Seyi Tinubu: Building Success Beyond the Family Name

General Colin Powell once said, “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” Few modern Nigerian entrepreneurs embody this more than Oluseyi Afolabi Tinubu popularly known as Seyi Tinubu. While the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu enjoys the encouragement of his parents, his career path proves that his achievements are built on personal ambition, resilience, and strategic innovation — not inheritance.

Contrary to popular belief, Seyi’s rise is not simply a product of political influence. Driven by a desire to earn his father’s respect, he charted his own course early, venturing into industries far from his father’s political sphere — especially marketing communication and digital enterprise.

After graduating from the Nigerian Law School and being called to the Bar, Seyi faced a choice: pursue law or carve a path in business. Choosing the boardroom, he partnered with his childhood friend Adenrele Olusoga to explore entrepreneurial opportunities. Their early venture — an online movie streaming platform — failed, but it sparked Seyi’s interest in the digital space.

That interest gave birth to Loatsad Promomedia, a leading Nigerian digital and out-of-home advertising company, co-founded with Olusoga and supported by his then-fiancée (now wife), Layal. Without financial backing from his father, they pooled resources from previous ventures, secured licensing, and quickly positioned Loatsad as a formidable player in the advertising industry.

Over the years, Seyi expanded operations with SDM Communications, pioneering several firsts in Nigeria’s digital advertising sector:

• Exclusive partner for Truecaller after-call and in-app ads (2016–2018), selling over 85% of national ad inventory to top banks, FMCG brands, and real estate firms.
• Among the first agencies to run Snapchat ad campaigns in Nigeria from 2015.
• Exclusive reseller for Shazam Ads in Nigeria (2014–2018), facilitating high-impact campaigns for musicians and consumer brands until Apple’s acquisition ended the deal.
• Strategic collaborations with WeTransfer, Admaxim, Rocketfuel, and Airpush to deliver innovative ad solutions nationwide.

Through calculated risk-taking, a willingness to learn from failure, and an unshakable determination to excel, Seyi has grown Loatsad/SDM into an industry leader with ambitions to dominate African advertising and compete globally.

His story underscores a universal business truth: success comes from vision, courage, disciplined financial planning, and a touch of divine favour — not merely from a famous name.