Chude Jideonwo recalls being denied entry to The Future Awards Africa by a bouncer, describing the incident as a proud moment in building a lasting institution
Nigerian media entrepreneur and co-founder of The Future Awards Africa, Chude Jideonwo, has recalled how a security guard denied him entry to the 2023 edition of the awards ceremony because he failed to recognise him, describing the unexpected encounter as a proud moment in his journey of building an institution that can function beyond its founders.
Jideonwo shared the experience during a recent chit-chat interview with NollyWire, explaining that the incident happened at an event he had helped establish but where the security personnel insisted that he produce an invitation before allowing him inside.
According to the media personality, the bouncer was unaware that he was one of the people behind the prestigious youth awards and showed little willingness to make an exception.
Recalling the exchange, Jideonwo said: “I was at The Future Awards Africa in 2023, and the bouncer bounced me because he didn’t know it was my event. He was like, ‘Where’s your IV?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, really? Where is my IV?’ He said, ‘Move aside.’”
He explained that people around the venue eventually recognised him and alerted the security guard that he was the organiser.
The guard reportedly became apologetic after realising his mistake, but Jideonwo said he had no reason to take offence.
Instead, he interpreted the incident as evidence that the organisation had grown beyond his personal identity, allowing its operations and access procedures to function independently of the people who founded it.
“People were shouting, ‘It’s his event! It’s his event!’ He was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry, sir.’ I wasn’t upset; I was proud. When they bounce me, it means I had built something so big I could be bounced from it,” he said.
The experience, although humorous on the surface, reflects a broader philosophy that Jideonwo has repeatedly expressed about entrepreneurship, leadership and institutional development.
Rather than building organisations that depend entirely on their founders, he has emphasised the importance of establishing structures, professional teams and systems capable of sustaining operations long after the original visionaries have stepped aside.
In an October 2026 interview with BusinessDay, Jideonwo explained that his approach to business development prioritises long-term institutional value over immediate financial gains.
“Sometimes people ask, ‘Why are you doing that? You could have made money.’ But we are building companies that should outlast their founders and endure for generations,” he said.
He also disclosed that he stepped down as chief executive officer of RED in 2016, with his co-founder, Adebola Williams, subsequently leading the organisation before Ayodeji Razaq took over in 2022.
According to Jideonwo, similar leadership transitions have taken place across his other business interests, reflecting a deliberate effort to establish organisations that do not depend on his daily involvement.
He further revealed that he had not signed a cheque or approved a bank transaction for any of the companies in about 15 years, describing the development as part of the systems he had put in place to ensure operational independence.
The Future Awards Africa itself has a history stretching back to 2004, when Jideonwo and Adebola Williams conceived the initiative. The first ceremony was held on 6 February 2006 at Magnolia Hall, City Mall, Lagos, recognising outstanding young Nigerians for their contributions during the 2005/2006 season.
The awards have since developed into a platform celebrating young Africans aged 18 to 35 across several fields, including entertainment, entrepreneurship, technology, public service, advocacy and creative industries.
Its early development was not without challenges. In a November 2025 profile published by Open Country Magazine, Jideonwo recalled the financial difficulties surrounding the inaugural ceremony, including having to distribute promotional flyers themselves because the organisers could not afford to hire workers.
The publication also documented how the initiative gradually attracted wider recognition, securing major brand sponsorships by its sixth edition in 2011 and eventually hosting its ninth edition at the Presidential Villa in Abuja in 2013.
The organisation is marking its 20th anniversary in 2026, with the milestone edition themed Celebrating the Redefiners: Africa’s AI Generation. The November celebration is scheduled to take place at the Balmoral Events Centre in Lagos, with nominees drawn from 26 categories.
For Jideonwo, the security guard’s refusal to recognise him represents more than an amusing misunderstanding. It captures the satisfaction of seeing an idea develop into an institution with its own identity, personnel and operational standards.
His account also offers a powerful reminder of the distinction between creating something successful and building something sustainable.
While founders often seek recognition for the organisations they establish, Jideonwo’s experience suggests that one measure of lasting success is when an institution becomes sufficiently established to operate without needing its founder to be personally recognised at the entrance.
