Segun Odegbami @ 70 : Stressed, inventive and mathematical | The Guardian Nigeria Information

On August twenty seventh, 70 years in the past in 1952, a star was born into the household of late Pa Jacob Adebola and Madam Bintu Abeke Odegbami, the previous, a retired Nigerian Railway employee; and the latter, a profitable and very fashionable dealer. They each hailed from Wasinmi Group in Ogun State and lengthy settled in Jos, Plateau State, the place they lived into their superior years.

That little star is Nigeria’s sports activities icon, serial entrepreneur, grasp storyteller, nice author, broadcaster, educationist, writer, actor, writer, sports activities administrator per excellence, Chief Patrick Olusegun Odegbami, (MON).

Turning 70 in Nigeria of right this moment is clearly large deal. The explanations are apparent. However ask any shut watcher of the celebrant’s every day work ethic, cerebral endeavours and athleticism.

Some of the fashionable Nigerians of his era, Massive Seg got here into all the things fascinating fairly early in life…….fame, cash, travels, automobiles, homes and the great life. By stroke of divine luck, he had efficiently managed the highs and lows and is in good well being; in firm of his loving spouse, youngsters and may fortunately look again and thank God.

Massive Seg is a quintessential gentleman; extraordinarily charity-driven, simple going although fun-loving; ever courteous, extremely detribalized, humorous; pleasant, God-fearing and a grasp on the dance flooring.

Nigeria owes this man a deserved acknowledgement and celebration on a day like this given his contributions to nationwide improvement by way of his three areas of ardour, specifically sports activities, schooling and youth improvement/entrepreneurship. Although he got here into prominence within the late 60s by means of soccer, starring as a member of the all-conquering Western State Academicals, then onto NTC FC, WNTV/WNBS FC, Housing of Ibadan FC; it was when he joined the favored Taking pictures Stars of Ibadan from 1970 to 1984 that he shot into true stardom and attracted nationwide consideration; incomes on the spot name as much as the senior nationwide workforce as a 22-year-old in 1974. He nevertheless didn’t play for the nationwide workforce till 1976, making his debut in opposition to Sierra Leone and happening to ascertain himself because the poster boy of the workforce till October 30, 1981 when he made his final look in a 2-1 dwelling loss to Algeria.

To make sure, he was nonetheless at his soccer finest however needed to take into account early retirement owing to a recurring knee damage that defied enormous investments in remedy at dwelling and overseas; halting his glittering profession and leaving him to pursue much more expository, technical and inventive endeavours inside and out of doors sports activities, which had saved his title and picture not solely related, however hovering until date.

Massive Seg’s capability to modify, interaction and multi-task in several excessive roles, requiring utterly unrelated skillsets, to my thoughts, have been his defining power through the years.  At completely different occasions since leaving lively soccer, he has been a newspaper columnist, author, writer, tv producer, sports activities college proprietor, actor, observe and subject athlete supervisor, soccer administrator, nationwide workforce supervisor and rather more… making successful of all.

It’s on file that this nice man conceptualized and created Nigeria’s first wholly personal sports activities present on tv, Saturday Sports activities Particular, within the early nineties.  A person of many novelties, Massive Seg didn’t solely give Nigerian sports activities followers high quality leisure  on this present, but in addition delivered an unforgettable legacy by his ingenuity in that includes two little however very sharp boys , Wole Opatola and Shina Okeleji, then of their early

To his everlasting credit score, the 2 children at the moment are very achieved sports activities journalists holding their very own within the trade. Wole runs a profitable sports activities publishing and radio /television manufacturing enterprise in Benin whereas Shina is a number one producer at BBC World Service.

Although he has prolonged his inventive skills into different areas exterior sports activities, particularly schooling and entrepreneurship within the final 30 years, Massive Seg nevertheless saved digging additional and deeper into extra inventive endeavours in sport. In 2003, he based Nigeria’s first multi-sports secondary college, Segun Odegbami Worldwide Faculty & Sports activities Academy in Wasinmi, Ogun State. Certainly, Odegbami could possibly be rightly described as “creatively stressed”. He possesses an unusual capability for pondering up one sensible thought after the opposite. These near him will affirm how boundlessly inventive he’s.

Massive Seg has had his good and dangerous experiences particularly in Sports activities Administration however he’s unfazed about it. At completely different occasions within the final 25 years, he aspired to be President of the Nigeria Soccer Federation (NFF). He additionally toyed with the thought of a joint World Cup internet hosting involving 4 West African international locations, Togo, Republic of Benin and Ghana, led by Nigeria. Simply as he additionally at a time took a shot on the FIFA Presidency.

Typically, he by no means seeks your concurrence or endorsement regardless of how shut. He simply places you within the know and have you ever perceive his motivations, goals and convictions. This 12 months alone, he has launched into many modern and audacious tasks, together with the extremely profitable Conversations initiative; which is leveraging on his fascinating relationship with the Nigerian Institute of Worldwide Affairs (NIIA); an concept that seeks to place Sport in its proper place as a instrument of worldwide relations and diplomacy. His newest child, Eagle 7 Sports activities Radio can also be on full throttle, blasting high quality programmes by means of the airwaves from its Panseke, Abeokuta base to your entire South West and neighbouring cities.
At 70, it’s clearly not slow-down time for my buddy and confidant…the one and solely Mathematical!
Okegbenro, a sports activities and communications marketing consultant wrote from Lagos.