We want to educate, empower and prepare a generation of younger ones to take tomorrow – Collette Otusheso

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Collette Otusheso

Collette Otusheso

Collette Otusheso

Collette Otusheso

Colette Otusheso is an experienced, value driven marketing, communications and project management professional with a proven record of championing organizational wide initiatives within cross- functional teams. Shehas worked with well-established global and local organizations including VIACOM International Media Networks Africa and MNET Africa. She was instrumental in the successful launch of several Africa Magic channels across several African countries as well as the marketing of MNET’s Tinsel, Big Brother Africa, Naija Sings and other MNET shows. Whilst at VIACOM, Colette spearheaded major MTV, Nickelodeon and BET projects in Nigeria including the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA’s), The MTV Africa All Stars campaign, the MTV VJ Search and the Dora the Explorer financial literacy campaign across Nigeria. Colette is currently the Head of Accelerate (www.acceleratetv.com), an online digital content
entertainment hub specializing in educational, empowerment and entertaining content creation owned by Access Bank. She takes GuardianWoman through her career path, government policies in the creative industry and her new project at Accelerate TV

Let’s meet Colette. Tell us about your education, family and growing up
My name is Colette Otusheso, I lived my early years in Kano, Northern Nigeria. I then moved to London, England at age 5 where my primary and secondary school and further education took place. My A-Levels were at the London College of Fashion and my degree in Design and Technology at the Kent Institute of Art and Design, which is a part of the University of Kent and Canterbury. I then went on to study International Communication and Development with a focus on media. I am the second oldest of four children, two girls and two boys. I am married with two boys.

How did your education and upbringing prepare you for what you’re doing now? Or was it your hobby/talent that progressed into your career choice?
I had a very traditional upbringing and of course my parents wanted me to pursue traditional education and become a lawyer, doctor or engineer but I was always interested in the creatives. After my first degree, I pursued further education in International Communications and Development and this is what let me to the world of media and communications. I also had a 12-week internship with a PR and Communications company which gave me real insight into working in this industry which also guided my decision to work in media, marketing and communications.

All the projects you’ve worked on have turned out to become huge successes. Kindly recall some of the best moments at birthing these programmes.
There have been so many best moments while working on various projects within my career. At M-Net / Multichoice – working on the brilliant Face of Africa campaign to launching the Africa Magic channels across Africa to launching, 53 extra, Naija Sings, working on the Channel O Awards, Big Brother Africa, Tinsel, working on the Multichoice staff training for a number of years. At VIACOM working on the biggest awards ceremony in Africa the MAMA’s (MTV Africa Music Awards), Launching BET in Africa, working on the Nickelodeon brand and giving back to communities with the VIACOM community projects. At Accelerate, working for such a forward-thinking Bank, Access Bank and working with a great leader and visionary Herbert Wigwe is a defining moment.

Mention some of your best projects and why. How do you get your projects to become big hits?
Some of my best moments are mentioned above and I would say the reason for the successes of the projects are definitely hard work, dedication and working with great teams and leaders. For now, Accelerate is my best project because we have created a movement from scratch and taken to the forefront of people’s minds in a short space of time. It is also because of the ethos behind Accelerate, which is to Empower, Educate and Entertain, which is something very important to me. It is very important that we are able to educate and empower a generation of younger ones to prepare them to Take Tomorrow. So, because of this I have no doubt that that project will be one of my biggest and will be a hit for years to come.

What are your roles as Head at Accelerate TV? Tell us what this new online platform is all about.
At Accelerate, I am the head of the team, with the strategic direction of where to take the Accelerate brand, planning the future of the brand and steering the team in the right direction to achieve our objectives. My role cuts across Human Resources, marketing, admin, producing, directing, editing, business development, creative directing, shield, mother and everything else that comes with leading a young dynamic team. I believe that we have the right guidance and with the creative, smart, young team we have, we can accomplish anything.

Accelerate was created by Access Bank in 2014 as an innovative platform dedicated to the youth. In July 2016, myself and a creative and super smart team of brilliant young people rebranded and kicked off Accelerate to cater to our target audience’s needs. We started by building a focused team, ensuring that we had specialists in the various departments that were imperative to our business, this included marketing, writers, social media specialists, graphic designers, a full production and editorial team, and the help of many great interns. We then focused on building an entertainment platform with the ethos to Empower, Educate and Entertain with great content and here we are.

Accelerate is an online entertainment platform www.acceleratetv.com with a YouTube channel Accelerate TV. We have a pool of content that not only attracts a wide range of people especially the youth it also engages with them. We have a lineup of shows and content that empowers, educates and entertains. Our engaging youth focused platform acceleratetv.com that gives you everything you need on a daily basis from news, gist, music reviews, entertainment news, fashion insights and tips, business features, tech tips, motivational tips, campus insights and more.

Mention some the major challenges of the country’s entertainment industry
Training, Regulation and Rights.

What is your take on the recent decision by government for artistes to stop producing music videos abroad?
I was at the Nigerian Creative Summit a few weeks back and I believe that this issue was clarified. My understanding is that this issue is more about keeping the money in Nigeria and encouraging more content including video’s, films and television adverts to be created in Nigeria not abroad, which I think is a great move. However, government also needs to create incentives to encourage creatives, artists, advertising companies etc to stay and produce in Nigeria. This can easily be done by giving tax incentives similar to what other countries offer. For example, if you shoot a movie in New York, you are eligible for a 25 per cent tax rebate, same in South Africa and many, many parts of the world. Once we have clear incentives for creatives, I believe people from all over the world will flock to Nigeria to make videos, adverts and even blockbuster movies.

Who are your female role models?
There are so many but I will focus on these Black Women because they remind our girls that anything is possible. Oprah Winfrey, a media mogul who uses her resources and celebrity to enact positive change in communities worldwide, such as fostering literacy through her book club, building schools in Africa, encouraging others to perform good deeds and more. Aunty Mo Abudu, CEO of Ebony-Life TV another media mogul who has established a leading entertainment and lifestyle television channel across Africa and is creating and sharing our African stories across the world. Michelle Obama, the first black first lady of the United States of America who has pushed so much positive change in her time at the white house. Anna Tibaijuka, the highest ranked African female in the United Nations, heading the UN-HABITAT program. She has fought for the rights of women living in slums or without homes. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the president of Liberia and is the first black woman to win a presidential election in Africa. There are so much more but these come to mind.

Have Nigerian women really broken the glass ceiling? What advice do you have for young women pursuing their career and businesses?
We are getting there. I would advise young women to focus on the following as everything else will fall into place. Education, knowledge, mentorship, internships, work experience, hard work, dedication and most of all do a job or start a business that you that you love, if you love it, it will not be work.
As a very busy person, what is relaxation for you? Relaxation for me is spending a few weeks with my family on a deserted island with nothing but the sun, sand, sea and great food. However, this is not my reality. So spending as much time with my family is my relaxation. As a busy woman, it is really important that I make time to hang out with them. So, we hang out at the weekends, watch movies, cook, read and connect. That’s how I relax.

Who really is Colette Otusheso?
A wife, a mother, a sister, a friend and everything in-between

What’s your fashion style?
Classic. A brilliant black dress, a comfortable pair of white canvass trainers, a classic black handbag and great killer heels. I love Nigerian fashion and designers so I always mix and match them.

What’s your philosophy of life?
Be grateful for the little things because in the end it’s the little things that matter. Also treat people as you would like to be treated and always give thanks to God for everything.