Interview with ROTUS ODIRI

1.. Can we meet you?

Hi there! I am humbly Aruoture (Arrow-Too-Ray) or go by my nickname Rotus. My Dad said he made up that name. I thought he took it from the Greek Historian Herodotus. Haha. I am from Delta state, Nigeria. I was born not too far from Warri and grew up in Lagos. At the age of 17, I left Nigeria to study in the United States

2. Give us some information about your Educational background

I have a bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Houston, in the state of Texas, in the United States. I also have a minor in Business Administration from the same institution. 

 

3. When were you born?

1981. I am the oldest Millennial. Haha! 

4. How did you get into The media, broadcasting to be precise?

My foray into broadcasting was purely by chance. I returned home to Nigeria in May 2010 and began my NYSC in 2011 in the Corporate Finance department of Citibank. While driving to work one day, I stumbled across Smooth 98.1 FM while randomly scrolling through stations on the radio.

Their popular newspaper review show "Freshly Pressed" (7:30am Mon to Fri) was on and they were taking text messages (WhatsApp wasn’t in Nigeria at the time) from listeners. I became a daily listener and formed a habit of sending quirky messages which got the attention of the broadcasters. One of them, Demola Sadiq, who was also the Station’s Program Director at the time, sent me a text message one day asking if I would like to join them once a week to review newspaper stories. That was my entry point.

After my NYSC was concluded at the end of 2011, I kicked off 2012 with a new job at Financial Derivatives Company Limited, run by renowned Nigerian Economist Bismark Rewane. I got his blessing to carry on with radio as long as it did not clash with my work at his company. Then, in August of 2015, Tunji Andrews, the host of the radio station’s business show “Business Express,” was moving on to new challenges and asked if I would take over hosting duties of the show. It was at this point I went from a free, voluntary appearance reviewing newspaper stories to a paid gig hosting a business radio show and discussing economic matters in Nigeria, and around Africa and the world. I’m grateful to still be doing it today.

5. Do you have any broadcasting training?

I had no training prior to 2011 when it all began. I learned everything I know today from working with the professionals at 98.1 FM in Lagos

6. Which is your first Love, Radio or TV presenting?

Ah! Tough question! Since my introduction to media started with radio broadcasting, I have to say that radio is my first love but there is nothing like the high octane world of live television! So many moving parts! It’s an exciting rush of blood to the head!

7. Tell us a bit about your experience with smooth FM, what kind of segment do you present?

 I have had a wonderful experience at Smooth 98.1 FM. That’s my extended family along with being professional colleagues. I host “Business Express” 6:30am to 6:45am Monday to Friday. Then “The Marketplace” on Mondays 5:15pm to 5:45pm, and “Personal Finance” on Wednesdays from 5:15pm to 5:45pm

8. What has it been like working with Arise TV?

 Oh wow! Where do I begin? Exciting! Thrilling! Overwhelming when you think about the GLOBAL audience watching Arise tv including the Presidency of Nigeria all the way down to to Local Government Officials around the country! I host “The Global Business Report” Monday to Friday from 11am to 12 noon and 3pm to 4pm and the opportunity Arise tv has given me to talk to Business leaders around the globe has been out of this world! The work is plenty oh, let me also add, haha!

9. What are your hobbies?

 

Lifting weights, watching movies, listening to rap music, writing and performing spoken-word poetry, watching wildlife documentaries, and surfing the world wide web.

10. What brought about your love for wellness and Fitness?

 I believe that the statement “Health is wealth” is one of humanity’s most factual statements of all time. I learned this from my parents who both played Tennis and endeavored to lead healthy, active lifestyles. I was also a big fan of WWE wrestling growing up and also admired action movie stars like Bruce Lee, Wesley Snipes, and Arnold Schwarzenegger and wanted to look like all of them. Haha

11. As a lover of movies what kind do you like?

 Action-Adventure films are my first love. Give me big blockbusters with lots of special effects. I am a super hero fanatic and on any given day you can catch me reciting lines from the Marvel and DC cinematic universes. I also like Thrillers and dramas. I write about films and other stuff on my blog www.rotankwot.blogspot.com and review them on youtube on a show called “Rotus review”

12. Do you have a passion for Business and Economy matters or it’s just something you do well?

 Oh definitely passion! Economics is a fascinating subject (I thank my Father for guiding me to it) that studies human behavior around the allocation of scarce resources. Nigeria is one of the best real-time case studies any Economics student could ask for. We are dealing with so much on the economic front and it provides a golden opportunity for everyone to learn. Inclusive of Nigeria, look at how the global economy is coming to grips with the coronavirus and the decisions being made by Central banks around the world to support their various economies. It is SO interesting!

13. What are other things you do aside broadcasting?

 

I am a freelance content creator for brands. I script content for radio jingles and longer form ads for brands looking to sell their products to a wider audience. I am also a voiceover artist and host corporate events and webinars.

14. Are you single?

 Yes oh. I need to exit this status and stop giving my parents headache. Haha

15. What would Rotus never be caught wearing?

 Sunglasses. I tried but just never got into them. If the sun is really glaring, I’ll just cover my eyes with my hand. Haha

16. What advice do you have for upcoming Radio, TV presenters or broadcasters?

 We need more Business presenters! Get into being a business presenter. Business is everywhere. It is in entertainment. It is in sports. It is in fashion. So even if your passion lies in sports or entertainment or fashion, understanding the mechanics of the business structure of each sector will make you stand out. Being a business presenter will almost guarantee you a job because there aren’t that many of us in Nigeria. Take an interest in business, follow the news, keep up with global events, read, read, read! You will have a fulfilling career by doing so.

17. How can your fans reach you on social media?

 I am always on Twitter. It is where I keep up with news. Hit me up at @Rotankwot