Bob Ejike may not be so popular to the very young Nigerians who were not around when Nollywood started as just ‘Drama’. To him, the ride into limelight wasn’t smooth as the structures were nothing to boast of. Instead of sitting at home and waiting for his break, Bob moved to Europe and disseminated ideas of Nigerian arts that helped in building one of the biggest movie Industries in Africa called Nollywood.
Bob-ejike
He became the first Nigerian to be invited to Uganda in East Africa to set up their movie Industry which is a huge success. In this edition, I present to you an actor, writer/journalist, lecturer of International repute, Artiste and father to some wonderful children.
Read on…
The Genesis
I hail from Oba in Idemili, Anambra state but I was born in Umuahia, Abia state on the 20th of April. I was too rascal as a youth to study any particular kind of course because I was always attracted to music and drama. I started playing with the masquerade groups and writing short stories before I even found myself.
I hail from Oba in Idemili, Anambra state but I was born in Umuahia, Abia state on the 20th of April. I was too rascal as a youth to study any particular kind of course because I was always attracted to music and drama. I started playing with the masquerade groups and writing short stories before I even found myself.
I attended Federal Government College, Umuahia and proceeded to UNIPORT where I studied English Language and Literature. During my National Youth Service, I was a teacher and I continued for many years. Along the line, I shared a page in the then ‘’Drum Magazine” with a renowned Writer, Ben Okri. I wrote a book on the story of the Biafra war as I had experienced it at age of six.
At the moment, there is a negotiation going on for my book to be turned into fiction. We started a drama series on the State Radio, headed by Pete Edochie. I got involved with actors like Nkem Owoh, Kanayo .O. Kanayo, Ejike Asiegbu and a few other distinguished individuals. There was only one major television station, N.T.A. They had little or no respect for us so we decided to take our drama to the next level by putting it into tapes.
The first commercial movie I ever wrote and recorded was titled ‘’Echoes of Wrath” in 1982. The movie won an award in National Festival of Arts award (NAFEST). After National Youth Service, I released a music album titled ‘’No Vacancy”. I was working with Reverend Chris Okotie, formerly called ‘’Wonder Boy”, he gave me some voice coaching. My breakthrough came in 1987 when I was to go over to Italy to perform at a club opening in Santa Angelo.
After the show, I got involved with a band and became their background singer and I settled there. I went back to school and in- between schooling, I became a lecturer and started working.
CHALLENGES
It is not easy being oneself all the time like I did. I became a slave to the Arts at a great cost and my greatest challenge is that despite all that I have put into Nigerian Art, I have not gained back my money. I engaged in art in a country where people are hungry and their priority is their basic existence. The greatest challenge l have is that the industry hardly acknowledges the influence that people make within.
CHALLENGES
It is not easy being oneself all the time like I did. I became a slave to the Arts at a great cost and my greatest challenge is that despite all that I have put into Nigerian Art, I have not gained back my money. I engaged in art in a country where people are hungry and their priority is their basic existence. The greatest challenge l have is that the industry hardly acknowledges the influence that people make within.
Achievements
I was called by the Sun Newspaper to contribute to their newspaper like a columnist. I anchored Tropical rhythms in NTA channel 5. Meanwhile, as I was in Europe during my prime years, I got married to a European woman and we have children. I was in Rwanda some years ago and saw posters of our very own Nollywood stars.
I was called by the Sun Newspaper to contribute to their newspaper like a columnist. I anchored Tropical rhythms in NTA channel 5. Meanwhile, as I was in Europe during my prime years, I got married to a European woman and we have children. I was in Rwanda some years ago and saw posters of our very own Nollywood stars.
That shows how far we have gone. I was invited to Uganda, East Africa, to help create their movie industry; I spent six years working with actors, musicians and filmmakers. At that time, Nollywood was the most popular front of entertainment in Africa, so we facilitated the coming of some actors to Uganda for shows.
Bob-ejike
The most interesting happened when Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme popularly known as ‘’Aki and Pawpaw, visited me in Uganda. There was traffic standstill from the airport to the Nigerian Embassy to the extent that we had to call on the military to handle the crowd.
The likes of Psquare, Danfo Drivers and Flavour were also invited for stage performance and they pulled a crowd of over 300,000 people beating that of Akon.
Genevieve Nnaji and Tony Umez were also invited at specific occasions. I came back to Nigeria because our dream had developed into an Empire. And over a period of 7 years after I returned, I did 53 movies to gain prominence. And I have also worked with reputable names in the industry.
GIVE BACK TO SOCIETY
I opened a Professor Bob Ejike foundation for performing Arts in Kampala, Uganda solely for the purpose of encouraging African youths. I was also one of the few that started what has grown to be Nollywood today.
I opened a Professor Bob Ejike foundation for performing Arts in Kampala, Uganda solely for the purpose of encouraging African youths. I was also one of the few that started what has grown to be Nollywood today.
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