Why I didn’t do corporate jobs after school – Davido

By Taiwo Okanlawon

Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido has revealed that he never wrote a curriculum vitae (CV) or searched for jobs.

The 31-year-old singer graduated from Oakland University, Alabama, with a degree in Business Administration.

Speaking at the ‘Life After School’ event organized by Noella Foundation, Davido shared his unconventional journey to the music industry.

The singer is born into a family of entrepreneurs. His father Adedeji Adeleke is also a renowned business mogul.

At the event, Davido said he had the opportunity to pursue a corporate career but chose to follow his passion for music instead.

The ‘Timeless’ hitmaker acknowledged his privileged background but stressed that his music career was a personal choice.

The Afrobeats star also encouraged the audience to chase their passions, just as he did.

“I am living proof of a successful person after school. I feel like I should share my experience. Obviously, I went into the entertainment world after school. But I have friends and siblings, and my father has a company. We also have a school, Adeleke University, from which students graduate. We also have companies that we recruit students after school,” he said.

“I did school for about five years because I had to take a break because of my music. I have been following my dream. I come from a family where after you go to school you go directly to work. Either you work for my dad or find work elsewhere. I was the one that went another route.

“For my siblings, I have seen how their lives have been after school. Some became successful quickly, and some took time. I personally did not do a CV. My brother works in a department in our company where he recruits students. Most of them come from the university. I have seen how people detail CVs here in Nigeria.”

Recently, Adedeji Adeleke, the father of Davido, revealed that his company, Pacific Energy, generates about 15% of Nigeria’s electricity.

Adeleke disclosed this during the Seventh-Day Adventist Church’s General Conference Annual Council 2024, held on 15 October.

The billionaire businessman highlighted his investments in the nation’s power sector, particularly focusing on his thermal power plant, which is expected to become fully operational by January 2025.