Category Archives: lifestyle
The High-Flyer: Media Mogul Nduka Obaigbena In $2M Jet Acquisition Tale

The flamboyant boss of Thisday Newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena is said to have joined the list of jet owners.
The man of means whose Arise TV has snatched the reins in that aspect of broadcasting with the series of dignitary interviews, analysis and top news is said to have taken the delivery of the airplane some days ago.
Sources claimed the machine is from an engineering company in Germany and put the cost at almost 2 million dollars.
Known for his flamboyant lifestyle, the ‘Duke’ as he is popularly known is said to have taken the acquisition to ease his journey in and out of Nigeria. He is said to be one of the most travelled journalists in Africa.
A source hinted that the media guru wanted to make no noise of the acquisition but the news spilled out after he reached out to a pilot-friend who was saddled with the role of employing a young, brilliant pilot for the airplane.
Major Life Lessons From Steve Babaeko At 50 – By Ayeni Adekunle

I was driving on the third mainland bridge in Lagos when his call came in.
‘Ayeni, I’m not happy with how the work for X3M Music is going, and I’m beginning to think you guys are not giving us the kind of attention we need…’
Steve Babaeko, the advertising executive and music entrepreneur who was one of the first to believe in my little PR agency, was upset. But he was calm. He picked his words carefully, almost as if he had rehearsed the call many times over. He wanted to pass his message across as strongly as possible without being unprofessional.
And I got the message.
Not one to give excuses, I apologised, took responsibility, and assured him he’d never have cause to complain again.
The year was 2009.
Our relationship has since grown in many ways, from the first time I met him at Prima Garnet, having gone to seek his help on the advice of my friend Jubal Dati. Story for another day.
As he clocks 50 today, I thought I’d share some of the most important lessons I’ve picked from him, that you may want to consider, if you’re not already applying them.
- Take no prisoners: The story of how he supported himself through school, found his way to Lagos, walked the entire city looking for help, knocked and tore down doors until he got one foot in, needs to be told more. And no Nigerian copywriter living or dead has accomplished what he has, in rising through the ranks of a major agency, setting up on his own, climbing to top three in less than a decade; and then internationalising as if it was a walk in the park. Steve does not stop, does not settle; and will give all it takes to do what must be done. Something tells me he believes he’s fighting a war. And if you read his story carefully, you’ll understand why.
- Dream big: When he was setting up X3M, I remember telling him to not go all out with the office, since it was a new business and they were renting the place. We joke about it now; about how he didnt even argue, because he knew he was going to do the exact opposite of what I’d advised. Whether he’s planning events or setting up a new company; or even creating ideas, he sets out hoping to accomplish what’s hitherto been thought impossible. And I think it’s paid off really well.
- Diversify: I learnt a long time ago that it’s dangerous to count other people’s money for them. You know, looking at their perceived success, based on the parts they expose to us, and thinking ‘oh, this must be how they’re making it; I’m going to try it too. Afterall, what makes them more qualified to do it than I am?’.
Many imagine creating and designing some of the best creative concepts in the market is solely what turned X3M into a commercial success therefore making its owner rich.
The formula, as far as I know, is understanding the entire value chain and diversifying enough to play strongly. There are core fields, there are allied fields, and there are related fields. Those who succeed the most are those who, after getting a foot (or their entire bodies in), understand what parts of that ecosystem they can add value to, and what kinds of value they can extract. In the case of Steve, he’s sold you on X3M Ideas, but he’s built Media 101 which no one ever hears of or talks about despite it doing excellently well; he’s built Zero Degrees, and he’s now planning to play big in sectors not even related to advertising.
- Be young: I don’t know if or when he’ll eventually cut his locs, but his hair, his wardrobe, and generally pop persona continue to refresh his brand in such a way that makes people think he’s much younger than he is. He even sags. Now this will not work for everyone. But I think in an industry that requires that you’re trendy and cool and on top of everything urbane and avant-garde, it’s important to be able to not just look and act young, but to be able to connect with youth. Advertising needs it. But life itself will compensate you if you find a way to keep fit, stylish, and in form even as you age.
- Be Humble: You don’t have to diminish yourself to make others feel better about themselves; or suffer fools gladly with the hope of being thought nice. But there’s something about respect for others irrespective of class or status that demonstrates a deep understanding of how life works. I learnt from Steve that you can live your best life; be yourself, and exist on your own terms without being arrogant, full of pride or disrespectful – especially to those one might consider of less means.
- Family is everything: First your parents and siblings; then your spouse and your kids. Nothing is more important. And Steve uses every opportunity – a pitch session, an Instagram post, a newspaper interview; anything within his means to show you he puts family first. And it was he (and my other friend Chris Ihidero) who first showed me many years ago that husbands can be intentional about parenting and about domestic role sorting with their wives.
- Draw boundaries: In relationships, business or personal, people often fail to define the rules of engagement; of what’s acceptable or not, that more often than not, things end up in chaos and an otherwise promising friendship is destroyed. The beauty of Steve’s personality is not just having so many ‘friends’, knowing so many people, or interacting with plenty professionally; it is that he’s able to articulate deal breakers in a way that everyone’s clear about where the lines are.
- Make money: Oh well, I wish I’d learned this on time. Steve believes in working hard, but he also unapologetically believes in getting paid in full. It’s actually possible to follow your passion and still focus on extracting the kind of value that can make sure your unborn generations never have to go through what you went through. In an industry where too many creatives bury their heads in the work, only realising when it’s too late that money matters, Steve provides a good case study in prioritising income as well as passion. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s a zero-sum game.
- Be disciplined: The older you get, and the more successful you become, the easier it will be for you to think you can get away with anything. It’s what’s led so many important people into trouble. Because, actually, the older you get, and the more successful you become, the more disciplined you will have to be. And it’s not just always the big stuff. It’s the basic things like being punctual. Keeping required routines, or even staying fit. Steve started an alcohol fast many years ago, staying off liquor From December 31st to May 31 every year. And this year, he’s determined not to taste a drop of alcohol. Why? He’s trying to keep fit and healthy. For someone who loves his spirits, you must realise what that kind of fast means.
Steve clocks 50 today, June 1, 2021. His life has been a miracle, but it only looks like that because he’s been intentional about so many things. He’ll be the first to tell you about where he’s coming from, and why he’s never going back there. And I think that’s perhaps the most important lesson of all: understanding your circumstance and determining, all other things being equal, to not let it stop you.
That’s where greatness comes from, and Steve is well on his way to achieving that greatness we all dream of. Can’t imagine anything stopping him.
4 Months After Death; Bolu Akin-Olugbade’s Rolls Royce Up For Sale

