Want of the society is motivation but the need is 'beyond just motivation'- Sunday Abegunde

The Nigerian poet, Abegunde Sunday Olaoluwa fondly called 'Speaking Pen' is the winner of World Union of Poets Prize 2016 , a rated Top 20 of EGC 'Top 50 Poets That Rocked Nigeria 2015' and the Principal Director of Speaking Pen International Concept (SPIC). In this interview with ABDULHAFEEZ T. OYEWOLE, the author of a bestselling self-help book, 'Unleash Your Potential: Beyond Just Motivation' and curator of global poetry anthologies such as 'Peace is Possible, 'We Cry for Peace', 'Voice of Humanity', 'Reign of Racism', 'Letters from the Graves', 'Hope Alive' among others speaks about motivation for his unflinching  commitment to the writing, publishing and speaking worlds.

My background is a beautiful one though all we got was an incessantly love as a family that goes through thick and thin together. I learnt and mastered street scrabble, which whet my unquenchable appetite for words and subsequently for the aesthetics of language use.

To start with, I commend your ratiocination in chronologically listing what I do. I deflowered the actualization of my potential with writing. I started writing poetry for school children. In 2010, I got the impress to write a self-help book on my mind. I did, which made me an author. After the release of my first print book; copies were taken to the National Library for submission to have it listed in the books-in-print for the year. Then came a shocker of my life! Guess... The ISBN Number I paid for was rejected. I learnt the hard way. The good thing about this was that it propelled me to set up my own publishing outfit, duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and recognised by the National Library of Nigeria. That is, the birth of Speaking Pen International Concept. The initial objective was to rescue othe writers from falling victim of buying invalid ISBN. I even attended a number of Publishing Masterclasses and enrolled as a printer's part-time apprentice.

The night before the name registration of my firm in Alausa, I read the scripture, Psalm 45:1b and had 'Speaking Pen' impressed in my heart. Hence, Speaking Pen International Concept (SPIC). The brand grew strong enough that writing circles and friends call me 'Speaking Pen'.

If you are to talk about the greatest influence on your general creative, speaking and publishing endeavours, what would that be?

The greatest influence is my passion for good of others. That prompted my poetry works in advocate for social justice and also the propelling force for me to write an inspiring motivational book to better their lives - 'Unleash Your Potential Beyond Just Motivation', a book that is geared at helping people convert their potentials into their monetary equivalent and make them feel fulfilled. Same reason is why speaking engagement makes me joyous. Also, my earlier explanation of how my publishing firm started points to my passion for others.

What inspired your first self-help book- Unleash Your Potential: Beyond Just Motivation and what are the subject matters of the book?

I was inspired by the situation of people in my society. Many gifted youths and ready-to-work adults work like elephants but reap like rats. I sensed a solution to this problem and shared this knowledge as a book. It was written to meet the needs of people in this generation worldwide, especially those faced with the challenge of growing without a silver spoon in a country like Nigeria. I realized that want of the society is motivation but the need is 'beyond just motivation' as reflected by my best-selling book's subtitle.

In His Realm is the first fruit of my pen - it's my first published work (Chap book). It was released on Amazon both as Kindle (ebook) and Paperback. However, 'Unleash Your Potential' was my first commercially printed book in Nigeria, UK, USA and Canada. 'In His Realm' is a collection of poetry with scriptural allusions. I am considering reviewing it since my penning craft had since improved a thousand times from then.

How do you view your creative, speaking and publishing: vocations or a professions? Your reasons for such categorisation.

They all started as interest and mere passion. The passion for each of these grew stronger as I study more on each, experimented and learned more. Back then, these conflict with one another as I rear each of them in the cage of my mind with equal strong passion for each. At the points I started making money from each, these became my vocations and not just passion. As the years roll by, I acquired special education, trainings and skills in all of these to become a pro at services I render.

