A Lagos socialite, Mike Eze-Nwalie Nwogu popularly known as Pretty Mike of Lagos, is majorly into night life business. He co-founded the popular Lagos Club, known as Club Uno Lagos, alongside his brother, Frank Nwogu.
Nwogu is an entrepreneur and also into real estate business. The entrepreneur who grew up in Texas, United States of America became one of Nigeria’s celebrities without being an actor, artist, TV personality, but rather through the way he appears at events that usually turned heads round. 
He had appeared at an event with masquerades, paraded six heavily pregnant ladies who wore a silver outfit to surround him at William Uchemba’s wedding.
He also got huge attention, when he attended the burial of Don Jazzy’s mum with ladies who wore bright orange pants fashioned in the shape of a man’s organ.
At the African Magic Viewer’s Choice Award 2020, Pretty Mike stormed the event dressed in a white outfit with a white horn on his head alongside with six ladies who dressed in black outfits with matching black horns on their heads.
In all his appearances, he pulled stunts and attracted large crowd around him.
When Sunday Sun cornered him recently at Eko Hotels, Nwogu revealed that life, time and technology have changed tremendously .
How did you become a celebrity without going through the rudiments of the entertainment industry?
I grew up in the US where I studied Computer Science. On relocating to Nigeria, I found out that one cannot particularly pertain to one kind of business and I just took it over from there. In my family where I grew up, we are a very lively family, especially while growing up in a family of seven children, unlike these days where they are either two or three kids. Ours then was where everybody tried to find different characteristics, we played a lot of games and it all started from there.
Parents then, wanted profession like Medicine, Law, Engineering, among others, how do they feel seeing you now as a controversial entertainer?
In my family, five of my siblings are medical doctors and I think that is good enough. My father is a very educated young man, an Engineer by profession, while my mother is a heavy Deeper Life groomed pastor. In all this, technology and time have changed, so they have adopted and understood that this is what life is all about.
What do they say seeing you in some of the near-weird practices you display like walking into an event, parading five pregnant women, big cooking utensils and dressing in almost wedding gown?
Of course, they will have their reservations, or somehow, they might not understand, but at the end of the day, that parental love and care still rules. We all grew up in United States of America and that also signifies a bit of freedom.
How did the name ‘Pretty Mike’ take over the real name?
I have five pretty sisters and I am the guy in the midst of the pretty girls; so, I just heard Oh, is this not Pretty Mike and just like magic, the name Pretty Mike stuck till date.
How are you managing the stardom ‘Pretty Mike’ has created?
Well, I put God first. When one puts God first, he will help you manage everything around you. So, one of my secret weapons is God all the way.
How does the society treat you?
Just like every other person, some will accept you, some will not, the samething with family, friends and environment, some will accept you and some will not. One cannot please everybody, but just look forward and keep going.
What opportunities has it brought to you?
It has brought plenty business opportunities for me. It has been a successful one.
You have once faced depression, what caused it and how did you come out of it?
One of the things that trigger depression is when you let people get to you. That is what leads people to commit suicide because they have drawn the line. So, for me that just started enjoying life, I tell myself that there are many areas I have not explored, like having sex in Monaco, so such thought and belief makes me believe there is more to life than being depressed.
Do you think you have gone too far with the things you do?
Such thought to people happen in an environment that does not understand the art or culture. To me it is the arts; it is artistic.
Most times, you see the things you do as reality, but people think you are chasing clout with the kind of a bit-weird lifestyle?
They even call it attention-seeking and I ask, when has attention seeking and clout-chasing become a bad work?
How did you gather and parade those pregnant women at parties?
We are in Nigeria where everything is available.
You just talk to them and they follow you?
Yes.
What about their babies?
Well, over times, I have taken care of some of them, including their babies. We are in a poor-speaking environment where people need help and if one does no realize and fill up this gap and help out, then the person is a loser.
But the manner you paraded them, did they appreciate it?
Sure, they did.
What about the challenges?
There will always be challenges, evil till now, there are challenges. I just had an all-white party and it was quite challenging in terms of set-up and turn up. At some point, I almost started crying, it was that strenuous. The set-up was slow. There will always be challenges in everything one does.
What opportunities has it brought to you?
Like I told you earlier, some people, family, friends and environment might not accept you and what you do, but some will welcome you whole-heartedly. My lifestyle and my person have brought me many business opportunities. From one brand ambassador to another. To tell, that someone is happy with what I am doing.
What advice would you give to the young ones who want to become entertainers as well?
I will just tell them to keep pushing it and be creative about it. Change your craft, be more innovative and pray along as well.
Credeit: Sun
