Renowned Nigerian journalist and publisher Dele Momodu has shared a candid account of his dramatic career downturn, revealing how he transitioned from being Nigeria’s highest-paid editor to selling bread for survival.
The founder of Ovation International magazine disclosed the details during an interview with broadcaster Bola Ray on Starr Chat, reflecting on resilience amid professional upheaval.
Momodu, once celebrated as a leading voice in Nigerian media, described losing his position as editor of a major publication in the 1990s after a sudden demotion to managing editor a role he interpreted as a precursor to dismissal. “I lost my job as the highest-paid editor in Nigeria. They removed me as editor and ‘promoted’ me to managing editor, which I knew was a promotion into redundancy,” he said. The decision, he claimed, was finalized while he was abroad, leaving him stripped of perks upon his return. “They took my official car, they took my driver,” he recounted.
Facing abrupt unemployment, Momodu admitted grappling with societal pressure to maintain his stature. “The biggest embarrassment about not having a job is people asking, ‘So what are you going to do now?’ And you have no answer,” he said. To sustain himself, he resorted to selling bread, a stark contrast to his former prominence. “I came down to rock bottom,” he acknowledged, emphasizing the humility required to rebuild his career.
The media mogul also addressed the cutthroat politics within Nigeria’s media landscape, attributing his ousting to envy over his influence. “When you get too powerful in your job, you should always know there are people who will come for you. I became too powerful,” he reflected. His eventual pivot to founding Ovation magazine in 1996 marked a resurgence, cementing his status as a global chronicler of African excellence.
Momodu’s story underscores the volatile nature of media careers in competitive environments, where clout often invites covert rivalries. His experience mirrors challenges faced by high-profile figures across industries, where rapid falls from grace demand reinvention. While Nigeria’s media sector has evolved since the 1990s, his journey highlights enduring themes of resilience and adaptability qualities that propelled him from selling bread to building an international media brand. Analysts note that such narratives resonate in economies where formal safety nets are scarce, forcing professionals to embrace unconventional paths after setbacks.
