Segun Arinze, the veteran Nigerian actor, has opened up about the genesis of his stage name and his foray into the voice-over industry.

Born Segun Aina, the renowned film star disclosed that he adopted the name ‘Segun Arinze’ in 1991 during his pursuit of a music career.

“In 1991, I was told someone wanted to sign me… He came from Sony Music… 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,” Arinze shared in a recent conversation with Biola Bayo on the ‘TalktoB’ podcast.

Reflecting on his entry into the voice-over industry, Arinze reminisced about his first opportunity, which came through renowned radio broadcaster Soni Irabor.

“Soni Irabor walks in someday and he was looking for voice-over artiste. There was nobody around that day then he heard me speak… And I did the voice-over. He paid me N1000. That was 1987,” Arinze recalled.

Arinze further elaborated on his early experiences, highlighting his journey from his first voice-over gig to his current role as the president of the Association of Voice-Over Artistes in Nigeria.