ALICE Olajumoke Laka-Fashakin is a moviemaker, public speaker and lead director of Stage2Screen Productions also called Total Theatre. 

As a little girl, she loved to sit quietly in front of the TV watching with such rapt attention that people wondered if she understood what she watched. She was a lover of such soaps as ‘Cockcrow at dawn’ and ‘Mirror in the sun.’ She said she watched ‘The Sound of Music’ over and again, and reenacted the character Maria when she is not watching. 

  “As a little girl, I had always wanted to be of help to people around me. I had dreams of communicating what was right to people even though I was not sure of the particular platform that would work,” she says.

  Her dreams have, however, matured and are clearer now. She believes she is on the right track. Her desire is materialising as she is now communicating what is right to people through her productions, which is one of the best means to reach the world today. It is no surprise that she went on to study dramatic arts with specialty in film, radio and television production.

  She is called ‘J. Fash’ among her contemporaries and friends. She sees her call to productions as inborn. Right from primary school, she was part of the drama club for many years, as well as any school presentation. Her teachers were fond of always including her in the team of participants. 

  “I remember one of our teachers then, Mr. Ibijoju of blessed memory. He always referred to me as “my drama girl.” Since then, the name ignites some kind of inspiration in me,” she says. 

  She started what can best be described as full production experience with her church’s drama unit when it did a spectacular movie titled “Just once”. Then, she was among the cast and also served as the production manager. Since then, it has only got better, until she got into the university and here she is today. 

  She joined her husband in educational consulting after their wedding. She discovered that it had strong parts, which she enjoyed and that she could be relevant just by making a name. “I started as a helping hand, but as the years went by, better opportunities presented themselves and I got better doing what I do,” she explains. Today she can boldly say it is now paying off, given that productions are capital intensive.

  One of her works is a movie titled: “Silence,” which was actually her first personal production, although it came with a bang. It was a creative work of art, produced in 2005. It was meant to be her final year project at the university, but when she realised it was overwhelmingly controversial, she decided that she was going to turn it into a more professional work after school. It took her seven years to get it done.

   “Despite the fact that it took a lot of time working, waiting and planning, I am so grateful that all my expectations were met. The aim was for the movie to have a detour from the norm and help couples going through similar challenges see hope and a ray of light at the end of the tunnel. I am glad that everywhere the movie has been shown, we’ve been getting good feedback. And this has been very encouraging,” she says. 

  Outside screen production, Olajumoke works as programmes director at Sure Success Consultancy, an educational consulting firm that she runs together with her husband in Lagos and Jos. It is a project that works with schools on Innovative Strategic School Growth Plans (ISSGP). It trains school staff and engages students in several issues of life that affect their academics and excellence in life. She has carefully used her platforms to impact many a life. “Since I enjoy building ideas and helping people by talking with them, Stage2Screen Productions and Sure Success Consultancy provide me with that platform,” she explains.

  She believes the Nigerian movie industry has come a long way and built by good-spirited Nigerians, who had to pay a price.    

  “The industry could have fared better and developed faster if it was consistently supported by the government, especially in the area of funding. This would have helped to fine-tune the productions. I would like to implore government to provide active funding platform for movie productions. This would not only help to further professionalise what goes out, but it would also be a great way of building a stronger economy,” she says. 

  On family life, she strongly believes marriages are meant to last; that no matter how troubled a marriage is, it can still work, if only the spouses can look beyond each other’s faults or mistakes.

  “The spouses need to make compromises and give their love a chance. And that is why I believe that in the African society, where the culture promotes and encourages silence, especially within the family set up, the relevance and importance of Silence cannot be over emphasised. The movie hammers on the importance of spouses being silent because strategic silence no doubt speaks volumes even louder than word sometimes. 

  “So, instead of couples allowing their actions and anger to destroy their homes, their love and friendship at the expense of their family, which they have vowed to protect against all odds, they can exercise restraint and allow the voice of reason to prevail when tackling the matter. And that is why I am saying that it is good to speak out, but whichever way you choose to speak, let the right actions for change trail along, that is the path to breaking the silence”.

  On how to stem ‘brain drain’ that is gradually robbing Nigeria of its best hands, she advocates boosting youthful potentials and talents for nation building through quality education. 

  “I mean good education and not just going to school. A system where they are given the chance to go through school and the school also plays its part in going through them. The school system is supposed to provide a platform where as you leave school, you are launched out. Where are all the final year projects, research work and reports of Nigerian youths? All are stacked up in some school library. But there are brilliant life-changing ideas waiting to be funded and given a chance. Soon you would be hearing students say, “Just copy and paste your long essay, it will not leave the library.” And this is why I believe that a lot can be fixed from the education sector.”

  Today, Olajumoke’s business is booming, as she joins other patriotic Nigerians to contribute to the country’s growth by encouraging others to unearth their passion and develop their dreams. 

  “My most outstanding achievement in life is yet to come; for every day, God gives me life, He gives me the opportunity to be a blessing to someone around me. For me, this is achievement,” she says.

  In her undergraduate days, she was honoured as the actor of the year three consecutive times. She was also honoured with the most outstanding Dramatic Arts Students Association (DASAIT) award. Interestingly, at the moment, she is in Jos, the Plateau State capital building Stage2Screen Academy, which is a meant to serve the north central area of Nigeria by building and grooming professionals in the production industry. 

  The academy gives them the platform to launch out. These people may not have the necessary funding, but the academy is working at giving them a platform to act what they have learned until they are ready to be independent. 

  “My greatest aspiration in the industry is to push out internationally accepted, high quality real life movies that are life-transforming. I also desire to support young people like myself and upcoming ones to fulfill their life’s performing cum production dream,” she explains.

  She was born and bred in Jos, the Plateau State capital, though she hails from Ogbomosho, Oyo State. She is the last child of six born of Mr. and Mrs. Laka. Her father is an electrical engineer, while her mum is a teacher. 

  “We weren’t a rich family, but rather than build a house, dad purposed in his heart to send us to one of the best schools in Jos, which is Corona Primary School Bukuru, Jos. My parents raised us not just in the church, but for each of us to know, love and live our lives for God. Their philosophy of life, which has since become ours, was  “what would God think of this?”

   “Ours is a happy family and I can tell you that we were not the all spunky religious family. We generally had loads of fun teasing, playing with and enjoying one another’s company. Our parents often organised picnics for us. We often went to the mountains, the plains, the dams and waterfall with family members and friends. Our parents made time for us, which shaped our lives positively,” she recalls.

  Having watched the television series Checkmate, which was produced by the late Amaka Igwe, Olajumoke was inspired to produce her movies of her own. 

  “I remember my first contact with Charles Igwe, Amaka’s husband. He said to me: ‘Look girl, be sure to marry a man that loves what you do and you will not be limited. Keep busy at what you love to do before you meet him.’ These words have helped me greatly.” 

  Her life’s dream is to see a Nigeria that would be a place where every youth has a dream that is not dashed; a beautiful place where leaders, regardless of their positions, truly love Nigeria and work daily towards making and keeping it truly beautiful. 

  Olajumoke is people-oriented. She loves people and also loves meeting and connecting with those that have future ambition, especially in the area of meeting society’s needs. She loves the Lord with all her heart and considers it important to recommend Him to the world in everything she finds herself doing. 

  “Connecting with people gives me great excitement in life, as I derive total satisfaction from helping people fulfill their dreams. I am a dreamer and I have discovered that my dreams never seem to end. So, I keep dreaming on,” she says.