Famed for its hip and happening nightlife, Nigeria’s bars and entertainment venues have fallen silent, and its DJs are now pumping up the volume online.



Life as he knows it has completely changed for Obi Ajuonuma. The noise of the nightclub had been music to his ears. They were his echoes of success, and now, so suddenly, the venues have all gone quiet, and the silence is getting louder.



As one of Nigeria’s top-rated DJs, who had at one time set a world record for a 240-hour marathon on the decks, he is now faced with an uncertain future, one in which Nigeria’s bars and entertainment venues may never come alive as they used to.&nbsp;



Covid-19 has almost decimated the F&amp;B industry, and with that, a slew of jobs that depended on it.



Ajuonuma, who has been a DJ for the past 16 years since graduating with a degree in broadcast media and entertainment from Westfield State University in Massachusetts, had relocated to Nigeria in 2012 for his career. This was after his father passed away in the Dana Air crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of 159 people.



“It was a decisive time for me because I was struggling between being a DJ or doing what I went to school for, which was broadcast media and journalism. But I decided to stick to DJing because it made more money and gave me more control of my schedule,” says Ajuonuma.



That turned out to be the best decision of his life. Since relocating, Ajuonuma, who famously goes by the moniker ‘DJ Obi’, has become one of the most sought-after DJs in the Nigerian entertainment scene, with a handful of brand endorsements to boot.



He is a resident DJ in the most exclusive spots in Lagos as well as the go-to name for upscale weddings and birthday parties.



Everything was going swimmingly well until the Covid-19 pandemic hit.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“Thanks to platforms like Instagram Live and Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Live, we have had to move the party online. So, we are taking the music to the people. So, if you can’t come to me, I will come to you.”</blockquote>



The marauding virus has been disrupting lives and businesses in Nigeria since the country first introduced measures to mitigate its spread on March 30, with a total lockdown of the commercial capital, Lagos, and neighboring Ogun and Abuja. The total number of Covid-19 cases is rising, forcing many small businesses to reimagine new ways of staying afloat.



For many, it has meant taking a significant drop in payment for their services.



“I think my industry is one of the obvious sectors hit because human beings are meant to socialize and, in my industry, profits are made when human beings come together to party and enjoy themselves and put together events. That is one of the first things that shut down in terms of no social gatherings, no meetings, and as DJs, this is how we make our money, so if we can’t have people coming together, then we can’t make a living,” says Ajuonuma.



The crisis has pushed entrepreneurs like him to be creative by going digital.



“Thanks to platforms like Instagram Live and Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Live, we have had to move the party online. So, we are taking the music to the people. So, if you can’t come to me, I will come to you,” he says.



Luckily, platforms like Cash App, PayPal and Venmo have made it easy for DJs to receive tips, which has become the new form of payment for playing sets online. For those like Ajuonuma with an established reputation, another revenue source is brand endorsements. Cîroc for example was one of the first sponsors of his live sessions.



“For drinks brands, it’s difficult to translate advertising into products being purchased because now, people are not buying 20 bottles in the club because they are at home and they have priorities now because the world has changed.”



On the plus side, Ajuonuma increased his Instagram following from 59,000 to about 70,000 in the two months since the lockdown. And he is not the only one.



“There are DJs who have boosted their followers from 48,000 to 1.2 million on Instagram. We have also taken the whole Instagram experience to TV,” he says.



Zoom has also provided a new revenue stream for Ajuonuma.



“I have done like three Zoom birthday parties… So now, I can plug into Zoom and have a party with people all over the world.”&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="731" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-731x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47115" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-731x1024.jpg 731w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-scaled-300x420.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-scaled-600x840.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-214x300.jpg 214w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-1097x1536.jpg 1097w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-1463x2048.jpg 1463w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/REX-IDAMINABO-scaled.jpg 1829w" sizes="(max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px" /><figcaption>Rex Idaminabo, the founder of Achievers Media</figcaption></figure>



Other entrepreneurs within the events space have also had to rethink their value proposition. Rex Idaminabo is the founder of Achievers Media, which creates high-end events and networking opportunities for a specially-curated clientele. The ban on major gatherings has reduced sponsorship moneys, which used to be the main source of income for his business.



“What we have done is explore online connecting opportunities. We have moved to a retainership model with a number of clients where we do specific programs online. We have also organized global virtual conferences where clients can also network with various leaders across the world,” says Idaminabo.



The growing impact of the threat to economic livelihoods is also being felt in other areas of the economy in Nigeria. At the former end of the F&amp;B spectrum, is the food business, and with Covid-19 set to radically aggravate food insecurity, the issues are at many levels.



