That was one of my billionaire friends after giving me another big donation for one of my numerous plays
This particular friend has given me over N100m in the last 10 years and continues to give
I don’t know what came over him to make that statement, but it is a statement of fact
I am not poor by any stretch of the imagination and have made millions not from theatre but from its fallout
The books, the Masterclasses, the access theatre gives me, but from theatre, na one loss after the other
But I still keep pushing without any intention to slow down
The figures are staggering – we threw N180m into Obey and Zik, and in one conversation while in London, an actor said something that annoyed me
I replied – see, 100% of these funds come from my friends, so apart from my integrity, I owe no one anything on these funds
I could come to London and buy an apartment, and not one of my donors would frown; in fact, they will clap for me cos they see how selfless I have been with this financially thankless theatre
Another billionaire friend said, Edgar, why do you come here and ask for just N2m? Go and bring something worthwhile, and let’s make money for you
Another said – the only reason why we give you money every time, no matter how many times you ask, is cos na only N500k you dey ask
A sitting Governor once whispered in my ear, and on stage, what do you want when he heard me lament that the hall was filled with complimentary ticket holders – I said, Give me N2m; I wantto pay school fees
The man looked at me in shock and gave me the money instantly and walked away
For me, theatre is not an end. I don’t even reckon with it like that. So when I hear thespians talk evil about me or say I don’t belong, I laugh
For me, theatre is a vehicle I leverage to strengthen my position in the room – Nigeria
It has given me access, given me first-name recognition in various powerhouses – from the Awo family to Zik family, to Sardauna, to Sanusi, to Tinubu, to the Royal Houses of Itsekiri, Arochukwu, Onitsha, Agbor and the rest
The billions will come from the legacy, the imprint, and from what we have been able to use theatre to achieve
For me, theatre is much more than the dance, script and all those technicities that you see on stage; for me, it’s a vehicle that I am using to engage Nigeria on my own terms and in my own way
This is why the networking during plays, the meetings on fundraising, the engagement with historical families, for me, is much more important than sitting and watching the play
For instance, I am doing HAFSATU, DEIN OF AGBOR, INIKPI AND MAKAMBA, and in getting the green lights, I have met HRM Dein of Agbor. Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and strategic members of the Sardauna family – going to eat lunch there now
MD of Seplat wants a meeting – Senator Udoma is their Chairman, and I’ve eaten Afang with Liz Benson, the mercurial actress who is a national icon, all from theate
So two things I don’t want to be – a billionaire and a thespian, but one thing I want to be is to be me and continue to live life on my own terms
Yes, that will make me a little bit happier in this world
Thespian? Not my portion. Billionaire?….
Come and beat me
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: October 12, 2026
