Mo Abudu: How media mogul became an entertainment powerhouse

Years before Mo Abud became a household name and a media mogul, she was an HR practitioner.

Mo Abudu became a household name in the 2000s with her TV talk show "Moments with Mo," which ran for almost a decade before it became 'Moments.'

During that time, Abudu interviewed an impressive list of guests including Hilary Clinton, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Mohammadu Buhari, Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Babangida, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Wole Soyinka.

In 2013, she started EbonyLife TV, a network that airs in over 49 countries across Africa.  In 2014, the network produced "Fifty," a star-studded Nollywood hit. Their other movies so far include "The Wedding Party" and "The Royal Hibiscus Hotel."

 

Before she became this celebrated media powerhouse, Abudu had worked with Vic Lawrence & Associates Limited, a human resources development company which she founded in 2000.

"At that time, I did not see it as going into the entertainment business as such," Abudu says during an interview Genevieve Magazine.

"It was more about creating a platform that would enable dialogue amongst us. The creation of Moments with Mo gave people of Africa a platform to express their views on a variety of topics, social, economical, celebrity lifestyle, political, topical issues and the like."

Sitting in front of the camera and interviewing people was an easy switch for Mo, who worked for years as an HR practitioner, interviewing candidates all day long for a variety of positions.

 

As she has never failed to mention, her relationship with God has played a huge role in her success story.

"And realizing I wanted to do this, I have to say came to me like most of my ideas came to me, deep in the middle of the night.

"I hear a voice that I know is my God almighty directing my every step. And it's up to all of us to listen. You start to see the signs when you start to see things falling into place."

 

The media mogul kicked off "Moments with Mo" with an interview with Prof Wole Soyinka.

"I will be forever grateful and thankful to him for giving me the opportunity he did to be my first guest on my couch," she said.

Realizing the power the media had to change lives and mindset, Abudu created two other shows, "The Debaters" - a show that gave youths a platform for self-expression, and  "Naija Diamonds," - show that celebrated unsung heroes.

The bigger vision came many years later; the birth of Ebony Life TV, a global platform targeted at the youth, with a vision to empower and showcase their talent to the world.

"This journey we took with our partners DSTV and Multichoice Africa. They have given us the opportunity to empower so many and change so many lives. Thank you, Multichoice Africa, for the opportunity."

 

To remain this successful, passion has been the key driver.

"I have done many things in my life, but one key ingredient in them all at the time of doing them is the passion I feel. I never wake up bored, I wake up excited."

Mo Abudu recently completed an intensive 3-week course for directors at the London Film School and is ready for her directorial debut.