In spite of Nigeria’s dependence on oil, agriculture remains an important mainstay for the economy, providing employment for millions, especially in the informal sector. And higher up in the value chain of the food business is the hotel and restaurant industry, confounded with an unprecedented dip in profits and job losses for the millions it employs.



For now, the restaurants are finding it difficult to put food on the table.

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Pulling The Plug On The Live Party And Moving It Online

At the 2020 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal on March 6, DJ Zinhle shone in the spotlight, talking about her journey from rock-bottom to record-breaking. 



As the
woman responsible for South Africa’s My Name Is hit song
makes her way onto the stage, there is rapturous applause from a 1,000 strong
audience, gathered at Durban’s international convention center for the 2020 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit.



Zinhle
Jiyane, popularly known as DJ Zinhle, walks up to the solo stage with her
four-year-old daughter, Kairo Forbes, who she calls one of her “biggest
achievements”.



South
Africa’s award-winning DJ and media personality presents an inspirational
speech during the summit’s #SPOTLIGHT session.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.forbeswomanafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-3991-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41543"/></figure>



“You’re lazy. You’re extremely lazy,” cites Zinhle as the words that shaped her into the woman she is today.



As a
child, Zinhle, who hails from KwaZulu-Natal, was heartbroken every time she was
called lazy.



“I knew I was a creative at heart. My lack of interest in limited career options and the mundane robotic task of drying the dishes didn’t really appeal to me. That’s the thing that got me the title ‘vila voco’ (meaning an extremely lazy person in English).”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Despite
that, Zinhle went on to pursue a BCom in marketing
at the University of Johannesburg. Graduating at the top of her class gave her the first dose of confidence.



“It was
possible. Although ‘vila voco’ might have been ringing in my head, at least I knew that it was possible to put in
the hard work and get
good results. That gave me all the confidence I need to
take over the world.
And that’s exactly what I did.”



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbeswomanafrica.com/woman/2020/03/11/lws2020kzn-the-forbes-woman-africa-2020-leading-women-summit-sets-the-bar-high-for-2021/">The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA 2020 Leading Women Summit Sets The Bar High For 2021</a>



Her new
found self-assurance propelled her to do more.



“In
2009, I launched Fuse Academy, the first and only DJ female academy in South Africa. Ten years later, the academy has
produced working DJs in
the industry that have contributed largely to the overall
entertainment
industry.”



After
eight years of resilience in the music industry, she finally scored her big break. 



“I had a song called My Name Is featuring Busiswa which became one of the biggest songs in 2012, not only in South Africa, but in most parts of Africa. This song was special to me because for the first time I knew what real success was. It was an exciting time for me as a woman”.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.forbeswomanafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-3999-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41542"/></figure>



Music
has always been the DJ’s first love, so while one hand was on the decks, she
tried the other hand at entrepreneurship.



“In 2013, I launched my jewelry business, Era By DJ Zinhle. Seven years later, my pride and joy is the first black female owned business to distribute through American Swiss.”



The hit
maker has been vocal about the importance of female empowerment. Her
involvement in a project seeking to do just this inspired her to put pen to
paper.



“In
2017, I joined a very important project called ‘It Takes A Village’ on SABC1 focusing on 11
young women who needed to deal with the demons
of their past. My role was to help them through this process, and help them find a better future for themselves. Spending time
with these incredible
ladies inspired me to write a book.”



Along with Nokubonga Mbanga, Zinhle published a book called Meeting Your Power that went on to become a best-seller.



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/04/10/noami-campbell-has-big-plans-for-africa/">Naomi Campbell Has Big Plans For Africa</a>



Her new
hit Umlilo featuring Mvzzle &amp; Rethabile is her
latest achievement. The song, which means ‘fire’, was one of the biggest hits
to come out of South Africa in 2019.



“I’m very
proud of this song. Umlilo was out for
three months and had already reached platinum. It had over five million streams
in two months. Over and above that, it was crowned the crossover song by Metro
FM and many other radio stations. The last time Metro FM had a female-led song
as the crossover song of the year was in 1997 when Brenda Fassie took it with Vulindlela.”



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.forbeswomanafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pic-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41518"/></figure>



On March 6, Zinhle also won the 2020 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Entertainer Award.

Tag: DJs

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Pulling The Plug On The Live Party And Moving It Online

DJ Zinhle: The ‘Lazy Kid’ Who Achieved Platinum Success