He is the undisputed ‘King of Romance Journalism’ in Nigeria. He elevated the language of romance journalism for decades by x-raying the daily challenges, obstacles and true-life stories of the masses in their various situations. At 23 years old, Kayode Ajala became the youngest editor of a national magazine in Nigeria. Like fire, the fame of this charming, intelligent, cerebral wordsmith, a regular columnist in Sunday Punch newspaper spread like wildfire across the African continent. God later ‘arrested’ him, after he initially resisted the divine call. In this interview with RAHMAN ISMA’IL and Naija Standard, Ajala speaks on his life journey. Excerpts…
You were known as the youngest editor in the Nigerian print media industry. You led the editorial team of Hints magazine at a tender age of 23. How did you attain such a feat?
Hard Work, a throbbing passion and love for journalism made it possible. I worked as if it all depended on me and prayed as if it all depended on God.
How did you not get carried away by fame as the editor of a nationally circulated magazine in Nigeria?
The job came first. Everything else was secondary. I was young, unmarried and had no children. My whole life revolved around the job. There were times when I spent days working and spending nights at the office. I enjoyed every second of it!
Why were you called ‘The King of Romance Journalism’?
I guess that came about because the publication HINTS True Life Romances elevated romance journalism and brought it into reckoning in Nigeria. HINTS was me and I was HINTS.
Readers were touched by the rich contents of your weekly publication on lessons of life. Don’t you think people may have long missed your impact
Even now, long after I left HINTS, I still run into people who try to convince me to do something about bringing romance journalism back to life. That confirms that they miss the medium.
How did you come about your stories with human angles such that people would prefer to go hungry and rather use their little funds to purchase your publication?
The publication runs with the catch phrase true-life romances. What that tells you is that the stories we publish are things that happen in the lives of people every day. They happen every second and every minute. They might, however, go unnoticed but as romance journalists, we are trained to spot them, capture them and package them to the delight of our readers. To excel as a romance journalist, you must be a very good writer, a wordsmith and you must be very creative. Without these skills, you cannot excel in the field of romance journalism.
Can you tell of some evergreen moments at Hints magazine?
When I was promoted three times in quick succession in 1989 and when I became Editor of HINTS at the age of 23!
If not for your divine calling by God Almighty, what were some other noble ideas you would have introduced into Hints magazine today?
Humour. And using real names, pictures and characters for the stories we publish. I mean, getting the characters to tell their stories firsthand.
Tell us the circumstances of your call by God.
Even back then at HINTS, divine messages were always being delivered to me that I had a calling to do God’s work but I never took it seriously. I’d already left HINTS when circumstances of life combined to make it clear that the only way to go was to heed God’s call. No one can run away from what Almighty desires.
What was your experience writing for The Punch newspaper like?
I learnt professional discipline. The Punch setup has no room for sloppiness and nonsense. Any slackness and you’ll be booted out of the system before you even know it.
You were famous, a household name, a familiar face on several romance publications and highly intelligent, cerebral and handsome; how were you able to draw a line with ladies who would naturally mill around a charming gentleman?
I was young and single and still searching. The ladies came in droves. I sowed my wild oats. I won’t lie to you. I had fun. Thank God I’m alive to tell the story.
After God’s calling, how did He direct you to the Celestial Church of Christ and not to any other Christian ministry?
A particular problem big enough to consume me happened in my life. The police declared me wanted for a crime I knew absolutely nothing about. I ran to an uncle in Abeokuta. He was a member of the Celestial Church of Christ. He told me that the only assistance he could offer was to take me to his church for prayers. That was how I landed at the Celestial Church of Christ. They prophesied; they prayed for me. The problem that I thought was insurmountable dissolved into thin air. A prophecy came that if I didn’t want bigger problems to arise in my life, I should wear the white garment and become a worshipper of God in the Celestial Church of Christ. I complied. Severally, after that first encounter, I have encountered God at C.C.C. I have no regrets being here. Proudly Celestial!
How will you describe the state of the media industry in Nigeria presently?
Not bad but it sure can be better. Quacks and bloggers are killing the profession. Thank God for the new Cybercrime act signed into Law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
What are your legacies in the Nigerian Media?
I can’t even begin to count the number of media professionals that trained under me and are still excelling in the Nigerian Media today. Those are good enough legacy for me, I dare say.
Being deeply spiritual now, with a profound, intimate relationship with God, what do you feel when you look back at those ‘hot romance’ journalism days?
Gratitude is all I have for what God has done, especially for giving me the opportunity to have the exposure and experience of those “hot romance” journalism days before drawing me into His vineyard. Perhaps, if I hadn’t had the opportunity of that exposure and experience, I would be yearning for it now.
Have you had low moments since you embraced God or ever missed the former life of glamour?
No low moments. Nothing to miss. When I look back at those days, I can only thank God that I came out of it all alive and can tell the story, alive and in good health, today.
Changing a life and starting over in another can feel daunting. How were you able to convince yourself and family to buy into this rather obscure lifestyle?
When you’re truly called by God, he equips you and perfects everything.
From the scriptural perspective, what would you say is missing when a nation faces myriad of challenges like Nigeria?
We need to humble ourselves, pray more, move closer to and seek the face of God. The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
What’s your honest take on prosperity theology, which continues to draw criticism for its emphasis on material success, and the perception that it exploits the vulnerable?
I do not subscribe to it.
