Farooq Oreagba, Managing Director of NG Clearing Limited, has revealed that his tattoos and earrings have negatively affected some career opportunities in Nigeria’s corporate space.
Oreagba, who became widely known as the “King of Steeze” after a viral appearance at the 2024 Ojude Oba festival in Ijebu-Ode—where he was seen riding a horse with cigar and visible tattoos—said the attention changed public perception of him in unexpected ways.
The viral moment, which spread across social media, turned the 60-year-old banker into a cultural sensation and earned him widespread admiration, but also renewed scrutiny within the financial sector.
Speaking on the latest episode of the MENtality podcast, Oreagba said the experience exposed the challenges of balancing his corporate identity with his personal style.
“I’m a banker, I’ve been a banker all my life. I studied civil engineering. I’m the CEO of a financial institution,” he said.
“There was this viral moment two years ago when someone took a photograph of me doing what I have been doing for 16,17 years now, and it changed my life.”
He noted that his appearance has long been a talking point in his professional life.
“I would say I’m probably the only ceo in corporate Nigeria that wears earrings and has tattoos. That has been a problem from day dot. They judge me terribly,” he said.
Oreagba added that it has affected his career progression in some instances.
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“To a certain extent, it has cost me certain roles, certain positions. My side hustle for me has given me an extreme amount of freedom. More importantly, an extreme amount of self-satisfaction.
“It’s a big issue trying to juggle. Even in my corporate role, I sit on a board, and people tell me that the image of a CEO of a financial services firm riding horses and flashing tattoos is not what we want.
“Guys, what do you want? When you hired me, I had tattoos, and when you hired me, I was smoking a cigar. Is it just bad belle or the fact that you don’t want me to have the freedom?”
In 2024, Oreagba had previously disclosed that a bone cancer diagnosis a decade earlier reshaped his outlook on life and priorities.
The 2026 edition of Ojude Oba was held on Thursday, continuing the annual cultural celebration in Ijebu-Ode.