Biodun Shobanjo: The Railway Boy at 80

There is a video clip of Biodun Shobanjo on social media platforms that has since gone viral, in which he talks about his love for the contemporary music (Afrobeat, as they call it) of Burna Boy, Davido, Asake, and the rest of the gang. With that Shobanjo-esque boyish grin, he tells how shocked some of his friends were to hear that this 79-year-old had been at Eko Hotel last year to watch Asake in concert. That was Shobanjo reminding us that he is not the stereotypical 80-year-old. But he didn’t need to remind us. His story does not suggest itself as that of the typical 80-year-old in town. His life, like River Niger, the bank of which he was born in 1944, has run its course in a most interesting and arresting manner that continues to intrigue many within and beyond the marketing communications space, 2 decades after the doyen of Advertising in Nigeria decided on a back seat in the industry.

Indeed, the circumstances of the life of Abiodun Olusina Shobanjo, born on the bank of the River Niger in Jebba to a father who was a railway worker and a mother, who was a trader, are such that it should not surprise anyone to see him vibing to Asake’s music in the course of his daily exercise, ‘gbese-ing’ to Wizkid or dancing to the music of Davido along with his grandchildren. After all, he, along with his friend, Benson Idonije (Burna Boy’s grandfather), had been a part of the early days of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s career in music and Sunday Jump” as he made the transition from broadcasting, having all worked at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in the early 70s.

We might not know the extent to which the relationships forged in his almost 8 years in broadcasting eventually shaped the course of Shobanjo’s life. Beyond the friendships he made with music icons like Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey and his eclectic taste in music, which sees him effortlessly make the switch from church music (as a staunch Anglican) to Ayinla Omowura, Celine Dion, and then to Burna Boy, his decision to move into advertising might have been influenced by the fact that greats like Olu Falomo, Ted Mukoro, Kehinde Adeosun, Segun Ogunbunmi, Banjo Solaru, and Mac Ovbiagele had made the same transition from broadcasting into advertising before then, at the time the industry was dominated by foreign actors.

Biodun Shobanjo’s story in advertising reads like a rich tapestry across the industry from the 1970s to the 1990s. From Grant Advertising, which he took a salary cut to join in 1971, rising within a short span to become the Deputy Managing Director at the age of 31, to Insight Communications, which he founded and ran for 25 years, there is no telling the story of Advertising in Nigeria and, in fact, Marketing Communications within that period, without the name of Biodun Shobanjo occupying a pride of place. Few, if any, will disagree with the fact that he was the most dominant and influential player of that era.

The company he started in 1979 has not only outlived others founded before it, making it the oldest advertising agency in Nigeria at the moment, but it has also spun off other companies, which have become giants in their spaces. Now operating under the holding company Troyka, “Insight Redefini” has repositioned itself as a marketing innovation and business transformation business made up of 6 different marketing communications hubs: Quadrant MSL, Insight Publicis, Starcom Media Perspectives, Leo Burnett Lagos, All Seasons Zenith, and The Creative Counsel. There are 2 other companies: Optimum Exposures, which is a leader in the Out-Of-Home (OOH) industry, and Halogen Group, which started as a security company founded by him, close to 3 decades back (following the unfortunate incident of a security breach in his house). Which almost took his life, has now become a leader in “enterprise security risk management.” These companies employ, in total, about 22,000 Nigerians, making Troyka one of the largest employers of labour in Nigeria.

Going by his record in the marketing communications space, with how virtually everything he has touched has thrived, there can be no disputing that Biodun Shobanjo has the Midas touch. Yet, not much in the circumstances of Shobanjo’s humble beginnings, to the unfortunate death of his father at the age of 49, when he was only 13, would have suggested that he would achieve this much success and lead a vibrant life to the age of 80.

It is a story of providence, hard work, focus, integrity, placing a premium on relationships, and most especially, the grace of God, Shobanjo says. “According to him, there are four essential elements for success: professionalism, honour, integrity, and passion. “They come in any order, but if you have these four things, chances are that you’re going to succeed.” From his days at Ijero Baptist Primary School, Ebute-Metta, to his fortuitous sojourn as a student at Odogbolu Grammar School, from which he graduated as Head Boy, he was “quick to realise that nothing comes easy in life and that you really have to work very hard to be successful in life,” he says. Being the first child of his father, he was quick to accept the change of fortune that had come with the death of his father, the limitation of opportunities that came with that, and the responsibilities that life placed on his fragile shoulders.

