Founder: Ben Murray Bruce
Age of founder at start: 24
Background: Business Administration
Year of foundation: 1980
Business Type: Entertainment
Start-up Capital: ₦20,000
State of origin of founder: Bayelsa
Country present: Nigeria, Ghana and USA
The tale of Nigeria’s entertainment industry would be incomplete without the mention of Ben Murray-Bruce. From 1980 he started bringing world renowned artistes into the country; Bruce has ever since been at the forefront of the Nigeria entertainment industry.
Ben’s journey into entertainment began when he left to study marketing and business administration at the University of Southern California.
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At that time
“James Garner would be on campus and still be involved in the entertainment world. John Wayne was in my school; Michael London went to the same school. So, we have a lot of celebrities who went to the same university as I did and then I think the bug hit me, so to speak. It was possible for me to easily get into the show business” Ben recalls.
It was there Ben had the encounter he credits to have transformed his life for good.
According to him, he sat at home one day in Los Angeles while he was still a student then somebody knocked at his door. He opened, it was a stranger who had missed his way, but while they conversed he found out that the man was a teacher to some celebrities, he saw it as an opportunity and made friends with the stranger.
He would later be given a proposition to do a show in Nigeria, he excelled in it and from there, got his breakthrough.
After Ben’s venture into show business, his parents didn’t take it easy with him, they considered it a joke. ********///////DELETED//////
Ben returned to Nigeria after his studies and in 1980 was able to convince his Father allow him a small corner at his office.
So with a borrowed capital of ₦20,000, a desk, six staff Ben began a pageant and programme syndication.
It was tough at the beginning, he had to embark on several travels, seeking sponsors and partnership. It was so uncertain that he was reminded he doesn’t have a proper job.
But for Ben, it didn’t matter he had found something worth living for – entertainment.
His entry into the pageantry business came at a time when the Miss Nigeria franchise was losing its glitz. Ben’s brainchild, the MBGN pageant eventually took over the market leadership from the Miss Nigeria then owned and operated by the Daily Times.
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MBGN went on to produce the likes of Omasan Buwa, Bianca Onoh Agbani Darego, …..
Silverbird continued its entertainment growth path, Silverbird Cinema Lagos was launched. It was the first and only Cinema multi-complex with five screens. Nigerians were so in awe and not long after Silverbird was holding talks with some state governments to replicate the Lagos success story.
Today, Silverbird is a conglomerate – three radio stations, the MBGN, TV station, Cinemas and Silverbird Properties.
“How They Started – Innovative Nigerian Brands”
Written by Kachi Ogbonna
Reviewed by JOHN O.E For Hexavia.
For Book Purchase please contact- Victor- 08062727943
Business, Brand, Strategy, Consulting.
Copyright © 2016
