How 1983 coup destroyed my concert business – Ben Murray-Bruce

The former senator said he launched Silverbird in 1980 after returning to Nigeria with a N20,000 loan obtained from his siblings.

Founder of the Silverbird Group, Ben Murray-Bruce, has recounted how the 1983 military coup that ousted former President Shehu Shagari crippled his once-thriving concert promotion business.

Murray-Bruce spoke on Wednesday at the Infrastructure Dialogue 2026 in Abuja, where he reflected on the challenges of building a business in Nigeria amid political and economic instability.

The 70-year-old entertainment entrepreneur said that the economic instability forced an abrupt end to a promising entertainment venture he had built in the early years of Nigeria’s post-civil war cultural boom.

The birth of Silverbird

The former senator said he launched Silverbird in 1980 after returning to Nigeria with a N20,000 loan obtained from his siblings, at a time when the country’s entertainment industry was still largely undeveloped and heavily dependent on live performances.

According to him, between 1980 and 1983, he successfully organised about 20 concerts across the country, helping to popularise live entertainment during an era dominated by nightclub performances and limited media exposure.

One of the most memorable shows was Shalamar’s 1982 performance at the National Theatre in Lagos and the University of Ife.

The American R&B and soul music vocal group, made up of Howard Hewett, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel, drew huge excitement from Nigerian fans.

Murray-Bruce also brought other SOLAR Records acts to Nigeria, including The Whispers, Lakeside, Delegation and Carrie Lucas, alongside legendary funk band Kool & the Gang.

However, he said the military coup of 31 December 1983, marked the collapse of his concert promotion business.

“By 1983, the military overthrew the government of Shehu Shagari. Once Shagari was overthrown, all hell broke loose,” Mr Murray-Bruce said.

“In those days, when a coup d’état occurred, the first thing they did was to cut off your phone. That was how they ruined my concert business.”

Harsh economy

Nigeria experienced severe economic challenges in the aftermath of the coup, with foreign exchange shortages, import restrictions and declining consumer spending affecting several sectors, including entertainment and media.

Murray-Bruce said the harsh economic realities of the period significantly reduced concert attendance.

“My ticket rates when I started were N5 to N10. In 1983, my last show was N15 to N20, and I lost 25 per cent of my audience. That was how my concert promotion died,” he said.

He described the entertainment industry of the early 1980s as rudimentary, noting that promoters operated with limited infrastructure and almost no private media support.

“There was only one television station in the country, Nigerian Television Authority, one radio station, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and four newspapers,” he said.

He added that many legendary Nigerian musicians of the era, including King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti and Ebenezer Obey, performed mainly in clubs and small venues because Nigeria lacked large-scale entertainment arenas and modern event facilities.

However, after the 1983 that brought in the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari as Head of State, there were two other coups, in 1985 and 1993 respectively. Before the return of democracy in May 1999.

Against the odds

Despite the obstacles, Murray-Bruce said he recorded losses in only one out of the 20 concerts he promoted before the industry downturn.

The media entrepreneur also spoke on his later appointment as director-general of the Nigerian Television Authority during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

According to him, he introduced 24-hour broadcasting at the national broadcaster during his tenure, a move he said modernised television operations in Nigeria.

Murray-Bruce urged young entrepreneurs to remain resilient despite economic and political challenges, stressing that persistence and innovation remain critical to business survival in Nigeria.