By Iroyin Yoruba Television News Desk
Former Big Brother Naija housemate Adeolu Okusaga, popularly known as Saga, says he is working to build a career identity that extends beyond his time on reality television, with a major focus now placed on his work as a visual artist.
Saga, who became widely known after appearing on the sixth season of Big Brother Naija in 2021, has spent the years since the reality show developing interests in several areas, including painting, fitness, acting and digital content.
His latest career plans place visual art at the centre of his long-term ambitions.
The former reality television contestant says he wants to move beyond being recognised simply as a former BBNaija housemate who can paint and instead establish himself as an internationally recognised artist.
One of his immediate plans is to send some of his paintings to international exhibitions, creating opportunities for his work to reach audiences outside Nigeria.
He has also expressed plans to establish a gallery where Nigerian artists can exhibit their work and to develop courses designed to help younger creatives improve their artistic abilities.
The plans represent a continuation of a passion that existed before his television fame.
For Saga, painting was not an interest that appeared after Big Brother Naija.
It had already formed part of his life before the reality show introduced him to a much larger Nigerian audience.
Saga's professional journey is unusual because his original career path was not centred on entertainment.
He studied electrical engineering at the University of Lagos and subsequently worked in the oil and gas industry as a well completion engineer.
Engineering provided him with a conventional professional career.
His artistic ambitions, however, remained present.
The transition from engineering to reality television and then into a broader entertainment and creative career meant that Saga had to move between very different professional environments.
Engineering involves technical processes, defined responsibilities and professional evaluation within an organisational structure.
Entertainment operates differently.
A public figure's work can be evaluated instantly by audiences, commentators and social-media users.
Saga has previously described the transition as challenging because his professional decisions were no longer being judged only by colleagues or supervisors.
Instead, his activities became visible to a much larger public audience.
That change brought greater exposure but also increased scrutiny.
His current approach appears to be centred on building a professional identity around several areas rather than depending entirely on his reality-TV recognition.
Saga became widely recognised after participating in Big Brother Naija's sixth season, “Shine Ya Eye,” in 2021.
His time in the house brought him a large audience and introduced him to viewers who may not previously have known about his artistic interests.
Drawing and fitness were among the interests associated with him during the programme.
The visibility created by the show subsequently provided a platform from which he could explore other creative opportunities.
Reality television can provide participants with immediate public recognition, but maintaining that visibility after leaving the programme presents a different challenge.
Former housemates have pursued careers in areas ranging from music and acting to fashion, business, digital content and advocacy.
Saga has taken a multi-disciplinary route.
Instead of restricting himself to one part of the entertainment industry, he has developed activities across art, fitness, acting and social media.
His latest comments indicate that he wants the artistic side of that portfolio to become increasingly prominent.
For Saga, the renewed emphasis on painting represents more than a celebrity side project.
Art was part of his life before his reality television appearance.
His interest in painting developed before he became a public figure, and he has previously spoken about the importance of continuing the artistic journey he had started years earlier.
His current ambition is therefore linked to a longer-term goal.
The international exhibitions he hopes to participate in would allow his work to be presented to audiences outside Nigeria.
International exhibitions can provide artists with opportunities to build professional relationships, reach collectors, collaborate with other creatives and expose their work to different art communities.
For Nigerian artists, international visibility can also provide a way of presenting contemporary Nigerian experiences to global audiences.
Saga's ambition to participate in such exhibitions reflects the increasing movement of Nigerian creative work beyond the domestic market.
One of the most significant elements of Saga's plan is his intention to establish a gallery that can showcase the work of Nigerian artists.
Such a project would go beyond his personal artistic career.
A gallery can provide exhibition space for artists who may not have the resources or networks required to reach larger audiences.
It can also serve as a meeting point for collectors, artists, curators, students and members of the public.
Saga has indicated that he wants his future platform to provide opportunities for other Nigerian creatives.
That ambition places his plans within a wider conversation about the development of Nigeria's creative economy.
Nigeria has a large community of painters, photographers, sculptors, designers and other visual artists.
However, opportunities to exhibit work professionally can vary considerably.
A new gallery with an educational and developmental component could potentially provide another avenue for emerging artists.
The success of such a project would ultimately depend on its financing, location, programming, audience development and ability to establish sustainable relationships with artists and collectors.
