I dumped Engineering for Sports ---Late Deji Tinubu

I Dumped Engineering For Sports-Deji Tinubu

GE: May we meet you, please

DT: Mr name is Deji Tinubu, Special Adviser on Sports to His Excellency Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State and Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission.

GE: Would you want to let us into your family history

DT: Second child Of Alhaji K.O. Tinubu (late) and Hajia B.O. Tinubu, Iyalode of Lagos, brothers and sisters, fantastic God given family. I'm blessed.

GE: What's your relationship with Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu

DT: He is my uncle, greatest and best thing to ever happen to Nigerian politics.

GE: What was growing up like

DT: Exciting, firm but very supportive loving and very caring parents. Siblings out of this world, one big happy family we were.

GE: How did you meet your wife

DT: Through her elder sisters, a party during Summer 1987. No one else danced with her that night!!!

GE: You danced with her? Where was this? Tell us how it happened. I like to hear this story

DT: London, of course I danced with her all night!!! Walked into the party and her twin sisters said they wanted to introduce their younger sister to me. Introductions done and I was gone, hook, line and sinker!!! That's how captivated I was!!!

GE: What was the attraction. Love at first sight? What's her name and what does she do

DT: Beauty made in Heaven. Natural beauty. Warm engaging personality, Just bowled me over. Oluwayemisi. She's into a few little things that make big sense.
We've two wonderful and awesome children, my awesome twosome, my masters!!! Tam (madam) and Mo (Oga). Both so loving and caring, very considerate too.

GE: Was football your first love

DT: Athletics was my first love and then football, can't split them.

GE: Why didn't you play football professionally

DT: That wasn't why we were sent to England in those days o!!! It wasn't an issue for discussion at all!!!! But my football improved tremendously just because there was a system in place.

GE: You've not told us your educational background o

DT: I studied Production Engineering, but never once practiced, because I was always going to be involved in sports.

GE: How much of sports did you do growing up

DT: Too much!!!  Physical Education was big and very compulsory in our days, then you had the inter class and inter house football events in primary school and then in secondary it was all that plus inter room too!!! . By the way in Secondary school, I don't think I ever made the starting eleven for the arm of my class!!  Deji Omotoyinbo was one of the big football boys in our class, brilliant footballer, we had to beg to be given a few mins towards the end of the game!!  In Government College, Ibadan the sports structure was so organized, we were trained in nearly all sports, we had the various sports seasons, the inter school/state and zonal competitions were so competitive. It was everyone's desire to be in one team or the other, the prestige and respect was something else. The culture was near something else, sadly we've lost all that. In those days we had all rounders as everyone was made to play a sport, equipment was standard issue, coaches were thorough and extremely knowledgeable, with a passion to pass on technique, life skills and gamesmanship.

GE: You didn't think you could do sports professionally or your parents wanted you to have an education before anything else

DT: Education first plus at that time I don't think anyone really took professional sports seriously, at least I didn't. I just wanted to play and play !!!

GE: It's been sports all the way for you. What have you been doing since you got back to Nigeria

DT: Family business to start off with and then settled into my passion. At that time there was a kind of revolution in sports broadcast in England and I felt I could bring that here. Deji Omotoyinbo and I had kept in touch and as soon as he started his stint on Nigerian television I knew I had the outlet. Started by sending him tapes of big fights and matches from England that he would air before anyone else in Nigeria!  In time we knew we would work together. There was a window, an opportunity, sports was being reported as just news, no insights, profiling, deeper thoughts and angles, no hows, why's and when's and own self views, not much style and creativity etc. We jumped at that and created Sports Express and 90minutes!

GE: What has been your biggest challenge as Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos state and Director General of Sports.

DT: Not Director General, I am Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission. Biggest challenge?  Changing mind sets and thought processes.

GE: Lagos has remained a reference point on how sport should be run, is it that there's no pressure on the government to join the bandwagon of states running football clubs

DT: We don't need to do that, we would rather support the private clubs, government has no business running professional football clubs. We're not under pressure to do that.

GE: How would you score your administration so far

DT: Fair. Still a whole lot to do. We haven't scratched the surface. It is an excellent time to be in sports in Lagos because of the vision, understanding, knowledge and passion of His Excellency. And most importantly his understanding of how sports can be used as a tool for engagement, inclusion, to project the state, drive tourism and create an industry. There's a lot still to come.

GE: How would you describe the state of sports in Nigeria

DT: Comatose

GE: Just like other sports, we've missed out back to back on the Africa Nations Cup and failed to defend the U-17 and also didn't qualify for the U-20 World Cup, what is responsible

DT: Lack of a structure, but it looks like we could be back heading in the right direction.

GE: Any regrets in life

DT: Wish I could play the keyboards very well, I'm sure I was a big music star in my past life!!!!

GE: Phobia

DT: Failure maybe?

GE: Role model

DT: Not sure, tendency to get disappointed by them eventually. But would like to be for others and I will try not to disappoint.

