Interview: Joseph Odobeatu (OJEZ) At 60: A Trailblazing Journey from Shoemaker to Entertainment Icon

Joseph Anayo Odobeatu, widely known as Ojez, is a name that resonates across Nigeria’s entertainment and engineering sectors.

With an inspiring story that began humbly as a young shoemaker in Anambra State, Joseph has grown into a multifaceted entrepreneur, creating iconic brands and platforms that have shaped the lives of many.

As he marks his 60th birthday, he reflects on a career spanning decades—from engineering to pioneering Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

In this exclusive interview, Ojez opens up about his journey, the challenges he faced, and his vision for the future

Joseph Anayo Odobeatu has become synonymous with Ojez. But a lot would have gone into putting the brand known as Ojez. Tell us how the journey started, this passion for the entertainment sector.

I think the last interview I gave was around 15 or 20 years ago. And the journey started from engineering. Actually, I was a shoemaker. I started as a shoemaker when I was young. My mom was selling stockfish then. And I used to stay in the sheds. I told my mother to buy me pinches and other tools. That’s how the journey of going into engineering began. I started repairing shoes, later I went into repairing machetes and bicycles. In fact, when I was 12 years old, I had 18 apprentices working in all four market days in my hometown in Anambra State.

So, they have these four market days – Afor, Nkwo, Eke, and Orie. I had sheds in all the market days, so everybody wanted to bring their children for me to train. I came to Lagos in 1980, and I started as an apprentice for five years. What I learned from life is that whatever you are doing, be honest and work hard, because with this you’re building your tomorrow. That same truth has been my major thing in life. So the journey to this life began then, and it’s been a process. It comes with ups and downs. You meet people who come to play on your intelligence, deceive you, and they can even bring you down. But I would have moved from engineering, which I have with Jonac Engineering, which I did from 1991 and I have people working there till today.I joined the entertainment business when I started to partner with some Chinese to start producing compact discs (CDs) when CDs were in vogue. So, I started that, and later I opened Ojez as part of while we were doing production, we could then sell our products, going into music production. People like Sunny Neji, Baba Fryo, Daddy Showkey, and other musicians would bring their music to us to produce, using it like a marketing tool. That’s what brought about Ojez. So, I passed through this rough road in life.

Where did Ojez start from?

At Iwaya, Onike, Lagos. And it was a huge success. Recall, in those days, if you hadn’t been to Ojez in Iwaya, it meant you weren’t even in Lagos. As I said, Ojez as a nightclub started at Iwaya, Onike, Lagos. And it turned to become something that many people came to and had fun. And we were doing it in a very clean way. Clean way in the sense that we created something that was bringing families together. And so you needed to be decent. That’s why when we established the one at the National Stadium, we found out that there are some families who have been coming with their children for over 20 years. These children know Ojez and some of them are graduates and are still part of the Ojez family.

What actually inspired the Ojez entertainment?

I would say that in 1982, when I was with my boss, and then at Ojuelegba, Lagos, I used to be at Soundway Records, Cassidy. So I used to help them to dub CDs. And then there’s Oscar Night Club at Ayilara, in those days. And as a young person, you must have to choose your life, the life that you want in this stage of life. You decided to live a loose type of life, you might be lost. But if you decide to moderate what you are doing, know why and how you are doing it, you make it. Many people when they have passed through some of the things they do in life, they find out before they know it, it becomes a habit, and difficult to get out of. So while I was into the copper wire business, I used to help at Cassidy, and before we knew it, I started recording music. Before we knew it, I started to play music. So I became increasingly involved in music and entertainment. That drives my passion. When in my business, Jonac Engineering, we wanted to set up a CD factory, then I had to come out fully. Even then, I used to do a lot of things for PMAN such that anybody that’s doing film or music would come and print; we did the production for them. I think that is one of the things that brought me into the entertainment industry. And by the time I went into this business of music, film, and all that, I found out that people that are there, you might have a name, but sometimes, in Nigeria, it’s only a few, out of 1000 people that are involved in this, maybe 10% or even 8% that are doing well. And Nigerians are very creative people. In those days when they were doing films in the UK and America, if you see all what they take to do all those things, and Nigerians would just gather this and gather that and before you know it, something good is happening. The white people would wonder and ask: “How do you manage to do it?” I know all these things because I have been involved in it. I’ve been to many countries because of the extent we were going in CD manufacturing. Before people had to go to Malaysia to print. We started the CD production in Nigeria. So I have been involved in so many things over the years concerning entertainment. It is when Facebook came out that the business of CDs went down; just like when CDs came out the business of cassettes went down. I used to have a cassette shop in those days. So, Facebook and social media platforms phased out the CD business.