For now, it remains a stated long-term ambition.
Saga has also discussed the possibility of developing courses for young artists.
The proposed educational component is important because artistic careers involve more than technical ability.
Artists also need to understand presentation, marketing, pricing, exhibitions, networking and the business side of creative work.
Young artists can possess considerable talent while lacking access to professional guidance.
Educational programmes could help bridge that gap.
If properly structured, such programmes could cover areas such as drawing techniques, painting processes, portfolio development, digital promotion, exhibition preparation and professional practice.
They could also introduce young creatives to established artists and other professionals working within the creative economy.
Saga's interest in this area suggests that his ambitions extend beyond establishing his own name.
He has indicated that he would like to create opportunities through which other Nigerian artists can develop.
Building a successful art career also requires understanding the commercial side of the industry.
Paintings have to reach potential buyers.
Artists need to establish professional portfolios.
Exhibitions require organisation.
Galleries require management.
Collectors need confidence in the work and the artist.
International opportunities can involve transportation, insurance, documentation and professional representation.
For an artist attempting to build a global profile, these practical considerations can be just as important as the creative process itself.
Saga's background in engineering may also provide him with experience in planning and structured problem-solving.
The transition into the creative economy requires those organisational skills to be combined with artistic development.
Saga has described a structured routine around his different interests.
He has said that he often reserves his evenings for painting.
The routine involves several hours of creative work before he goes to sleep.
This approach highlights the difference between treating art as an occasional hobby and developing it as a professional practice.
Artists who work consistently can build portfolios over time.
Regular painting also allows artists to experiment with technique, subject matter, composition and style.
Saga's focus on hyper-realistic work places particular emphasis on detail.
Hyper-realistic art requires patience and careful observation.
Small differences in facial expression, skin texture, lighting and proportion can significantly affect the final result.
The process can require many hours for a single painting.
Saga's challenge is not simply producing paintings.
He is also trying to establish a clear identity within the art world.
Being known as a former reality-TV contestant can create visibility, but it can also mean that audiences primarily associate the person with television rather than their professional creative work.
His current objective is to change that perception through sustained artistic output.
That means developing a body of work that can stand independently of his television history.
For an artist, long-term recognition generally depends on the quality, consistency and distinctiveness of the work.
Publicity can introduce an artist to an audience.
The artwork itself has to sustain interest.
Saga's stated goal of international recognition therefore requires him to build an artistic record that extends beyond his BBNaija identity.
Saga's transition from engineering to entertainment has also influenced how he approaches his public career.
As an engineer, he worked within a professional environment where tasks were generally assessed through technical performance and workplace standards.
Reality television changed the nature of his public identity.
His personal life, relationships, appearance, opinions and decisions became visible to a large audience.
That exposure can create opportunities, but it can also create pressure.
Saga has spoken about the importance of maintaining his reputation.
For a public figure building a long-term career, reputation can affect commercial partnerships, professional relationships and audience trust.
His current approach appears to place emphasis on creating a positive public identity around art, fitness and creative work.
Although painting is receiving greater attention in his latest plans, fitness remains another important part of Saga's career.
He has built a public identity around exercise and wellness and is working on his YouTube platform.
His stated objective is to demonstrate that people can exercise and work towards fitness goals from home without necessarily requiring expensive gym memberships or specialised equipment.
The idea reflects the growing role of online video in the fitness industry.
YouTube and other digital platforms allow fitness creators to reach audiences directly.
Instead of depending on a physical gym or television programme, trainers and fitness personalities can publish instructional material that audiences access on demand.
For Saga, the platform provides another opportunity to combine his public profile with practical content.
Social media has become an important part of the modern entertainment business.
For artists, actors and fitness creators, online platforms can function as marketing channels, portfolios and direct communication tools.
Saga's use of digital content allows him to maintain contact with the audience that discovered him through Big Brother Naija.
It also provides a mechanism for introducing those followers to his other interests.
A person who initially follows Saga because of his reality-TV history may subsequently encounter his paintings.
Another follower may discover his fitness content.
Others may watch his acting projects.
This cross-platform audience can help a creative professional develop several parts of a career simultaneously.
However, maintaining such an audience requires consistency.