Pro means professional, and 'professional' is an affixation of the word 'profession'. Therefore, Creative Writing, Public Speaking and Book Publishing are my professions. Aside my writing services like ghostwriting, copy writing and all, I am also a Social Media Strategist. My mentor, Pastor Gbenga Samson revealed to me that I am not a house; I am a city. Hence, I keep learning and building capacities across diverse spheres.

This is a unique industry. It functions like the kidneys in the human body. That's this industry like the unseen kidney, is during a lot but not getting the deserved attention from investors and in my opinion, the government. The ongoing industrial action by the National Library of Nigeria for about three months now is an epitome of the hemorrhaging suffering of this industry. The economic situation of the country and the poor reading culture have been the undertakers burying traditional publishers in Nigeria. The few surviving ones concentrate more on publishing school books for primary and secondary schools leaving writers of other categories of books at the mercy of self-publishing.

Sequel to my response to the last question, it is ridiculously an herculean task to get a traditional publishing deal due to high competition for the very few slots of the very few traditional publishers. Also, the microscopic few that gets the said traditional publishing deal are faced and fazed by obnoxious terms of contract, which is no fault of the traditional publisher too since he is in business to earn excess profits.

Studies have revealed that most books published in Nigeria in recent years are self-published. Our firm offers services to self-publishers like cover designing, editing services and processing of ISBN and some even have us print and publish their works.

I am a business man and have my entrepreneurial structures to convert my God-given gifts and acquired skills into the monetary equivalent. I earn money from ghostwriting for people both in Nigeria and in the diaspora. I have done a number of copy writing for clients. I earn from publishing books for people and I have also won a number of writing contests with prizes.

There are also occasions like that one I wrote a poem as I was contacted for this service and performed it at the birthday of Professor Cyril Ajayi of Obafemi Awolowo University in 2017. After the performance, a good Samaritan (Mr Joshua Adams) took the mic and promised to pay my school fees. Isn't that encouraging? However about the glamour on and off campus, online and offline, It's been rewarding to a laudable degree.

I wouldn't start with the awards and prizes that I have won. I felt fulfilled as a writer when I started getting feedbacks inboxed to me. Two of such that glued to my mind include a Facebook message by a girl touched to tears after reading my poem: 'The Once Worthless Me' and another by Mr Soyombo, a Nigerian in the diaspora who came across my book 'Unleash Your Potential Beyond Just Motivation' in the UK and messaged to appreciate. I really felt appreciated.

I have won a number of awards, gotten a number of nominations, honorable mentions, featured in anthologies, newspapers, magazines, blogs, eZines, websites and won several prizes including the World Union of Poets Prize 2016.

In Public Speaking, I look up to God and I appreciate the likes of Fela Durotoye, Jimi Tewe, Gbenga Samson, Seun Fakorede, TMO Speak among a host of other veterans. In writing and publishing, I only look up to God.

I belong to YALI Network. They offer a range of courses that are beneficial. I also benefited from PDF Academy. I am a member of CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and also ASPOB (Association of Potential Broadcasters).

I found marrying these time-demanding tasks so difficult back then but over the years, I found my balance well. To the glory of God, I am doing fine in the Estate Management program that I am running at Obafemi Awolowo University and every other aspects are doing impressively fine too. I have gotten used to doing them all. I set my priorities right.

I am presently ghostwriting a script for a lecturer and editing the works my team did ghostwrite for one of our clients.

Social Media. I spend time creating content for my massive audience @SpeakingPen on Instagram and other social media platforms. I write quotes or poetry. Recently, I draw and paint at my leisure time. One more thing, I watch National Geo Wild and Ted videos.

People may call you Jack of all trades master of none but are blind to the fact that one can be Jack of more than one trade and yet be master in all. The most successful people in the world have more than one stream of income. Diversification is key to financial survival especially in a country like mine.

A scholar once told us an average human doesn't use up to 10% of their brain power. How then wouldn't people see you as crazy when you dare to fully explore all your capabilities and capacities for great exploit! The Bible has an account of a servant given one talent and also of servant given five.

To be interviewed, kindly contact Abdulhafeez Oyewole via Email. OR DM via Twitter or Instagram.