The Coup Ruined Everything!” Ben Murray-Bruce Opens Up On How The 1983 Military Takeover Crushed His Business

Ben Murray-Bruce has revealed how the 1983 military coup that removed the administration of former President Shehu Shagari brought his concert promotion business to a sudden collapse....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking on Wednesday during Infrastructure Dialogue 2026 in Abuja, the media entrepreneur recounted how the political upheaval and economic instability that followed the coup crippled his growing entertainment venture.

Murray-Bruce explained that he launched his concert promotion business between 1980 and 1983 with a ₦20,000 loan borrowed from his siblings at a time when Nigeria’s entertainment industry was still largely undeveloped.

According to him, the sector lacked modern infrastructure, institutional backing, and sufficient media platforms to effectively support entertainment businesses.

He said everything changed after the military seized power in 1983, describing the period as chaotic for businesses across the country.

“Once the government of Shehu Shagari was overthrown, everything changed,” he recalled. “Back then, whenever there was a coup, one of the first things they did was shut down communication lines. That alone dealt a heavy blow to my concert business.”

Murray-Bruce added that the aftermath of the coup triggered worsening economic conditions, foreign exchange difficulties, and rising operational costs, all of which made concert promotion increasingly difficult to sustain.

He explained that ticket prices had to be increased significantly, but higher prices also led to a sharp decline in audience turnout.

“When I started, tickets sold for between ₦5 and ₦10. By 1983, my final show had tickets going for ₦15 to ₦20, and I lost about 25 percent of my audience. That was basically the end of the business,” he said.

The former senator also reflected on the limited communication and entertainment landscape in Nigeria at the time, noting that the country had only one major television station, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), one radio broadcaster, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), and only a few newspapers available for publicity and promotion.

He further pointed out that the lack of modern entertainment venues, apart from the National Theatre Lagos, also slowed the growth of the entertainment industry at the time.

Despite the eventual collapse of the business, Murray-Bruce said he successfully organised about 20 concerts during his short time in the industry and recorded losses on only one show.