Olatundun Salami is a graduate of Mass Communication from Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos. She is a Nigerian entrepreneur, media personality and professional ‘Alaga Iduro & Ijoko’, specialising in traditional wedding compering and creating memorable experiences at Yoruba traditional weddings. Her passion for communication, entertainment, culture and people naturally led her into the events industry.
By Eberechi Obinagwam
At a young age, Olatundun Salami, got inspired with traditional wedding compere popularly known as Alaga Ijoko and Alaga Iduro while following her mother to traditional weddings and cultural events. “Whenever I followed my mum to events, I was always fascinated by how Alagas coordinated ceremonies and brought life to every occasion,” she told TheNiche in an interview.
Her interest grew stronger during her internship at Radio Lagos in 2017 when she followed one of her bosses, Mrs. Adekola, to an event she anchored for a prominent family in Lagos State. “Watching her handle the ceremony with confidence and excellence really inspired me. After the event, I spoke about the experience with my friend and colleague, Felix, whom I interned with. He encouraged me by saying, ‘Tundun, you can actually do this too.’ That encouragement stayed with me and pushed me to take the passion seriously,” she said.
During her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in 2022, she decided to learn the craft, professionally. After being mentored by one of the best in the industry, Oppyjay for two years, the graduate of Mass Communication from Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos launched her brand, Ejide_Alaga in February 2024.
She started with small family events and progressively expanded to working with different clients across various locations. Through consistency, referrals, social media visibility, and delivering excellent service, Olatundun has built her identity as an Alaga Iduro and Ijoko by combining professionalism, humour, cultural knowledge, audience engagement and effective event coordination.
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She has received positive recognition and recommendations from clients, event vendors and families who have experienced her work firsthand. According to her, this has continued to strengthen her brand and credibility in the industry.
Capital
Sourcing for capital was a challenge for Olatundun at the beginning because according to her, starting in the event industry requires visibility, branding, outfits, transportation, media content, and proper promotion. Undeterred by these challenges, she started with the little resources she had and focused more on building a good reputation through quality service and consistency. “I maximized social media to market my brand and showcase my work without spending excessively on advertising in the early stage. Over time, referrals, client recommendations, and continuous visibility helped the business grow steadily,” she said.
Penetrating the market
Penetrating the market was not easy, as the industry is highly competitive and customers tend to trust established brands, Olatundun, the founder of Ejide Alaga said. She disclosed that building visibility and gaining people’s trust was one of the biggest challenges for her at the beginning. “There were moments I had to go the extra mile to satisfy clients, even when it was stressful or inconvenient,” she recalled. Those experiences she said taught her resilience, professionalism, patience, and the importance of always giving your best regardless of the situation.
Olatunun continues to build her brand steadily through consistency, quality service, social media visibility and client referrals. Positive recommendations from families and clients who have experienced her work firsthand have also helped to strengthen her brand recognition over time.
Unforgettable experience
Olatundun will never forget a period in her early days when she put in so much work without seeing the kind of results she expected. That period made her “question herself and wondered” if this was really going to work. “There were times I questioned myself and wondered if this was really going to work,” she said.
“Building a brand from scratch, especially in Nigeria, comes with uncertainty. You can have the talent, passion and vision, but still struggle to get the right opportunities and visibility.
“There was a point where I felt like giving up, but my passion for what I do kept me going. I genuinely love creating beautiful experiences for people. As an Alaga Iduro and Ijoko, I don’t just see myself as someone holding a microphone at a wedding; I see myself as someone who helps tell the couple’s story, connects both families and makes the celebration memorable,” she said.
Olatundun said the encouragement she received from clients, family, friends and others who believed in her ability motivated her to keep going. “Every time someone said, ‘You did an amazing job,’ or recommended me to someone else, it reminded me that I was building something valuable. I also kept reminding myself that every successful brand started somewhere,” she said.
Breakthrough moment
Receiving recommendations from clients based on the experiences she created, rather than having to convince them to hire her, was a major milestone for Olatundun. “My first major sign was when people started recommending me based on the experience they had seen me create, rather than me having to convince them to hire me. There is something very powerful about a client saying, ‘I got your contact from someone who saw you at another wedding.’ That was when I realised that my work was beginning to speak for me,” she said.
Running a business in Nigeria
For the founder of Ejide_Alaga, one of the biggest challenges has been the rising cost of doing business in Nigeria. She said everything from transportation and logistics to production, content creation, outfits and other event-related expenses has become more expensive. “As an event professional, you still have to maintain a certain standard because clients expect professionalism and quality regardless of how much things cost,” she said.
To manage this, she said she had to become more intentional with budgeting, planning and pricing. “I also learned to communicate more clearly with clients about what their packages cover, so there is better understanding on both sides,” she said. She also has to focuse on managing her resources better, planning ahead and continuously finding ways to deliver excellent value to her clients, rather than allowing the economic situation to affect the quality of her work.
Japa
Olatundun said she understands why many young Nigerians want to leave the country, given the economic challenges and the desire for a better quality of life, “The economy can be frustrating, and everyone wants a better quality of life,” she said.
Although she had also considered the possibilities of living abroad, she believed Nigeria offered significant opportunities for her brand to grow, particularly in the traditional wedding industry. “I have also had moments when I thought about what life could look like outside Nigeria. But for me, Nigeria is also where my dream, network, audience and brand are growing. The traditional wedding industry is huge, and there is still so much potential for someone doing what I do,” she said.
As an Alaga, she said her work allowed her to preserve and celebrate Nigerian culture while earning a living from her passion. “As an Alaga, I am deeply connected to our culture, language, traditions and celebrations. Nigerian weddings give me a platform to express and preserve that culture while also making a living from my passion. I believe there is still a lot that can be built here,” she said.
While not opposed to travelling or exploring opportunities abroad, Olatundun said she does not consider leaving Nigeria as the only measure of success. “So, while I am not against travelling or exploring opportunities outside Nigeria, I don’t want leaving the country to be my only definition of success. I want to build something meaningful here first and make my brand strong enough to exist beyond geographical boundaries,” she said.
About Olatundun
Olatundun Salami is a graduate of Mass Communication from Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos. She is a Nigerian entrepreneur, media personality and professional ‘Alaga Iduro & Ijoko‘, specialising in traditional wedding compering and creating memorable experiences at Yoruba traditional weddings.
Her passion for communication, entertainment, culture and people naturally led her into the events industry. Over time, she has built her identity as an Alaga Iduro & Ijoko by combining professionalism, humour, cultural knowledge, audience engagement and effective event coordination.
For Olatundun, being an Alaga is more than just holding a microphone. It is about understanding the culture, connecting two families, keeping the ceremony organised and creating an atmosphere where the couple, their families and guests can genuinely enjoy themselves.
She is passionate about promoting and celebrating Yoruba culture while showing that their traditions can be preserved and presented in a modern, exciting and professional way through her work.
