Yesterday, September 11, 2017, Mosunmola Dominique Abudu, the Chairman and CEO of EbonyLife TV, Mo Abudu clocks 53.
Over the last decade, Mo Abudu, a talk show host, TV producer, media personality, human resources management consultant and entrepreneur, always brims with a defined sense of purpose has become a kind of evangelist for accomplishment. She is one of the most accomplished female celebrities in Africa, and one of the few Nigerian women who have consistently blazed the trail with confidence in various fields.
Abudu runs Vic Lawrence Associates, VLA, a human resources firm. Today, VLA is rated as one of the fastest growing and largest indigenous human resources and training management consultancy firms in Nigeria. While involving herself in number of business activities, Abudu’s next significant achievement was the conceptualisation and building of the Protea Hotel, Oakwood Park, situated along the Lekki Expressway in Lagos, which was commissioned in August 2004. In November 2007, Mo Abudu took on yet another challenge, this time in a field she had never dabbled in before-broadcasting. She initiated Moments With Mo, the internationally acclaimed talk-show, which she also anchors. Moment With Mo is a brain child of Abudu’s company, Inspire Africa. It seeks to celebrate and showcase the greatness of Africa as well as deal with day to day issues that affects human life. The show is aired on M-Net and some other major channels on Nigerian television stations. Each episode of ‘Moments with Mo highlights the life and accomplishments of a usually well known, but sometimes an undiscovered African individual, who by his own tenacity and determination, has accomplished something and has been a catalyst for something that makes him a role model to others. Moreover, the show has also proved to be a purpose built vehicle through which the rest of the world has come to appreciate the Nigerian and African culture and achievement. And of course, Moments With Mo enjoys a powerful support from most of the corporate heavy weights in Nigeria.
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Even seasoned broadcasters would have balked at such a challenge- hosting a talk show that broadcasts all over Africa, celebrating the positive aspects of Africa that the world at large does not usually concern itself with. By October 2009, over 200 episodes had been recorded and aired with numerous topics ranging from lifestyle, through health, culture, politics, entertainment, tradition, to music and inter-racial marriages. Guests have included celebrities, Presidents, Nobel Laureates, and the 67th US Secretary-of-State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Abudu says the show “highlights the life and accomplishments of a usually well known, but sometimes an undiscovered African individual who by his or her own tenacity and determination has accomplished something, overcome something or been a catalyst for something that makes her or him a role model to others.” Aired on M-Net with TV coverage in 48 African countries, the show now also airs on terrestrial and cable TV in other parts of the world.
Abudu is also the creator and executive producer of “The Debaters”, a reality TV show. Funded by Guaranty Trust Bank, it launched on 3 October 2009. The show focuses on “giving Africa a voice” by promoting oratory.
She also founded The Inspire Africa Foundation, a human investment arm of Inspire Africa Ltd. It is registered as a non-profit organization focused on raising funds to implement society-transforming initiatives. In January 2009, the Inspire Africa Foundation alongside Moments with Mo, the Lagos State Government and UNICEF held a telethon and a charity benefit concert with the theme “Rock with a Conscience”. Donations from the concert have gone towards the protection of street children. The Foundation opened a charity store branded “The Designers Outlet for Charity”, which opened on 5 December 2009 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The foundation is also developing a children’s shelter called “The Harbour”.
On July 1, 2013, Mo Abudu launched Ebony Life Television, “Africa’s first Global Black Multi-Broadcast Entertainment Network”. As obtained on the television website, Ebony Life TV is “a multi-platform broadcaster set to reach Africa’s most important target demographic, the custodians of the present and the future. We are set to produce and broadcast over 700 hours of non-stop, original programming with world-class production values. We are set to do this through a variety of engaging platforms that include TV, Mobile, Online, Apps and Live. We are positioned to be the home of the best of African content available.” A subsidiary of Media and Entertainment City Africa (MEC Africa), Ebony Life TV is located in Tinapa Resort, Calabar, Cross River State Nigeria. Ebony Life TV has been founded with a mission to create “Original, Premium and Inspiring content with an African Soul that showcases the best of Africa for a Global Black audience.”
