How Badeji makes money from event lighting, stage designs
Badeji Adebayo is the chief executive officer of Prodigyeffekts. The 29-year-old entrepreneur is in the business of event lighting, effect creation and stage designs.
He has Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Performing Arts from the University of Ilorin. He has been lucky to work for various organisations, movie producers and event managers in designing stages, creating effects, and setting up unique lighting.
He started this business with N30, 000 in 2013 while in his 400 level, using the fund to buy basic instruments. Afterwards, he made further investments into getting additional instruments from the profits he made from other jobs.
The young entrepreneur was motivated to take up a career in that path after discovering his love for stage design in his second year at the university.
When the lights in the school theatre were installed, he asked a lecturer to put him in charge of it. While there, he read about lighting. His interest was further aroused when he realised that setting up lights and designing stages came to him naturally with various inspirations and he enjoyed doing it. He was further encouraged by his lecturers who saw his passion and ideas as workable. Today, he has been able to achieve feats in the arts world.
“It is very rare to see people in this field. Performing arts has various divisions such as makeup, acting, music and so on, but most people prefer this field to lighting, which is also important because it comes in handy if you want a fascinating stage design and lighting effect for your events,” he explains.
He says his is a unique type of business that is just being given due recognition in Nigeria. He explains that lighting business before was like the proverbial prophet not having honour in his home, but admits that things are changing, given what he has been able to achieve since starting. “Although I am a lecturer in Performing Arts, I still concentrate on my business.”
He says in Nigeria, seminars and workshops about lighting is not common, pointing out that this is different abroad where it is appreciated. This is why he takes most of his trainings online from foreign institutions and plans to physically be present at one of these trainings soon, he says.
Speaking on challenges he encounters in his work, the entrepreneur says that he needs funds.
“Most of the instruments I use are very expensive and cannot be easily obtained. Therefore, I improvise and make the basic instruments myself, which has turned out to be a very good idea. Aside that my type of job lacks the necessary recognition, it is capital intensive and requires huge amount of money, which I might not be able to get sometimes,” he notes.
He urges the government to pay more attention to the arts industry and help in funding trainings and workshops. Funding is also needed to make the necessary tools available at subsidised rates, he says, adding that the industry needs cheap loans.
“I plan to make basic lighting instrument locally and sell to other people in the business. I also plan to train people who want to follow my line of business and it is in my plan to establish contacts with top organisations so I can increase my clientele.”
He is yet to get permanent workers but he employs ad hoc staff working for him whenever jobs are available. He pays them based on how much work they do and is planning to have permanent workers soon.
On his long-term goal, Badeji says he intends to become a wellknown lighting player rocking the world of arts, with his company and a training institute producing many protégés. His short- term goal, on the other hand, is to acquire certifications from institutes to advance his career while also being mentored by experienced and first-class experts in the field.
Advising other entrepreneurs and youths in general, he says, “Make a conscious effort to develop yourself regularly, and endeavour to stand out from the crowd.”