Media personality and event host, IK Osakioduwa, has explained why he deliberately avoids working with alcohol and tobacco brands despite the financial benefits attached to such endorsements.
In a recent interview on WithChude, the on-air personality said his public image as a family-friendly brand is rooted in his faith and personal values, which guide the type of companies he partners with.
He said, “How I choose to portray myself in the public space as a family-friendly brand comes from my relationship with God. When you look closely at how we do business, you will see we never take money over principle.”
According to him, the decision has cost him several lucrative deals, as some of the biggest sponsorship opportunities come from alcohol related brands.
“That is why there are companies we do not work for. For instance, we will not work for a tobacco brand. You will not really see us hosting alcohol brands or tobacco brands. Those choices are deliberate, and in a sense we have lost a lot of money because of them,” he said.
Osakioduwa added that he does not criticise others who accept such deals, noting that his stance is a personal conviction rather than a moral judgement.
“That is what the money is. I am not judging anybody who does it. It is not a sin to work for alcohol brands. Jesus turned water to wine, but it was a position I believe God wanted me to take early in my career,” he said.
He recalled turning down what would have been his first multimillion-dollar deal because it conflicted with his beliefs.
“In fact, the first big money I was ever going to make, the first job that was ever going to pay me multiple millions, was an alcohol job. I remember sitting there thinking, God, this thing we talked about that time, I am not sure. This big money, do you have another person that is going to pay it to me?” he said.
Reflecting on the decision, Osakioduwa said he has learned to trust his convictions and not pursue opportunities solely for financial gain.
“I learned to trust that the decision is okay. Why is it okay for me, or why is it not okay for me to do that, but he does not mind when another person is doing it? That does not matter. It is the road he has called you to walk,” he said.
He added that his approach to money has shaped the trajectory of his career over the years.
“So I learned to see money come and money go, and not hold on to it. I learned not to do things for money. That is why I think my life has been on a straight path all this time,” he said.
Osakioduwa also noted that some opportunities simply do not align with one’s purpose, even if they appear attractive.
“The jobs get offered to you and he is like, do not touch that one. There is nothing wrong with the job per se, but God just does not want you to have that. He is like, that is not for you. That is for somebody else,” he said.