Digital platforms move quickly, and creators have to continually produce content that remains relevant to their audiences.
Saga has also explored acting since leaving Big Brother Naija.
His acting credits include productions such as Falling Notes, Dead Tide and Anikulapo 2.
Acting provides another avenue for him to remain active within Nigeria's entertainment industry.
It also gives him opportunities to develop skills that differ from painting and fitness.
An actor has to work with directors, producers, fellow performers and technical crews.
The process requires understanding scripts, character development, timing and performance.
Saga's experience in reality television may have helped him become comfortable before cameras, but scripted acting requires a different form of preparation.
His continued participation in acting therefore adds another layer to his post-BBNaija career.
One of the central issues for former reality-TV personalities is what happens after the programme ends.
The initial popularity associated with a reality show can be intense.
Contestants can gain followers rapidly.
Their names can trend across social media.
Brands may become interested in partnerships.
But the public's attention eventually shifts to new programmes and new personalities.
For a former housemate to establish a lasting career, there must be something beyond the reality show itself.
Saga's current strategy reflects an attempt to create that foundation.
Art provides a professional discipline.
Fitness provides a content platform.
Acting offers access to Nollywood.
Social media connects the different activities.
The combination creates a broader career structure.
Saga's experience demonstrates how personal branding has become increasingly important within Nigeria's entertainment economy.
A public figure can build an audience around a name and then introduce different products, services and creative projects.
However, the challenge is maintaining coherence.
If audiences understand the person only as a reality-TV contestant, new ventures may struggle to gain independent recognition.
Saga's emphasis on becoming known primarily as an artist represents an attempt to create that distinction.
He wants his name to become associated with visual art because of the work itself rather than only because of his previous television appearance.
Saga's plans also reflect broader developments within Nigeria's creative industries.
The country's entertainment sector has expanded significantly across music, film, fashion, digital content and visual arts.
Afrobeats has created international opportunities for Nigerian musicians.
Nollywood has expanded its international audience through cinemas and streaming platforms.
Digital creators now reach audiences directly without depending entirely on traditional media.
Visual artists are also increasingly using social media to present their work to international audiences.
The growth of these industries creates new possibilities for people whose careers cross multiple creative fields.
Saga's combination of art, fitness, acting and content creation is an example of this increasingly flexible career structure.
Saga's desire to participate in international exhibitions could represent an important stage in the development of his art career.
International exhibitions expose artists to audiences with different cultural backgrounds and artistic expectations.
They can also create opportunities for collaboration.
For a Nigerian artist, international exhibition spaces can provide an opportunity to present aspects of Nigerian society, identity and contemporary life through visual art.
However, international exposure also introduces greater competition.
Artists are presented alongside professionals from different countries and artistic traditions.
Building a sustainable international career therefore requires more than securing one exhibition.
It requires continued production and professional relationships.
Saga's stated ambition is consequently a long-term project rather than a single event.
A major question for Saga will be how consistently he can develop his artistic output while maintaining his other interests.
He has described a demanding routine involving fitness, social-media production, painting and other professional activities.
Each area requires time.
Painting requires uninterrupted creative concentration.
Fitness requires regular training.
Acting requires filming schedules.
Social media requires planning and production.
Managing all these activities requires discipline.
Saga's existing routine suggests that he is attempting to create dedicated time for each pursuit.
Whether that structure can be maintained as his projects expand will become increasingly important.
The gallery idea could eventually become one of the most significant aspects of Saga's long-term plan.
If established, such a platform could help separate his career from the reality-TV industry.
Instead of being only an individual artist, he could become part of the infrastructure supporting other artists.
A gallery can create a space where artists interact with collectors and the public.
It can also host workshops, exhibitions, talks and educational programmes.
For young artists, access to such spaces can be important.
Many emerging creatives have talent but limited access to professional networks.
A platform that connects artists with audiences could therefore have a broader effect on the creative ecosystem.
Saga's proposed courses for young artists also raise an important issue about creative education.
Formal art education is not the only route to becoming a professional artist.
Many artists develop through apprenticeships, workshops, mentorships, independent study and practice.
Digital platforms have expanded access to tutorials and educational resources.
A structured course led by experienced practitioners can nevertheless provide a more organised learning pathway.