If the dead could talk, late businessman, Bolu Akin-Olugbade would have called a meeting of his kins, tell them his wish and the consequence that comes if they don’t adhere to his rules, but sadly, the billionaire had gone to meet his maker and could do absolutely nothing when his favorite car was put up for sale recently.
Papermacheonline gathered that the family of the late Aare Ona Kakanfo of Owuland who bowed to death after contracting the coronavirus could not meet up with the expenses of keeping his fleet of cars, informing the decision to sell of some of the automobiles.
One of his 6 Rolls Royce cars was spotted at an auto shop in Ikeja, Lagos to be sold off to meet the demands of running the family.
The late billionaire claimed to have bought his first Rolls Royce in 1984 and had been hooked to the British car since making him the biggest collector of the brand in Nigeria.
His latest acquisition came in 2019, a Rolls Royce Culinan that was personally delivered to him in his Ikoyi, Lagos home.
Grandmum At 30! Heart Wrenching Stories Of Teen Mothers Inside Ibadan Slums
-Ayanda Ayotunde
Idayat Biobaku wakes up 5:30 am everyday, the single mother-of-four is a fish seller at the popular Oja-Oba market in Ibadan. She wakes up to keep a daily routine, a challenging life as she has three mouths to feed, clothe and shelter.
This writer has known the 30-year-old Secondary School ‘drop out’ since 2018. From the moment I step out from the car, she would run to me, shouting ‘customer’ and follows me round the market, helping me haggle with other market women who she tells ‘he is my baba-oko’ (an inlaw) before we return to her spot where I buy from her till we meet again.
On one occasion she was absent from the market, I made an enquiry and learnt she was sick and I felt it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check on her since I heard she lives some streets away from the market.
Idayat lives in a one-bedroom inside a dilapidated building around Beere. She was sitting outside feeding a baby when she spotted me and shouted ‘ah customer!’, and that was the beginning of a close relationship between us and the expose to an unusual way of living in the ‘interior’ parts of Ibadan.
Idayat became very open and ask me all the questions bothering her. I became her counsel in the area of relationship, health, finance etc. It was in the course of that I learnt she is already a grandmother, Idayat was just 30!
She is a single mother, she had three children for three different fathers, and the last child she takes with her to the market, is her grandchild, a baby named Ahmed.
Motherhood started early for Idayat. She had her first child, Anifa when she was 16 and in SS1. She dropped out of school and learnt tailoring. It was there she met a guy, Johnson who was a furniture maker. They had an affair that resulted in her having another child, a girl. Johnson, is described as a very loving man that stood by her and helped her fight her shame, unfortunately he was a victim of a gun fight between the police and the notorious ‘1 Million Boys’ some years ago in Ibadan. Johnson was killed and his family threw Idaya out claiming he wasn’t married to her and threatened to come back for his child when they have money for a DNA to determine the child’s paternity.
Idaya had a a third affair which she wasn’t willing to talk about, another child came out of that brief relationship and she ended up having four children to cater and carry about the responsibility of a 30-year-old single mum, and a grandmum at that!
She revealed she wasn’t the biological mother of the youngest child. She confessed her first child, Anifa made a similar mistake she made and got pregnant at 14 for a stranger, a man she only knew his phone number and not his address. She took the baby from her to cover the shame, Anifa now lives with a family member in Abeokuta where she is learning a trade.
Idayat story is one of the many tales surrounding teen marriages and teen pregnancy in different parts of Ibadan.
It’s not an unusual sight seeing pregnant, under-aged girls loitering markets and stalls in the city, it’s an alarming trend that moves from one generation to the other.
In 2015, an independent report claimed in Nigeria, an estimated 23 percent of women aged 15-19 years have begun childbearing, of which 17 percent have had their first child and 5 percent are pregnant with their first child. Also, 32 percent of teenagers in rural areas have begun childbearing, as opposed to 10 percent in the urban areas of Nigeria.
In 2018, the percentage in urban areas increased to 28, while no one can rightly put a figure to what it becomes in 2020.
Factors contributing to teenage pregnancy include: dowry payment, poverty, low educational status, poor quality, and access to, reproductive health services, peer pressure, tradition and culture.
Book Tour; FH Luxury Hosts Florence Ajimobi

Efe Tommy, Sep Nimi Briggs, Kuku Moemeke Hold The Funky Brunch Lagos Anniversary