GE: Kind of music

DT: R & B

GE: Can you recall pranks played as a kid that got you in serious trouble

DT: Too many. Pulled the chair from underneath my lesson teacher as he was about to sit down!!!  He was elderly, It was too tempting, couldn't resist listening to the little voice in my head. I don't think he came back after!

GE: Most cherished asset

DT: My family o!!!!

GE: First automobile and favorite brand

DT: Nissan Altima. Don't have a favourite brand.

GE: How many countries has your involvement in sports taken you

DT:  Many

GE: What is the secret of your meteoric rise to the top

DT: Hmmmmm, being creative, keep learning and seeking knowledge amongst many others.

GE: Favorite color

DT: Has to be blue

GE: What did you do with your first salary

DT: In England I went to have myself a big mac, nine nuggets, large fries and a large vanilla shake. In Lagos I think I gave it to my parents.

GE: Most memorable moments

DT: Getting married and the birth of my children, you can't put a price on those.

GE: How do you unwind
and favorite food

DT: Listen to music, catch up on my magazines, play football!!! Home with family, sadly not doing enough of all of the above. Favorite food is nearly everything!!!  My vice.

GE: Most difficult phase in your life

DT: Too private to mention, apologies.

GE: Toughest decision ever taken

DT: Too private to mention, apologies.

GE: Your assessment of the Super Eagles

DT: Good time could be on the way back. Big match next week though.

GE: How religious are you

DT: Let's just say I don't joke with God and I ask for His guidance, protection, blessing and most importantly, forgiveness every single day.

GE: Best ever Nigerian sportsman/woman and favorite football team

DT: Hmmmmm......

GE: Favorite Nigeria and foreign club sides

DT: Favorite football team - Nottingham Forest of England!!! Favorite Nigerian clubside?  Athletico FC!!!!

GE: Your opinion about the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL)

DT: Let's just thank God for Egbon Nduka Irabor and his people. Slowly and steadily, our country is too complex and difficult.

GE: You were expected to get on the NFF board during the Warri elections, why did you step down at the last minute

DT: I wasn't expected, in a million years I was never going to be on that board.

GE: Some people think you are an over ambitious young man, what's your response

DT: First of all I'm not that young, and then I really don't know what they mean. I'm just passionate about getting it right as far as sports is concerned.

GE: Is ownership of club-sides by state governments not posing a challenge to the LMC's quest to reposition the NPFL

DT: It sure is!!! Then again, if run or allowed to run properly we could still sort all the issues out.

GE: They say everyman is a political animal, do you have political ambition

DT: No way!!!!!

GE: Your assessment of the Super Eagles under Rohr.

DT: Going in the right direction, but I suspect he listened to too many people a few months back. He shouldn't overlook the home based. Don't really know what his full brief is but he would look to help improve the home based.

GE: The European Leagues have just started, who in your opinion has done the best business in the transfer market

DT: I think Manchester United have. AC Milan too, some extremely decent buys.

GE: Is this the end of an era for Barcelona. What has made Real Madrid the team to beat.

DT: It looks like it, especially in terms of their home grown talent. These things happen though, however I don't think Barcelona prepared for it.

GE: What has made Real Madrid the team to beat

DT: Zinedine Zidane!!!

GE: You love music, should we be expecting a collaboration between you and Olamide or Tuface

DT: If I can find time to get into the studio!!!!! Besides my music is light years ahead of theirs!!!!

GE: Favorite Musical artiste

DT: All time - Michael Jackson without a doubt.

GE: Who owns Athletico Football club

DT: My club from way back, an incredible journey!!!

GE: Are you saying you didn't step down during the Warri elections in to the NFF Glass House in Abuja

DT: No way I was going to be on the board after Seyi Akinwunmi won the Vice President seat. No two persons can come from the same state or something like that.

GE: You said no way to politics. How about if your people want you to serve them, would you say no

DT: I will beg them to go for someone else!!

GE: What is Zidane doing right at Real Madrid

DT: Order, organisation, playing to and recognising strength, tact and guile.

GE: Will PSG move make Neymar a king as in world or European footballer of the year

DT: Only if they win the UEFA Champions League!!!

GE: Between Ronaldo and Messi, who would you go for

DT: Messi!!!

GE: Your definition of a friend. Tell us about Deji Omotoyinbo and you. How you met and the rest of the story.

DT: We met in Government College Ibadan. He always had a passion for sports journalism, I remember whenever we didn't go to the principals cup matches you could read his report pasted on the dinning hall wall. After we left school, we didn't keep in touch much but as fate would have it, he became the best sportscaster in the country and I had ideas I felt I could bring that would change the face of sports programming and content.

GE: What should the rest of the country expect from Lagos sports wise

DT: Exciting times, partnerships, school competitions, proper development pathways and structure, infrastructure, international competitions, improving our human capacity.

GE: What's the position of the Lagos state Governments plans to take over the national stadium in Lagos. What's holding it back

DT: Nothing is going on at the moment. We have our request on the table.