The launch of the station, which was attended by dignitaries from all around the world, saw notable Nigerians awarded for their contribution to the entertainment industry. Steve Forbes was on stage to present deserving Nigerians the awards. In a report titled Nigerian Woman Launches Entertainment TV Network, Mosunmola Abudu was referred to as Africa’s Oprah Winfrey. With a catchphrase that says “Everything you think you know about Africa is about to change forever,“ Ebony Life TV seeks “to start selling the good bits of Africa. Not every African woman has a pile of wood on her head and a baby strapped to her back!” Mo Abudu told the Associated Press during an interview session.
This exploit by Mo Abudu also caught attention of Forbes Media. Forbes Media, a renowned establishment, which has become a symbol of distinction for recognising worthy business decision makers, investors and progressive individuals, who have impacted the world through their stimulation of business growth, has named Mo Abudu as the first woman on the African continent to own a pan-African TV channel.”
A grounded style maven, Abudu was born in September 1964, in London to Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Akintunde. Having lost her father at the age of 11, Abudu, together with her two younger sisters, was brought up by her mother. Her growing up years were mainly spent in the United Kingdom, where she worked her way through college, attending the Ridgeway School, Mid Kent College and West Kent College. She then went ahead to obtain her masters degree in Human Resources Development at the University of Westminster, London. Abudu began her professional career in 1987 as a Recruitment Consultant with the Atlas Recruitment Consultant firm in the UK. Within a few years, she rose to the position of Branch Manager. In 1990, she was headhunted by the Starform Group, a very successful business information group in the UK to manage the prestigious Corporate Credit Management Exhibition. Abudu successfully managed the exhibition from 1990 through 1992. Additionally, she assumed responsibility for the research, design and production of several conferences and seminars whilst at Starform.
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Upon her return to Nigeria in 1993, Abudu was once again headhunted, this time by Arthur Anderson. Her initial assignment was as Head of Human Resources and Training for Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited (Exxon). By the year 2000, having successfully completed her responsibilities to the ExxonMobil HR Transition and Merger Team, Abudu fully recognised Nigeria’s growing need for a trained and highly motivated talent pool that would take Nigerian businesses into the 21st Century. Taking advantage of her growing reputation as a HR Specialist, Mo resigned from ExxonMobil to start Vic Lawrence & Associate Limited, VLA. Today this outfit is rated as one of the fastest growing and the largest indigenous HR & Training Management Consultancy Firm in Nigeria. While involving herself in a number of business activities, Abudu’s next significant achievement was the building of Protea Hotel, Oakwood Park, situated along the Lekki Expressway in Lagos, which was commissioned in August 2004. Set on over one hectare of land, comprising of state of the art training, conference and leisure facilities, the hotel is regarded as one of best in Nigeria. Ever true to her purpose, Abudu’s concept for Oakwood Park was to create a facility that would meet the needs of professional needing the serenity of a suburban location featuring fully equipped and dedicated training and conference facilities together with the comfort of executive accommodation and leisure. Today, the hotel plays a significant role in the development of Nigeria’s business community hosting an array of business events, conferences, workshops and training courses.
In spite of her very busy schedules, Abudu still finds time to involve herself in what she decribes as, ‘community self-improvement efforts’. Of significance is her participation on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation promoting business skills development amongst Nigerian youths. Here, Abudu sits and plans with fellow board members that include the Managing Directors of ChevronTexaco, Coca-cola International, ExxonMobil, the Dangote Group and others. With all these activities and accomplishments, Abudu feels poised to share her drive and her ultimate vision by taking on her next challenge in her life- to inspire Africans.
Thematically, through her pet project, Inspire Africa, Mo has been taking full advantage of her defiant and always challenging ‘Yes I Can’ attitude, by putting pressure on the individual to stand up and be counted.
Abudu’s marriage to Tokunbo, a lawyer, is blessed with two children -Temidayo and Koyejo.
– KEMI AKINYEMI