The Creativity Site @ 1: How Olubiye Victor Segun Turned a Classroom Assignment into a Grassroots Media Voice

By Deborah Awe

When a Mass Communication lecturer at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, asked her students to create a Blogspot site using their phones, she probably did not imagine that one of those assignments would become a functioning digital newsroom one year later.

For Olubiye Victor Segun (Oluvickky), CEO of Oluvickky Creative Place, that moment was not just an assignment; it was destiny.

“I had always wanted to be a digital journalist and media publisher,” he recalls. “So when I created the Blogspot site, I saw it as a dream coming true.”

From sharing posts in WhatsApp groups to migrating to WordPress on a friend’s advice, the platform evolved organically. Blogspot became the home of feature stories, while WordPress was dedicated to news reporting. With no budget for promotions, Olubiye relied on his professional social media management skills to push the platform’s Facebook page to over 3,000 followers and more than 2,000 weekly engagements.

From Student Voice to Grassroots Journalism

In its early months, The Creativity Site was built around student journalism. Stories focused on campus activities, clashes, and challenges faced by students, especially at Osun State Polytechnic. But as exposure to the wider media industry grew, so did the vision.

“I realised that grassroots people also need news that affects their livelihood, not just headlines,” Olubiye explains.

This shift led to coverage of infrastructure problems, power supply challenges, and community concerns across parts of Osun State.

One notable example was a report on the bad road leading to Ife-Odan in Ejigbo Local Government Area. Within a week of publication, attention from agencies and public figures reportedly followed, validating the platform’s belief that journalism can still drive action.

The Cost of the Dream

Running a digital media platform without sponsors or advertisements comes at a price.

Data subscription, faulty devices, and limited time have been persistent obstacles. Olubiye, who works as a teacher from Monday to Saturday, often returns from long workdays to source, verify, and publish news stories.

“There were days my father asked me why I continued when there was no money,” he admits. “Even WhatsApp groups removed me for refusing to promote political parties.”

Yet quitting never felt like a real option.

“Whether Google Ads comes or not, whether sponsors come or not, I will continue. Not for myself, but for the masses who need a loud voice.”

He describes the project as a “humanity business” sustained by personal sacrifices—funding data subscriptions from private income, giving up rest, and prioritising the platform over personal comfort.

Impact Without Profit

Within one year, The Creativity Site has: • Built an audience across Facebook and WhatsApp

• Covered student unions such as Obokun Students Union and NAOSS Iree Chapter

• Published stories on education, infrastructure, and community welfare

• Gained credibility through consistency and verification

Though the platform is yet to secure stable partnerships or financial backing, Olubiye remains optimistic.

What keeps the newsroom grounded, he says, are its non-negotiable values: independence, students’ voices, fairness, originality, and truth.

“What makes us different is that we report not just what people say, but what the source truly says.”

A Message to Other Founders

To struggling media entrepreneurs, Olubiye offers a simple but firm advice: continue—but remain credible.

“Rumour may trend, but truth builds legacy.”

One year after its quiet entry into Nigeria’s digital media space, The Creativity Site is still small, still growing, but firmly rooted in purpose.

And for its founder, the mirror remains his daily reminder:

“If there’s anyone who can pull this off, it has to be me.”