DAVID OPEYEMI TODOWEDE – walked through the rough road, established a firm when employment wasn’t forthcoming and today ...

About two years ago, David got married to his friend of many years, Elizabeth, in a society wedding that hosted the crème-de-la-crème of the Lagos high society and sometimes after the wedding, the new couple welcomed their first child, Fortune.

David Todowede is an astute businessman, prolific administrator, detailed graphic artist and great coach. His clients – including major media houses such Access Weekly, Fabulous International, City Pride magazine, Prestige, Photo Story and a host of others – who are glued to him majorly because of his gentility, generosity, openness and hospitality. He hardly gets angry – even when under pressure, his infectious smiles can lively up an entire environment.

His company, Mausight Nigeria Enterprises is a multi-media company that engages in content development, printing and training.

David’s dad is also a professional printer while his mom is a petty-trader. His parents invested so much morals and resources in their five boys (now men) – though they couldn’t afford accommodations in highbrow but they carved a legacy in their homestead. David and brothers, from the onset, knew that their parents couldn’t take them beyond secondary school and so prepared their back-up strategies.

David’s Strategy: “After writing my first WAEC, I didn’t have all the papers but instead of just sitting down, I decided to learn computer. My father took me to a place where I learnt desktop publishing. After my certification, I worked as graphic artist for several individuals and organisations.” He narrated on his journey into business-world.

“With the monies raised from work, I took exams and gained admission to study Business Administration at Lagos State Polytechnic; schooling full-time, working part-time with a media house, a publisher and an author, which I did to survive both OND and HND. 

“Whilst in school, I was involved in several activities – such as departmental and Christian Fellowship Union but despite all those activities, I was combining all and still working hard, only to sleep for 5 hours at most – even on holidays.”

With the same zeal, David worked on four teaching jobs while on NYSC and was also a business consultant for Christian Corpers Fellowship and others in Taraba State where he served – and by the time he had done serving, he had saved enough money to buy a laptop, the most important equipment he needed for his content development business.

“On returning to Lagos, I was searching for jobs when I met one of my old customers, a publisher who promised me regular jobs and referrals.” David accepted the offer, started-off in his house. Within a year, he moved out of his house to a more prominent centre in Ogba, Lagos where he started as a squatter in a printing-press until he could save enough money to rent a place of his own.

Mausight is a household name when it comes to graphics designs, publishing layouts and printing. His protégées are the guys calling shots in various agencies and design studios today. David found his abilities when most of his mates were searching for white-collar jobs and he became an established entrepreneur when most of his mates were still doubtful of their future.