By RITA OBODOECHINA
Uchenna Okwudinma is Marketing Manager and co-founder, O'm Modelling Management. In this chat with Financial Vanguard, he talks about the rising profile of the modeling industry, challenges facing agencies and the need for effective regulation of the industry to encourage professionalism among others.
Excerpts:
Commenting on his background, Mr. Uchenna Okwudinma, said, "I am the marketing manager and the talent scout director for O'm modelling management. I started O'm modelling management with my childhood friend Miss Celia Bissong, Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, 2003.
I have always wanted to change something, change my life. When most people say they want to 'change their lives' they stop drinking alcohol or take up a music class, but for me, I moved into a new organisation and started a whole new life. I am just a regular lad.
I adore fashion and style. I was born on 29th May, 1983 in London, by a Nigerian father and a Zimbabwean mother. I am the sixtth child in a family of nine. I have five brothers and three very beautiful sisters. My father is a retired naval personnel who served the country in diplomatic missions abroad, while my mother is a farmer and a petty trader.
I attended Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo and went to Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi where I gained a Higher National Diploma, HND, in Mass Communication. I later went to the copy school, orange Academy in Maryland for a course on copy writing and strategy.
Then again, I did marketing at the Boston College in South Africa. I also did some short courses on customer service, fire fighting etc both in Nigeria and abroad."
(http://vml1.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Uchenna.jpg?9d7bd4) (http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=302949)*Uchenna Okwudinma Okwudinma said O'm modelling management is one of Africa's most prestigious agencies committed to serving both the local and international market, adding that the firm is different and unique brings professionalism to the modeling industry.
He said, "O'm models are well trained and equipped with the right tools to become top models. We achieve this by having periodic photo shoots for our models as well as in house training on how to walk the runway and strike that gorgeous pose for the camera.
"We aim to be one of the top agencies in Africa and our mission is to supply the best trained and exceptional models in the entertainment field. We make it convenient and easy for our clients to book a model just by the click of a button. O'm Management is a place where polished talents meet forward thinking clients and magic is made."
On his decision to run a modeling agency, Okwudinma said, "Over the years, with the experience I have gained through traveling, I have come to realize how a typical modeling agency runs and getting back home, I noticed that most of our beautiful and innocent boys and girls are getting ripped off by so called agencies.
"I have always wanted to right the wrongs in whatever I adore. Fashion is a passion, just like writing too. I used to think I don't have a talent but being able to promote talents to me is a talent now and I decided to make use of it. That's why I decided to go into the industry, to set the pace and also allow others to learn from the best."
He further stated that the Nigerian modelling industry is a growing industry, adding that despite the fact that success has been recorded in the past and Nigerian models being recognised internationally, the future still has some uncertainties which O'm is here to correct.
"There are a lot of beautiful girls and well groomed boys in the country. All of us meet these people who touch our lives with their beauty. We hope that, one day, our industry will be at par with the biggest in the world. The fact that agencies are now springing up is a good thing. Hopefully, we are growing," he said.
Continuing, Okwudinma said, "The agency is a young one but we are in business to lead and others will follow our footsteps. My goal is to provide models of quality for fashion and glamour photography assignments within Nigeria and Africa to advertising agencies, photographers, publications and companies and also provide a service tailored to suit specific requirements.
"The modelling industry in Nigeria will live up to that expectation but at the moment it still hasn't gotten to that point. We need to conform to the modern day realities as applicable in the western world where aspiring and established models see it as a profession and not something they gamble into because they were bored.
"In Sudan for instance, modeling is becoming a source of income for the country. Their models are found in New York, Paris, Milan and South Africa flying their country's flag. These girls are not as pretty as our girls. Nigeria is the only country where we have different looks to match every market. I see a brighter future.
"Because of the necessity for an agency in a constantly changing industry where old agencies close and new ones pop up in their place, scam agencies have many opportunities to prey on new, unsuspecting models.
"In Nigeria there are dishonest business practices and these untrustworthy agencies generally demand money from would be models. A legitimate agency should only make profit from agency commissions. But due to a lack of regulatory oversight in Nigeria, scams can be easily carried out and sustained. Making it difficult for real agencies like O'm modelling management to excel, but we will make our models proud.
"A modelling agency is a company that represents fashion models, to work for the fashion industry. These agencies earn their income via commission, usually from the deal they make with the model and or the head agency.
"The top agencies work with big budget advertising agencies and fashion designers. They invest money into developing their talent so they can increase their status within the industry. Modelling agencies will help train models, get test shoots, layout portfolios, and put together composition photo cards and other printed materials models need.
"The agencies find work for models by presenting them to designers, photographers, and ad agencies. The agencies are also responsible for booking the jobs, billing for the jobs, and eventually paying the models for their time.
Vanguard Nigeria