate in terms of its dream for Nigerian
youths. She added that the financial institution was looking for
disciplined and talented Nigerians who were prepared to use their
endowments to benefit themselves, the people around them and for the
greater glory of their fatherland.
According to her, BoI found D’Banj not
only a successful entertainer, but also a mature and respectful
individual – attributes that, she said, were elements of Nigerian
culture, which also are in tune with the financial institution’s
profile. She also noted that the artiste was a reliable bridge between
the old and the young.
She told D’Banj, “We want you to be a
change agent. We want you to be part of the change process that BoI is
propagating. We will give you all you have to make you and those around
you to maximally reap returns on your talents. It is a lot of work we
are asking you to do. But we believe you have what it takes to do it.”
Beyond a brief musical interlude he staged, D’Banj was awed by the offer.
“I can only say I am humbled,” he said
and declared he was close to tears at the end of his remarks. “I am
humbled and honoured. And I am speaking on behalf of myself and my
colleagues. This is what we have been looking for.
“When we came into the industry some 10
years ago, when you said you were a musician, people only saw your job
as an hobby. But by God’s grace today, the entertainment industry is one
of the biggest. We have worked very hard to do it, individually and
collectively. But we know where the problems are. There is money in the
entertainment industry but there is no structure. Now that BoI is here
to support us, it is a great thing.”
He added that when he first told his
colleagues about the development, they were very surprised because they
didn’t know that BoI supports the entertainment industry.
“So, I will do everything in my power to
do the work. My colleagues and I are ready to make this nation proud.
We artistes have worked hard to make the Nigerian entertainment industry
the biggest in Africa. Now, we can be the biggest in the world. We are
ready to work with you,” D’banj noted.
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