Publisher’s note by Lanre Idowu, Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors
Senator Akinola Odunsi is a big brother whose acquaintance I made in 1991 when he was the president of the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria. He was pretty supportive of our publishing effort with a unique journal of the Nigerian media called MEDIA REVIEW. He was also a pioneer judge of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) in 1992. He later became a sponsor. In 2015, DAME honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award “for his lifelong devotion to advancing the frontiers of knowledge and strengthening the media as a marketplace of ideas for free and commercial speech to thrive.”
On Wednesday, July 23, it was Senator Akin Odunsi’s 80th birthday. He marked it at the Alliance Française, Ikoyi, with a book presentation. The audience comprised family, colleagues, mentees in the advertising world, fellow politicians, and old and current students at CMS Grammar School, Bariga, the author’s alma mater. What a fun-filled day it was with alums of CMS Grammar School, Igbobi College, and Baptist Academy trading banters on the place of their schools in the comity of legacy schools. Politicians from Ogun State also had to trade tackles on some of the shenanigans that characterised their exploits, especially in the period 2011-2015.
Former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Senator Kaka, threw the first jab, which was met with counterpunches from former Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. I share my remarks at the event, entitled BEHIND THE BOOK.
I would like to begin by joining the family of Senator Akin Odunsi to thank the Almighty God for the grace to be here today. I believe that I speak your mind when I say, today is the day that the Lord has made, and we are glad to be here.
I know that a lot of work has gone into preparing for today’s presentation. For the author and his research team, the process began with conceptualising the book, followed by setting out to research it, assembling the research team, writing, rewriting, editing, and ultimately, getting it published. The preparation did not stop there.
Being a publication tied to the author’s 80th birthday, considerable thought and planning have gone into shaping today’s presentation. I think after Almighty Allah, our appreciation should go to the Odunsi family, especially the children, for the diligence that has gone into the planning process. Well, that gift is in their genes; when you are scions of a legend of the marketing communications industry, you do not expect less.
The journey to today’s book presentation of METAMORPHOSIS: My Life, My Story, started in 2017, I am told, when the Negritude Development Company urged Senator Odunsi to document his story. They carried out the legwork, digging out relevant information and conducting some interviews that have helped to enrich the book. At some point, Diamond Publications came in to assess the script for publication.
We must congratulate Senator Odunsi for the courage to tell his story. Many privileged Nigerians are hesitant to do so. Too many go to their graves, concealing nuggets of wisdom that could have changed the course of history. We must rejoice with him that he is here in person and in good health to witness the unveiling of his work. We hold that authoring a book remains one of the most significant things that a professional can do. When an author writes a book, they share a worldview for us to consider. It is a way of persuading or influencing readers about the choices made in life. It is a way of presenting unknown information or shedding fresh light on what was previously known. It is a desire to document experience in the hope that it will guide others. It can also help in stoking a debate to address a particular issue. It is about satisfying an inner yearning to connect with a community of readers, an exercise in self-expression and self-discovery. Being the product of great reflection, a good book provides readers insight into the challenges faced, the solutions found, and the choices made. It is also a legitimate step to make an income. So, however we look at it, authoring a book brings salutary effects on life and living.
As the publisher of the book, I assure you that it is a book that is easy to read. The style is breezy and conversational. Running overall on 206 pages of frontend and backend material, it has twenty-eight chapters, grouped under six themes: “Morning shows the day”, “The family”, “Business World”, “Political Terrain”, “Community Engagement”, “Romance with Golf”. You must read the book to determine how well those themes are treated.
With the publication of Metamorphosis: My Life, My Story, Senator Odunsi has added a notable title to the limited collection of books on Nigeria’s advertising sector. His effort follows those of Law Ojunta’s “Steve Omojafor: His Style, His Thoughts, His Visions” (2000), Lolu Akinwunmi’s “Skin for Skin: The Story of Prima Garnet” (2018), and Dotun Adekanmbi’s “The Will to Win: The Story of Biodun Shobanjo”. (Havila, 2020).
I hope that we will purchase copies of the book, Metamorphosis: My Life, My Story, for personal use as well as for family, friends, educational institutions, and professional bodies within our spheres of influence.
Enquiries about Akin Odunsi’s Metamorphosis: My Life, My Story to 0806-880-8208.
