Muyiwa Awoniyi, manager of Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has shared the inspiring story of her rise from humble beginnings.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, Muyiwa revealed that when he first met Tems, she had only ₦200 in her bank account. He reflected on their early friendship and how it blossomed into a successful business partnership, leading to Tems’ global recognition.
“Back then when I was doing my podcast, she would just be sitting down while me and my cousin were talking. Obviously, she wasn’t financially buoyant in any capacity. When I met Tems, she only had about 200 Naira in her account,” Muyiwa shared.
Despite her financial struggles at the time, Muyiwa was struck by Tems’ generosity.
“If I had money, I would buy food. But another thing that shocked me was that even though she didn’t have money, she would order food for us. She didn’t even have a way of earning. So, I just realised that she is different from everyone I have seen in Nigeria,” he said.
Muyiwa recounted that Tems’ professionalism and her determination to formalize their collaboration inspired him to offer more than just a typical management deal.
“When she asked me to be her manager, I agreed and said I would send her a contract to sign. We had already verbally agreed on everything. You know, when you present paperwork for artists to sign, it’s always tricky. But she was chasing me to sign my own part. And I have never experienced that before,” he explained.
“I was like, ‘You don’t mind signing paperwork? Hold on, let’s not do this. You’re someone I can rock with for life. Let’s start a company,’” Muyiwa added.
Although they had been friends for three months before ever talking about work, their mutual respect and shared vision laid the groundwork for a strong creative partnership—one that has since launched Tems onto the global stage, where she now stands as a leading voice in Afrobeats and R&B.
Watch the video below;