Dr. Ezekiel Adamu is an entrepreneur, who has made a mark in the event management industry. He began his entrepreneurial journey by founding Balmoral Events and Halls, which he has nurtured into a successful brand. In this interview with IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA, he shares his passion for leading innovations and relentless drive for upward mobility.

What inspired you to set up an event centre?
I started off my journey with an event company in France called GL Events; they have a network of venues and create their own events too. They are one of the biggest events companies in the world. They don’t have to wait for people to come and use their venue; they create their events. So, working with them was how we started. Then, I started with my first venue, which was Balmoral at Kudirat Abiola Way before we moved to a network of venues.

What was it like starting out at that time?
I remember back then in 2006; people mainly went to parks and schools for different events. It took us one year to get our first customer at our first venue. People said it was too expensive and that they would rather use a school compound or park. They asked us to reduce our cost but I didn’t because when you have something worthwhile, if you don’t value it, how will other people value it?

What has been your experience running the business?
My experience is that it has been a worthwhile journey. What I understand in life is that problems are there for you to solve and when you solve them, you become a champion. That is how businesses are born. I am looking for where problems are so that I can solve them and monetise that.

How do you stay relevant and thrive in this harsh economy?
These are excuses everybody gives. In this period, there are people thriving. So for me, I look at things from a place of how I can give value this period, which makes you preferred. Every other person may be looking at how the cost of things is going up but for me I’m just looking for how to reduce my prices. So, it’s just the mindset and there is always a solution to everything; you just need to find it.

What prepared you for this journey?
My books; I learn from the best. My dad advised me on how to do things and I asked him why I should listen to him. He is not the best in that area and I will rather go and read from experts. I read a lot and I learn and unlearn. I understand. When people say Donald Trump is bad, I say he is great. If you read about him you will see the challenges he has gone through. I tell people that if he wants to become president again, he will still win because he understands what others don’t.

What do you share in common with your dad?
Work ethics. He is a hard worker and he will give his right hand to do the right thing. I don’t see why someone should trust you to deliver something and you will be giving excuses on why you can’t deliver. If I agree with you to do something at a certain cost, even if circumstances or economy changes, I will stick with what we agreed. Later on, I will tell you this is what I went through. If you deal with people with integrity, they will listen to you. If you give excuses about how the prices have increased, the same people will not come back to you even if the price decreases. For me, I feel that ethics keep you in business. We have been in business for 15 years, which means we have been doing something right. If you are cutting corners, it will catch you. There are a lot of people who started businesses but they are not here today.

A lot of people travel out of Nigeria for tourism purposes. How can the country improve its tourism and hospitality industry?
I don’t even think we have started. For me, I got into this business mainly because I thought the tourism part of it is great and we are not there yet. Lagos should be a place where we can trade in foreign currencies, even roadside sellers, because this is obtainable in other parts of the world. In a country like the Dominican Republic, they don’t have the infrastructure like we do, but they positioned themselves as a tourist country. So, they accept foreign currencies and I feel like we are not there. Tourism is a major part of entertainment, which helps a country blossom. The World Cup is tourism; that is why you have four years to prepare and when it happens, most sectors are enriched.

As someone who operates in the private sector, what do you think the government should do to improve the sector?
I feel like the government has a lot of roles to play in the private sector. Government is supposed to be the arm that protects and makes sure things are done right. We hear a lot of people say that if your business were in America it would have been better. A typical example is buying a plane ticket, which is a major issue because the airlines can’t keep their money here. All those policies do not give investors the confidence to come in. People believe that this new administration understands what to do and therefore will do the right things.

What lessons have you learnt as an entrepreneur?
I will say that I had a privileged background. My dad was a very hard worker. I also know that success may take 20 years if you start a business. I tell people that on a scale of one to 10, we are on four; there is still a long way to go. We have not gotten there and business keeps evolving.

For us as leaders, we understand that people are following us and we need to keep innovating. People think that I get bored easily, but it is just that I travel a lot and I see what people are doing. Even if we have done it, I’ll bring it down and start something new. That’s how we have been able to stay relevant after all these years. I started with a lot of people and some of them are not even anywhere. I keep innovating. That’s why we are moving into the tech part now. We have found out that everywhere in the world, tech is enabling everything we do. We are championing how to use tech to enhance events and it has been working well.

What is your take on the japa syndrome in the country today?
I understand why people would japa (emigrate). Just last year, five of my management staff left at the same time. However, may be because I’ve lived abroad before, I understand that it’s not easy on the other side as well. Investors and people around the world are looking for developing countries because that is where the opportunities lie. I like to have an impact. If you go to a place where everything is already fine, you become a second-class citizen. People think it’s difficult here but I feel like it’s not easy on that side too; it takes years. If you do not have a story, you cannot have success.

The grass is never greener on the other side; it may seem greener but it’s never greener on the other side. There is so much to us as a people; we can’t move the culture anywhere else. A developed country means you are only working to make a living, pay your bills and get a mortgage. In a developing country, there are so many opportunities. We are to learn and bring it here. We have a country of over 200 million people. So, even if you are selling something for one naira to a lot of people you will make something. Nigeria is tough; it is really tough. However, if you are able to stand and have the right imagination and faith, nothing can stop you. It will only take a while.

Will you be considering politics at any time? 
I don’t think so. I still feel that in your own little way in the private sector, you can do better than going into politics because politics is about policies. For me, as a business entrepreneur, it means we are the ones coming up with the business solutions. I am more of a solution person than a policy person.

Where do you see your business in the next five years? 
Global. Everything we are doing now is globally focused. Our story is that we are spreading entertainment through music, fashion, lifestyle and drinks. Balmoral wants to see how we can create a platform for our culture to be seen outside. We are looking towards making our culture one to be reckoned with abroad. I want a time where white people can comfortably wear our native outfits to work; I want a time when Louis Vuitton will create outfits with our culture in mind. But these can only happen if we create that platform for them to see that it is measurable.

Also, Chinese and Japanese foods were not mainstream before, but consistency has gotten them to that level. People like us are exporting the culture and soon it will be tourism. We are starting with culture and not necessarily the government.