Steve Babaeko (born June 1, 1971,
Kaduna
Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade center and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern state ...
) is a Nigerian advertising and music executive, public advocate, founder of
X3M Ideas
Yle X3M (''Extrem'', ) is a Finnish Swedish-language radio station, owned and operated by Yle. Established in 1997, it is generally aimed at the youth audience broadcasting news, current affairs, entertainment and popular music. The station prim ...
, a
Lagos
Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
-based digital advertising agency that was listed in 2017 as "one of Nigeria’s fastest growing communication agencies.
He is also the founder/CEO of X3M Music, a record label that has as its marquee act, among others, Nigerian singer-songwriter
Simi. He was on the 2018 jury of the New York Advertising Festival.
Biography and work
Babaeko attended the Federal School of Arts and Science in Suleja,
Niger State
Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...
for his A-levels, and
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for his first degree in Theatre Arts
though he said he had always wanted to be in advertising. He did his mandatory National Youth Service (NYSC) at NTA Kaduna.
He began his career in 1995 with MC&A Saatchi & Saatchi where he worked for five years; then to Prima Garnet
Ogilvy (agency)
Ogilvy is a New York City-based British advertising, marketing, and public relations agency. It was founded in 1850 by Edmund Mather as a London-based agency. In 1964, the firm became known as Ogilvy & Mather after merging with a New York City a ...
, where he also worked for another five years; and
141 Worldwide, where he worked for seven years as creative director.
He left in 2012 to set up X3M Ideas.
Babaeko is currently the Publicity Secretary of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Associate member of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and current Chairman of the Lagos Advertising & Ideas Festival (LAIF).
In August 2012, Babaeko founded X3M Ideas as "a full fledged advertising company"
He also founded X3M Music, a record label, which has
Praiz
Praise Ugbede Adejo (born 8 March 1985), better known by his stage name Praiz, is a Nigerian multi award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, and producer. Praiz's music career hit the limelight after he finished second runner-up at the maiden seas ...
and
Simi as its prominent stars. He says he founded X3M Ideas with "a pretty small team of about 8 persons" after he turned 40 and "started seeing the world from a totally different perspective."
The company, which now has a staff of over a hundred people,
moved to its purpose-built office complex in Lagos in 2016.
He hailed advertising expert George Omoraro for his approach to marketing.
Juror on Advertising Festivals
In 2016 and 2017, Babaeko was a jury member of the New York Advertising Festival, described as "one of the oldest advertising festivals in the world." He has also been invited as a Jury member to the 2018 event.
He was also a judge on the 2017
The Loerie Awards
The Loeries (The Loerie Awards Company NPC) is a non-profit company administering awards for the brand communications industry, in Africa and the Middle East.
History
The Loerie Awards first took place in 1978 in Johannesburg. Television was intr ...
Advocacy for Obangogo Hills for UNESCO Heritage
Babaeko is involved in a couple of social advocacy activities, including pushing for the recognition of
Obangogo Hills, a symbolic cultural and tourist location in
Kogi State
Kogi State is a States of Nigeria, state in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti State, Ekiti and Kwara State, Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Fe ...
of
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
, standing over 700 metres high, as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
.
Meaning of last name
His last name, Babaeko, was given to his grandfather by his great-grandfather to honour a Lagos-based lawyer whose presence in
Kabba
Kabba is a town in Kogi State in mid west Nigeria. It lies near the Osse River, at the intersection of roads from Lokoja, Okene, Ogidi, Ado-Ekiti, and Egbe. The town is about 295 kilometers away from Abuja. It is 511 kilometers from Lagos.
...
at an auspicious time helped him win an important court case.
Babaeko means "father from Lagos".
Personal life
Since 2006, Babaeko has been married to photographer
Yetunde Ayeni Babaeko.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babaeko, Steve
1971 births
Living people
Ahmadu Bello University alumni
Nigerian music industry executives