How I got my stage name – Actor Segun Arinze reveals

• Segun Aina, formerly known as Segun Aina, chose the stage name ‘Segun Arinze’ in 1991 during his early music career.

• The thespian shared that his father opposed his studies in performing art at university, preferring him to pursue a career in law.

Segun Arinze, a veteran Nigerian actor, disclosed how he became known by his stage name.

The actor, who was named Segun Aina, revealed that he selected the stage name ‘Segun Arinze’ in 1991 during the early days of his music career.

The actor further explained how his father opposed him studying performing art at university because he wanted him to be a lawyer.

In a recent chat with Biola Bayo on the ‘TalktoB’ podcast, he revealed that a host’s mix-up of his name during an event at the National Theatre gave birth to what would eventually become his stage the name.

“I was also singing. In 1991, I was told someone wanted to sign me. ‘We are going to sign you on’. He came from Sony Music. So he called me and I signed the contract. He signed. And then he said ‘Okay we are going to start recording.

“Went to Ife to do Dramatic Arts. My dad did not like the idea because he wanted me to be a lawyer. At a point in time, I thought he was not going to pay my school fees to go and read drama.

“Then the National Theatre was running an open theatre then… ‘welcome new artiste Segun Arinze’. I said ‘excuse me sir what is this? I said why are you changing my name? The album came out – ‘Dreams’. Everywhere was ‘Segun Arinze, Segun Arinze. That was how the name got changed from Segun Aina to Segun Arinze in a nutshell”.