But the good thing is that Ojez has been there; we struggled to make sure we keep those names. We know how many names have come and gone over the years. And you know this type of business, the people that do these businesses, some of them come with good intentions. Some of them just come because this person has that business and they have money. Maybe he gets money, whichever way the money comes in. But sustaining it, if you don’t have the passion, you can’t sustain it. Otherwise, from our engineering till today, we still sustain engineering. You go to any company whether it’s Nigeria Breweries, Nestlé Food or blue chips company, will come out and they will say this is the man.

So, I’m more popular in engineering because I’m the doctor that keeps the equipment to move. Till today? And that is the heart of the business. Because the entertainment will not give you the money, but it might give you the name. But we are doing all we can to put the brand Ojez on top. And we thank God so far so good.

From Iwaya down to National Stadium and now here in Ebute Metta, what have been the challenges?

When we were in Iwaya, I created what we call the Elders Forum. I conceived and created it myself. And I brought in people to run the Elders Forum. The essence of that Elders Forum is that I found out that in abroad you have a pub all over where people and the elderly people have the opportunity of meeting themselves. The white people created it all over. But in Nigeria, you find out that as you are getting older, you’ll be worried, wondering what’s going to happen, how you’re going to meet friends?

So I created that and brought it out, and with the help of other people, Uncle Benson Idonije, Burna Boy’s grandfather, we’ve been able to build the Elders Forum into what it is today. Our Elders Forum has hosted Wole Soyinka, Ambassador Segun Olusola, Rasheed Gbadamosi, and several others. So, Iwaya is one of the places where people couldn’t believe that people can hang out there for many years. To me, it was not easy. Security challenges, parking space.

So what Ojez does is provide platforms. Sometimes when we talk about 300-400 staffs, they ask how do you count the musicians? How do you count the comedians? How do you count the dancers? How do you create opportunities for people to live as a band? Some of the musicians and comedians that are making it today started from Ojez. I always believe in helping others whenever possible. Everybody has a good time, create opportunities for people, drive their own future.

The family man

Before the 1990s, I have been in full engineering business. I deal with companies. So I’m always out there. And it happens that I have a very wonderful wife who is looking up to me, supporting me in everything. Because the children are the first, give them the best education. One thing you must know is that I don’t play with my home, my family. It’s my first. And I thank God that today I can say that I’m a grandfather.

So, they are going to look at the way I follow life. And, you keep your home. It’s very important. Because eventually, that is where it ends up to put your head. So, if you have an understanding wife, she understands your type of business. I’m a person. So, if you have an understanding wife, she understands your type of business. I’m a person that hardly sleeps outside my home. So, I keep my home.

You’ll be 60 this Saturday, December 28. Looking back, how has it been? How do you feel?

I will say that 20 years ago, I was inducted as one of the elders when I was 40 years old. This was in Iwaya. I cannot forget that day because I felt like, wow! At this age. Papa Benson Idonije said to me: “Look, you deserve more than this because you are putting happiness and joy in people’s minds. So we need to make you join the elders.” So I was just looking at myself having fun with the elders. So this feeling of when I’m 60, I’ve started enjoying it since I was 40.

How do you unwind?

I unwind myself within the entertainment of what I give to people, because if you are waiting for the time, you won’t have time. At least when I sit down here with my friends, I offer a drink, I take it as part of unwinding. Once in a while, you go out with the family.

Passion for Sports

I started as a footballer. And I’m a street table tennis player. I’m the current chairman of the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, Table Tennis Club. I have my academy in table tennis, for over 15 years. I have my academy. I have sponsored a lot of table tennis players. One thing we must always understand is that we must have to promote the young, create tomorrow, because they are the tomorrow.

60th birthday

I am going to unveil a foundation set up to cater primarily for the physically challenged. They are blind, but they play all instruments with good hands. I named it “Voice of Unknown.” Because one thing I see in this our country is that people try to neglect people that are physically challenged. When I entered the stadium fully in 2001, I saw that people do not have time for them. I will not tell you how many of them God has used us to help, even winning gold, supporting this. Such people, they are wonderful people. They are very intelligent. We don’t have patience to sit down with them. I always have patience to sit down with them. They are my friends. We drink together, we sit together. Then you can be able to see their aspirations, see that they have ambitions, and they are happy, even happier than us, even with their condition. When you sit down and have a discussion with them, you can see that they are wonderful people.

So let me just ask, how do you see the entertainment industry now compared to when you started back in the 80s or in the 90s?

The good thing at this time was that the social media, network, and the IT system, you can make your money. Look at TikTok, how people will sit down inside their home and make money.

What do you want to be remembered by when you’re not there anymore?

I will like to be remembered for inspiring people and creating opportunities for others in employment and in life.