He had to take up employment immediately after secondary education, first with the Customs, which he left after only six months, uncomfortable with the goings-on there, and then the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, where he started his career in broadcasting at the age of 18. It didn’t take long before he started working on improving himself to enhance his chances of working his way up. He took to the path of public relations, coming 3rd in the Commonwealth in the professional examinations, with a princely sum of 20 pounds and 20 shillings to go with it, and a public presentation ceremony at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, to celebrate his accomplishment.

That would give Shobanjo the edge and confidence in his crossover to the advertising industry, coming top in the competitive test and the only person employed by Grant Advertising among the 21 people, including university graduates, who wrote the test. “I am a very self-confident person,” he says. “With knowledge comes strength, and where I don’t have knowledge, I seek it.”

The relentless push for knowledge, a healthy dose of self-confidence, and a knack for excellence would set him apart at Grant and define his leadership at INSIGHT. He set up a system that ensured that only the best hands were recruited, refusing to compromise, even when it came to his children and family members. They had to earn their stripes, he insisted. It is not a family business, and everyone who wants to work for the company must make it through the rigorous recruitment process and learn the ropes like others. He would not short-circuit the process for anyone.

He believes strongly in the place of mentorship, sitting from time to time with Dr Christopher Kolade, who was his ‘Oga’ (Director General at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation) when Shobanjo was a studio manager there, to learn from him, years after. In his days at INSIGHT, he made extra efforts to be there for the staff, to offer advice, and to support them in their work and even beyond. “One thing I used to do…Nobody taught me…Every day, I would go around the entire agency a minimum of two times daily. I will stop at each person’s table, and I will look at what you are doing, I will ask questions, and we will chat. I will offer advice, guidance, and support.” He also ensured he was there for every member of the staff, no matter how low in rank, for their social events. The philosophy of the company was reflected in everything that he did: “If we take care of our talents and consistently do great work, fame and fortune will follow.” It is the stories of his humanity that those whose paths crossed with him at INSIGHT and other places remember him by today.

Even when he had opportunities and offers to play in other sectors, he refused and insisted on staying with his areas of strength, rejecting overtures to be a part of ventures in banking, oil, and gas. The story of Halogen, being a notable exception, as a child of circumstance.

Ever trendy, Shobanjo emphasises the need to always look presentable, something he is known for to date. “I have a specific place where I buy shoes; I know where I buy my shirts, same with my suits. I wear the same brand, perhaps boring. But it makes life easy for me. The taste is exquisite, though. My profession enjoins me to be presentable. I would pass for a trendy person.” That extends to everything else about being quick to adapt and quick to embrace new technology. He is at home with the new age and comfortably finds his way around the internet, conducting his banking transactions online. When he is not out for a social event, he spends his Saturdays watching football all day while looking forward to the regular visit from the grandchildren on Sundays after church service. It is a simple routine now, which revolves around family, a handful of friends, visits to his club, board meetings in his company, advisory services to mentees, and support for the development of his community. He feels fulfilled and thankful to God, harbouring no regrets about how he has led his life. He has travelled around the world. “There are very few places in Africa that I have not been to. I believe that part of knowledge is seeing the world.”

Shobanjo remembers his mum, who passed on in her late 90s, once asking rhetorically if it was the same UK that he could not secure a sponsor to go for a university education that he now frequents as a top executive. It was a moment of deep reflection for him and appreciation to God for his life. The same man who had to cut short his educational pursuit, first on account of lack of means and secondly, having to turn down an opportunity to go to Harvard to save the company he had only just founded, would eventually have PhDs as employees. Only a few even realise that Biodun Shobanjo has accomplished all he has without the benefit of a university education.

His is the phenomenal story of a young man, born at the bank of the River Niger, who lost his father at a young age yet fought his way up to build a company that will surely outlive him, rewriting the story of the marketing communications industry, leaving a solid legacy for his children, while inspiring thousands of people within and outside the industry to dream big. “It’s good to be big; it’s better to be good, but it’s best to be both,” he says. Indeed, he is both big and good, but he insists, however, that whatever he has accomplished is on account of the grace of God upon his life. “It’s not as if I was the most knowledgeable. It is God who inspires and enables people to achieve these feats. God has been extremely kind to me. I was barely 13 when I lost my father. The future was bleak. But look at where we are today. God has been marvellous. He has been faithful and incredible. Happy 80th Birthday to Dr Biodun Shobanjo.

Simbo Olorunfemi is a Communications Consultant and Managing Editor of Africa Enterprise, while Ade Adefeko is Director Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Olam Agri, Chairman, Industrial Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Honorary Consul of Botswana in Lagos.