‘A Nigerian Spent as Much as N20m on a Party’ - Babasola Olusoga, CEO, Aso Ebi


Babasola Olusoga runs Aso Ebi, an event planning outfit in Lagos. For a young man in his 20s, he has clinched some enviable jobs, which could make older hands in the business go green with envy. His winning streaks? He opens up in this interview

Q: How was Aso Ebi established?

A: It all started while I was in the university. My clothes were unique. Even for accessories, everyone wanted to know where and how I bought my things. So, I reasoned that I can actually make money if I sell these things to these guys. That was where the knack to buy and sell kicked off from. After graduation, I opened a boutique in Surulere, Lagos which I called Dojee. I ran the outfit for five years. At a point, I decided to start something on African clothes. So, I had a change of business to follow my idea and Aso-ebi came up. Before that, I was selecting pieces for people whenever they were having their parties especially uniforms.
Over the years, I attended several parties, exhibitions and lots of private functions and I wasn’t satisfied with the way things were muddled at some parties. I became interested in knowing why all these factors were affecting the beauty of parties which budgets are usually huge. I reasoned, ‘I can do this and even better.’ I started by planning aso ebi alone and today we have taken a step further by planning the whole event from A-Z.

Q: So, you help to get aso-ebi and distribute on behalf of whoever is hosting a party?

A: Yes. It’s all about taking the whole aspect of planning an event off the host; making it a stress-free day for him/her. It’s more like being the go-to person in party planning and activation.

Q: Has it always been a dream?

A: Yes, it has actually been my dream to be involved in fashion and organising things one way or the other. At a young age, I was already picking colours for my mother whenever she was dressing up. Even as a boy, I was also involved in picking aso-ebi colours for my siblings whenever they were getting married. I would help with organising the food and drinks. I made sure guests are well taken care off too. So, I didn’t just wake up one day and said I am an aso-ebi planner. It grew with me from childhood.

Q: What are the challenges of party planning in Nigeria?

A: A lot of people in Nigeria have not grown to believe that they need a party planner that can handle everything. Most times, they believe they can do all the planning themselves. They really don’t know they need a professional to help them make their dreams come true. This is sad because no matter the budget, if it’s not well planned, it goes sour! But a good event planner will do justice to the event.

Q: In this part of the country, parties come in often, how many can you handle in a week?

A: I make sure I don’t take more than three big events in one week. This way, my expertise can come in place in all three.

Q: But how much does an average Nigerian spend on a wedding?

A: Oh! Nigerians are big spenders home and abroad. I cannot even place an average figure but I know I have planned an event with a budget as low as N100,000 and as high as N20m.

Q: What kind of party would someone spend N20m on?

A: It was actually wedding in Ibadan. The groom, who is a prominent businessman in Ibadan, is into real estate. He gave us all that he wanted for his party and by the end of the calculations, we arrived at N20m. That was in 2010 and the wedding was much talked about. It depends on the style and personality of who is involved.

Q: But some Nigerians see party planning as too elitist?

A: No, I don’t think so. It’s for everybody that wants to have a stress-free day, and have the time to mingle with friends and guests. I have planned a lot of parties and most times, they are not hosted by the elite. I think it depends on how you view issues.

Q: Did you grow up in Lagos?

A: By birth, I am a Lagosian. Well, I am the lastborn of six children. I’m not spoilt in anyway like most people think. I am a mummy’s boy — but not spoilt. I attended Pampers Nursery/Primary School, was at Ogunlade College and then went on to the University of Lagos, where I bagged a degree in Philosophy.

Q: What does fashion mean to you?

A: I like to be well packaged in totality. My style is very African and traditional. For my ushers, Ient try to infuse my clients personality into them so as to look as good as possible. I am just that jolly good fellow everybody smiles and laughs with. With what I do, I am more of a jeans and top person, but I dress as occasion demands.

Q: Are you married?

A: No, I am not. I am still single and very ready to mingle.

Q: Are you are not afraid of competition?

A: No. Nigeria is such a big country with a huge population. We don’t even have enough event planners as I talk. When we do, it becomes more competitive and more creative. The sky is large enough for all birds to fly.

Culled from PUNCH

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