People told me I would fail in business... Decided to drop this interview here because i know it would inspire people like Godsmind.

Even after he bagged a law degree, and was called to the Bar, Chude Jideonwo still was never going to attach the title-‘Barrister’ to his name. He never liked law. His passion has always been media enterprise. He studied to become a lawyer just to toughen his mindset, and convince himself he could succeed in whatever feat he sets his mind upon. After getting the conviction he needed, Chude switched to the pursuit of his innate desire, which is to run a media franchise.

Presently, Chude’s Red Media Africa has become a leading full service media-content, communication and development company in Nigeria, and has grown into a media giant that sets agenda in the country especially among youths. The media entrepreneur-cum-lawyer spoke with Inspire recently in Lagos.

I understand you have a degree in Law.

I studied law but I don’t practice. I studied law because I wanted to prove to myself that I can study something I was never interested in. I always wanted to work in the media. And I was lucky that you don’t need a university qualification to work in the media. Also I told myself that I could always go and get a second degree in media. Other reasons why I studied law were because my grandfather and uncles are all lawyers, and I wanted to try it. But I knew it was going to be boring.

Were you called to the Bar?

I went to Law School, was called to the bar and I registered as a lawyer. But I just didn’t want to practice. After Law School, I completed my Court and Chamber attachment just to see if I would enjoy it. But after my chamber attachment, I became convinced that I was not going practise law. I didn’t like the study or the practice of law.

With your Law background, how easy was it transitioning into media practice?

There was no transition. If any, it should be from media into law. I entered the University of Lagos in 2000; in that same year, I started my career in the media, working for the Sunday Show with Levy Ajuonuma. There was no transition, they were both side by side. And I just took the advantage in front of me.

How did you start Red Media Africa?

Red Media as a group of companies is an expression of its founders- that is, my partner Adebola and I. My career in the media over the last 15 years, I have worked and gathered experience in various media platforms. I believe in the media, but not in any particular platform. I am more concerned about the audience, and how I can reach them with the messages that we have. The company is passionate to inspire people using the media. We aim to inspire young people; to think and act to grow. That is our mission.

We are a network of three companies, with a holding brand called Red. There is Red Media which is a communication company.  There is Y! which is the content company that has the TV show – Rubbin’ Minds, radio show, magazine, the online platform- YNaija.com, and the event company- Y! Tech100.  Then there is the Future Project, which is a development enterprise that has the Future Awards. Basically, what we are trying to do is to extend the media to its very width to reach the largest number of African youths at anytime. That is what we are doing. Red Media is a growing company. We are looking up to the inspirations that we have. People like Biodun Shobanjo of the Troyka Group and Ben Bruce of the Silverbird Group are big inspiration to us.

How long have you been doing this?

Red as a brand is 10. We’ll be celebrating 10 years in October.  And we would mark it by staging West Africa’s biggest Omni-media summit. And we are doing it in conjunction with Troyka and School of Media and Communication.

How has the journey been?

It has been mentally, emotionally and morally rewarding