I Started Silverbird With N20K Loan From My Siblings – Ben Murray-Bruce

Founder of the Silverbird Group, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, has said that he started the media and entertainment conglomerate with a N20,000 loan borrowed from his siblings in 1980. He recently had his say while speaking at the Infrastructure Dialogue 2026, a two-day programme organised for entrepreneurs by Deutsche Partners Holding⁠ in Abuja.

Recounting how the 1983 military coup crippled his thriving concert promotion business, he revealed that his passion for entertainment began after he was exposed to the global show business by watching a James Brown concert at the age of 13.

Bruce added that he resorted to borrowing from his siblings because he did not want to work for anyone.

His words, “James Brown’s concert was the first I ever saw in my life. I was 13 years old at that time. I never had a job in my life. When I graduated, I came straight back to Nigeria. I didn’t want to work in any company. Silverbird cost me N20,000, which I borrowed from my siblings to set up in 1980.

All my life, I wanted to be a concert promoter. But my dad refused and said that wasn’t what I sent you to school to do. It was a big quarrel. I ended up doing about 20 concerts from 1980. By 1983, the military overthrew the government of Shehu Shagari.

Once Shagari was overthrown, all hell broke loose. In those days, when a coup d’état occurred, the first thing they did was to cut off your phone. At that time, Buhari was the Head of State. All my shows were also cancelled. That was how they ruined my concert business.

Foreign currencies and other problems arose in the country. There was nothing we could do in entertainment, and it died. The exchange rate in 1980 was about $1.97 to one naira. In 1983, it had gone up to about N4 to a dollar.

My ticket rates when I started were N5 to N10. In 1983, my last show was N15 to N20, and I lost 25 per cent of my audience. That was how my concert promotion died.

There was nobody I could learn showbiz from at that time. There was no venue for concerts. We had only the National Theatre in the Surulere area of Lagos.

People often ask how I became a successful concert promoter. To be a successful promoter, you need one thing — your ear. Then you have to deal with the problems of Nigeria. Between 1980 and 1983, it was hard. There was only one television station in the country — NTA, one radio station — FRCN and four newspapers.

If the editors didn’t like you, they wouldn’t promote your shows. So, concert promotion was hell. There was no social media or mobile telephone.

Former President Obasanjo appointed me as the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority. When I resumed, I asked how many hours they transmitted in a day, and I was told six hours.

I then said, going forward, we will do 24 hours. They cried that it wasn’t possible. I was told we can’t go 24 hours otherwise the equipment would break down. But I insisted and gave them seven days to commence broadcasting 24 hours a day.

If you have to die doing it, then you will die. And in seven days, that was how television started running a 24-hour broadcast in Nigeria. I didn’t take ‘No’ for an answer.

Wherever you find yourself, you must never quit or give up. The key to success is your ability to dream. Never imagine that you can’t be successful. Don’t always say ‘I can’t’ but ‘I will’

When a contract is presented before you, read it. Use a good lawyer, do not depend on friendship or get carried away with your client’s superstar status.”

WOW.