If Saga develops such programmes, their usefulness would depend on curriculum quality, instructors, practical opportunities and the ability to connect students with real creative-industry experiences.
The proposed educational direction is therefore another area to watch as his career develops.
Saga's story also illustrates how modern entertainment careers increasingly combine different skills.
An individual may no longer need to choose between being an artist, actor, fitness personality or content creator.
Digital platforms make it possible to develop multiple audiences.
The challenge is managing those identities without allowing one to overwhelm the others.
Saga's public profile began with reality television.
His present ambitions are broader.
He wants art to become a major part of his professional identity while continuing to develop fitness, acting and digital content.
That approach gives him several avenues through which to engage audiences.
Saga has also spoken about the importance he places on maintaining a good reputation.
For public figures, reputation can become a long-term professional asset.
A strong reputation can influence how audiences respond to creative work.
It can affect partnerships and collaborations.
It can also shape how a person's career is remembered after their most visible period of fame has passed.
Saga's emphasis on reputation therefore connects with his broader ambition to build a lasting legacy.
His stated objective is not simply to remain recognisable.
He wants the recognition to be associated with creative achievement.
The immediate next steps for Saga involve developing his paintings for international exhibition opportunities and continuing work on his digital fitness platform.
Longer term, he has discussed establishing a gallery and educational programmes for Nigerian artists.
His acting career may also continue alongside these projects.
The combination creates a busy professional schedule.
How those projects develop will determine whether his post-BBNaija career becomes increasingly defined by art and creative entrepreneurship.
The central message from Saga's latest interview is his desire to control how his career is remembered.
Reality television gave him public recognition.
Art gives him a medium through which he hopes to establish a separate professional identity.
Fitness gives him another area through which he can engage audiences.
Acting gives him access to the wider entertainment industry.
Digital platforms connect all of these activities.
His ambition is therefore not simply to remain a former Big Brother Naija housemate.
He is attempting to develop a career that can stand independently of the programme that introduced him to millions of viewers.
Saga's journey from engineering to reality television and then into art, fitness, acting and digital content reflects the changing nature of creative careers in Nigeria.
His latest plans show that he is placing greater emphasis on visual art and international recognition.
The goal of becoming known as a world-renowned artist remains an ambition rather than an established achievement, but he has identified specific steps towards it: international exhibitions, a future gallery and educational opportunities for younger artists.
The practical work required to achieve those objectives will take time.
His paintings will have to reach new audiences.
His artistic portfolio will continue to develop.
His proposed gallery would require substantial planning and resources.
His educational ideas would need to be turned into structured programmes.
His fitness and acting activities will also continue competing for his time.
For now, Saga's career remains a work in progress.
But the direction he has described is clear.
He wants his public identity to evolve from that of a former reality-TV contestant into that of a multidisciplinary creative professional, with visual art increasingly occupying the centre of that identity.
Former Big Brother Naija housemate Adeolu Okusaga, popularly known as Saga, is pursuing a broader creative career with a particular focus on establishing himself internationally as a visual artist.
Saga has said he is working towards sending his paintings to international exhibitions and wants to move beyond being known simply for his appearance on Big Brother Naija and his ability to draw.
He has also outlined longer-term plans to establish a gallery for Nigerian artists and develop courses that could help young creatives improve their skills and gain opportunities to showcase their work.
His career has already moved through several stages.
He studied electrical engineering at the University of Lagos, worked as a well completion engineer in the oil and gas industry, became widely known through Big Brother Naija in 2021, and subsequently expanded into art, fitness, acting and digital content.
His acting credits include Falling Notes, Dead Tide and Anikulapo 2, while his fitness work includes plans to develop his YouTube platform around home-based exercise and wellness.
Saga's transition into public life has also exposed him to a much wider level of scrutiny than he experienced during his engineering career.
He has described reputation as an important part of his long-term approach and has said he wants his creative work and public activities to leave a positive impression.
The next stage of his career will therefore depend on how successfully he can develop his artistic portfolio, secure exhibition opportunities, maintain his other creative activities and eventually turn his plans for a gallery and educational platform into practical projects.
For now, the former reality-TV contestant is positioning himself for a new chapter — one in which the name Saga is increasingly associated with painting, creativity and the development of Nigerian artistic talent.
