In this exclusive interview, ExplicitWriters chat with our very own, Oladele Oluwasogo, the writer of the poem – ‘Child of Terror‘. Just last month, Sogo won a trip to Uganda to attend a writers’ event after his article submitted for Goal.com’s Nigeria Atlanta ’96 experience was named as the most outstanding of all. In August, Nigeria’s biggest football website -Goal.com unveiled the writing challenge – #WritingGamesNG -a writing competition for final year university students and National Youth Service Corps members in partnership with Obafemi Awolowo University(Nigeria), University of Sussex (UK), Adidas and Writivism 2016.
Drop your email address in the comment box for a copy of the submitted article. Enjoy!
Explicitwriters: Can we meet you?
Oladele Sogo: Erm… I am Oladele Oluwasogo by name, a serving corp member at Anambra state.
EW: Tell us about your background
OS: Well, I am the last child of four children. I was born in Oyo state and grew up in Osun state. I attended a military secondary school from where I proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University in 2010 to study English Language. My background is basically growing up in a strict religious family and developing a romantic love for Literature. The exposure to Literature has made me deviant a little bit.
EW: Your love for Literature, how did it come? What and who inspired you to love Literature while growing up?
OS: I can’t really say this or that inspired my love for Literature, I have always loved reading stories. The interest in stories grew as I developed and still grows as I continue to develop as a person.
EW: Cool. So, no one you can attribute your love for Literature to?
OS: Not one person or event can really be singled out but series of events and happening all through my childhood. I have always loved reading and hated Mathematics.
The NPFL is just a victim of the gross mismanagement of sports in Nigeria which as I pointed out earlier; it’s down to how football is managed in the country
EW: Apart from Literature, what other interests do you have?
OS: Politics, philosophy and history. Well, football too.
EW: Hmm…nice. Football seems like the odd one out but that’s what got you your recent fame – even as a writer. How did you get to be interested in football?
OS: Almost every male child in Nigeria grows up having a passion for football. I guess it just never dies in some of us.
EW: Hmm, true. But as a brother now, I do recall you were never the football-playing type?
OS: Yeah, the playing never really caught my fancy, maybe because I was never good at it; the watching however, brings more fun.
EW: …and more room for criticism *lol*
OS: *Thumbs up*
EW: Do you still watch football?
OS: Yeah, I do.
EW: Your favorite national team and football club?
OS: Nigeria, of course and Chelsea FC.
EW: That brings us to the main thing. Your recent write-up for the goal.com Atlanta ’96 experience stood out amongst others. How did u get to know about the competition, and what inspired the writeup?
OS: I saw it on the website of goal.com and I decided to give it a shot. About what inspired the piece; I merely wrote what came to my mind, so no special inspiration. However, the situation of Nigeria and the ever declining standard of everything in the country gave me a pretty good approach to the topic of the essay.
EW: What do you think should be done to improve the game of soccer in Nigeria and sports generally, as it seems the nation has lost it in that sector too?
OS: I believe it is all down to the administration and management of the sector. If we get it wrong at the administrative level, then we are merely building something on nothing.
EW: Yeah, true. Let’s talk about the state of the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL). See you for example, Chelsea is your favorite club? What do you think NPFL lacks?
OS: The NPFL is just a victim of the gross mismanagement of sports in Nigeria which as I pointed out earlier; it’s down to how football is managed in the country
EW: Normally…I would want to support that but the contrasting superb performances of the RIO Nigerian Paralympics Team to the RIO Olympics delegates shows another shade. What do you think?
OS: The paralympics can be compared to Nigeria’s ever impressive performance at under age competitions. When it gets to the big stage, our performance doesn’t impress even the most patriotic elements.
However, I believe the performance of the paralympic team is a pointer to the many talents inherent in Nigerians waiting to be discovered.
EW: When did the Paralympics start?
OS: Quite a long time ago
EW: I will find out. (*googles*… 1948)
…then it’s not really an underage competition
OS: I am not referring to the Paralympics as an underage competition, I am merely comparing the two areas; which are areas which Nigeria always achieve little feats here and there. Nigeria holds the record in the U-17 world cup
EW: Okay… like Nigeria does well when it’s featuring unachieved delegates; fresh now, not necessarily young people who wants to get noticed.
OS: Something like that. Nigeria does well when it gets to competitions which people don’t really pay attention to. Kind of our consolation for abysmal performances on the big stage.
EW: Hmm…. well don’t let people hear u say that. You will be seen as biased? …say, ‘cos they’re special people.
OS: *Lol* No, what I am trying to say is that the problem is with the administrators and not the athletes. Given better administrators, Nigeria will perform better.
Like I said earlier, the success achieved by the paralympic team is a pointer to the inherent abilities of Nigerians waiting to be harnessed.
EW: I get bro, just pulling your legs.
OS: *LOL*
EW: Yeah. To the personal things… I’m sure many ladies out there want to know your status.
OS: *LOL* I don’t think so.
EW: Trust me, they (chicks) dig writers.
OS: *LOL* Well, I am too young to be engaged now.
EW: *LOL* Says who?
OS: *LOL* I am o.
…keep writing and reading, reading and writing and play as many games as you can – Inspiration to write comes from even a video game.
- Oladele Sogo
EW: So, do you have any book you’re working on?
OS: No, just short stories and poems. I am more keen on personal development now, than rushing in on things I know are too enormous for my stage
EW: Okay… I’m sure people would like to read something from you in the nearest future.
OS: Yeah. Fingers should be crossed.
EW: It’s true. Personal development is key.
OS: Trying to get my stories published on online magazines; once I start that, I will definitely share them with readers. You dig?
EW: I dig. Have you heard about the Etisalat competition for short stories? It’s for fresh writers… like talent hunt for writers.
OS: Yeah, I think that is for more established writers. You have to be a published writer before you can be eligible.
EW: Okay, to the penultimate question. What do you think of this blog – explicitwriters?
OS: Hmmm!! Expilicitwriters bears it all in the name. It is a wonderful platform for writers by writers, and for the consumption of the maybe philistine public.
EW: *LOL* Cool. Your advice for budding writers, and a message to teenagers and youths out there?
OS: Advice? I don’t think I have gotten to the stage of dishing out pieces of advice yet.
EW: *LOL* …even toddlers give advice. Something at your level.
OS: *LOL*
EW: Yes.. like don’t play too much games and all.
OS: Well then, just keep writing and reading, reading and writing and play as many games as you can – Inspiration to write comes from even a video game. *LOL*
Then it ended like this…
Explicit Writers 