With better support, Nigerian creatives can compete with anyone globally- Mr 7Keys

Mobolaji Johnson, popularly known as Mr 7Keys, is a sound engineer, music producer, live production specialist, and content creator whose creative journey spans multiple disciplines. Having recently returned to Lagos, he is driven to make a greater impact in Nigeria’s booming creative industry while helping shape the next generation of talent

How has your diverse experience in audio engineering, content creation and live production shaped your creative journey?

My creative journey started with content creation, learning everything I could about cameras, photography techniques, video editing, lighting, and sound. I would film videos of myself and friends, spend hours editing the clips together and upload them. During this time, I would learn how important sound is in any video production. That led me to start working on sound design, music production and audio engineering. When I started at a new school in the U.K. I had the choice between music technology and film studies. I truly wanted to do both, but I knew my parents wouldn’t agree. So that’s why I found a way to do both, I officially signed up for music technology while sitting in the film studies classes during my free periods. My music tech teacher was the one who actually pushed me to pursue a degree in sound engineering because he recognised the passion I brought to every lesson, and so I did. During my degree, I worked in studios and at live shows with friends, and I grew to understand the craft more and more. After graduating, I used the knowledge and experience from inside and outside the classroom to start working on audio for a wide range of singers and rappers, TV shows, movies, and music videos.

How do you view Nigeria’s growing influence in the global media and entertainment industry?

Nigeria is among the top three most influential countries in media and entertainment. And the most significant thing is that this is all within the last 10-15 years, really. When I was growing up in America, being African in general was grounds for bullying and mockery because, at that time in the 2000s, Nigeria’s icons didn’t have a presence in the West. During the 2010s, a lot of our culture was on full display. Our musicians were collaborating with Western artists more and more, and our classic movies became a goldmine for memes. As silly as it sounds, I believe that did a lot to understand and appreciate our culture. When I think about it, it makes sense, really. If there are two things Nigerians LOVE, it’s laughing and celebrating. In the 2020s, Nigeria and Lagos in particular have become almost a rite of passage for rising stars, from rappers to actors, social media influencers, everyone is finding a reason to come here for better or worse. Overall, I think this growing influence is a net positive for Nigerians, and so many doors have been opened up for us as a result. It’s just for us to make the most out of it.

What opportunities do podcasts and social media content offer young Nigerian creators today?

Social media and podcasts are avenues for Nigerians to start new careers that wouldn’t have existed just 15 years ago. Podcasters and influencers are now job titles, not just hobbies or side hustles. If you can build a loyal audience, big corporations will see the value in that and seek you out to become a living, breathing billboard, essentially. Do they pay the same rates as billboards or traditional advertising? Maybe for a few outliers, but in general, not really, but they definitely pay much more than a typical 9-5, and that’s something that everyone in the space is well aware of. Fashion brands, tech brands, and even mental health apps are finding influencers to serve as ambassadors.

How important is it for modern creatives to balance technical skills with digital marketing?

Digital marketing is much more valuable than technical skills. I’ve seen countless examples of people with very limited technical skills go viral again and again by understanding social media algorithms. There is a skill floor, but that shouldn’t be someone’s main focus. Find a social media platform, learn the algorithm, and as you go through your journey, you’ll develop the technical skills. With that being said, there is still value in honing your skills; video editors, photographers, producers, etc., are still part of the process, and many larger creators will hire specialists in each field to elevate the quality of their content.

What major challenges still hinder Nigeria’s creative industry from reaching its full potential?

The day-to-day life in Nigeria is so chaotic that it really impedes the creative process for so many of us. You’re ready to create, but there’s no light. You’re ready to upload your work, but the network is down. You’re ready to invest in new equipment, and you now have to import said equipment or pay a local retailer that has imported it themselves, knowing they have added their own margin to cover the importing, making it even more expensive for you compared to your foreign counterparts. Each of these issues can come back to back to back, and it’s quite exhausting, yet we persist.

What steps should Nigerian creatives take to compete successfully on the global stage?

Rather than reaching upwards for collaborations, look to those around you. Work with people at the same stage as you, grow together, share knowledge, and build a support network. Behind every successful creative is a community of other creatives that they came up with and supported. By doing that, you’ll all raise each other’s value. Creative competition is great, but it shouldn’t lead to underhanded tactics and backstabbing. Sometimes I see people racing to the bottom by saying, “I can do it for less” All that does is drive down the value of the whole community. If we all come together and say we should set our price range from X to Y, these brands that come to sponsor will have to respect it.

What are your plans and goals for the future?

My main plan for the future is to open an arts school here in Nigeria. When it comes to raw talent in this country, there’s just so much, like it’s genuinely ridiculous to see what people here are doing with limited resources, so imagine what they could do with a structured environment with world-class facilities. Everything I do until then is just a step towards that goal. This is something I have wanted to do for years, but I gave up on it for a while because I didn’t think it could work here. It was easy to say that when I wasn’t even living here to see what people were really doing, but once I came back and saw it firsthand, I was profoundly inspired.