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Familusi Akin Babajide (born January 25, 1978) popularly known as FAB is a Nigerian serial entrepreneur with business interests in Fashion, Media and Hospitality. Familusi is the founder and CEO of FAB Group Africa, home to brands including Exclamations Couture, FAB Magazine , FAB Restaurant and Lounge , fab.ng and The FAB Shop. FAB is also the Executive Director for Africa at Under 40 CEOs.

MUSIC EXECUTIVE

Previously, he worked in the music industry as a Vice President A&R at Trybe Records, a Nigerian record label significantly credited with creating a new sound now termed Afrobeat and also creating a local distribution network for Nigerian music via an existing network in Alaba Market , Lagos. Trybe Records under his watch discovered and nurtured talents including Trybesmen, the trio of eLDee the Don, KB and Freestyle; Sasha; Dr Sid; Blaise; DEL; 2Shotz amongst others.

FASHION AND LIFESTYLE ENTREPRENEUR

FAB launched his flagship fashion brand, Exclamations Couture in 2001 as an undergraduate at the University of Lagos, Nigeria where he was studying Marine Biology at the time. Exclamations Couture made its debut on the runway at the Lagos Fashion Design Week and also at a private fashion event in Camden, London. By 2008, FAB would receive the Mode Men Award for Designer Of The Year. In June 2014, he would later launch the FAB Shop, a concept store that aims to not only provide a hub for African designers to reach the Lagos fashion crowd but also provide marketing support for emerging fashion design talents from Africa. As a lifestyle entrepreneur, FAB has also experimented with his own cologne FAB MAN and FAB WOMAN and would go on to launch The FAB Restaurant and Lounge in 2014 in a building that was then known as the FABoSPHERE. FAB is a trained Image Consultant. He bagged his diploma from the Blackford Institute in the United Kingdom.

MEDIA MAN

FAB would later launch the foremost fashion and lifestyle magazine from Africa - FAB Magazine in March 2010. FAB being the acronym for Fabulous, African, Black. The magazine went on to receive multiple local and global nominations which eventually earned it a Future Awards in 2011 as Magazine Of The Year. One of the notable international nominations was a BAFFTA from the United Kingdom. Until the magazine took a break from printing in 2013, the pan-African publication was distributed in 10 countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, United States of America, United Kingdom,Belgium amongst others. FAB Magazine was distributed in the United States by Barnes and Noble as well as WH Smiths across the United Kingdom.

FAB would later go on to produce a television series called The FAB Lounge where he had a chat with the biggest players in the fashion and beauty industries. On FAB Lounge FAB interviewed Yemi Osunkoya of Kosibah Creations, Mai Atafo, Banke Mesida Lawal, Bryan Okwara amongst others. He would also produce and host a syndicated lifestyle radio show called FAB Radio which had elements of fashion, beauty, entertainment and more. The radio show was distributed across Beat 99.9FM and later Rhythm FM network across three Nigeria states. FAB has interviewed the biggest names in Nigerian entertainment like Banky W, Funke Akindele, Wizkid, Dr Sid, Chidinma and Tiwa Savage amongst others.

In 2015, FAB launched Bata Media, a content production, licensing and distribution company that produces Under 40 CEOs and How To Make It In Lagos. The company also has a content catalogue of over 200 titles that it distributes across 32 countries and 84 broadcasters.

PREMIUM HOST

Having hosted his productions FAB Radio, FAB Lounge, FAB would in 2015 also host Under 40 CEOs on television where he has interviewed over 100 young business leaders from the CEO of EIB Networks in Accra, Ghana - Bola Ray to the CEO of Red Media in Lagos, Debola William and Ran Neu Ner, CEO of the largest Advertising agency at the time in South Africa.

Moderator, Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, 2016 (France)

FAB holds the record as the first West African to moderate a session on the mainstage at what is considered the biggest stage for creatives in the world - The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in France. He had the honour of hosting alongside media veterans like Stephen Sackur of the BBC; Anderson Cooper of CNN and Ryan Seacrest of E! whilst sharing the same stage as the Googles CEO, Eric Schmidt, Leslie Moonves of CBS, Mark Thompson – CEO of New York Times Magazine; Anna Wintour of Vogue Magazine plus a host of world-renowned celebrities including Will Smith, Usher, Channing Tatum and Gwyneth Paltrow amongst others.

Festival MC, Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, 2018/2019 (France)

FAB also olds record for being the first African MC to host sessions on the second largest stage in the 66-year history of the renowned Festival. He shared the stage with Rana Badawi of the BBC, Tyler Perry, David Schwimmer and a host of global CEOs hosting a record 30 sessions in 5 days in 2018 alone. In 2019 he hosted a notable session featuring Kerry Washington and made a short video backstage where Kerry spoke her husbands original native language of Igbo. The video would later go viral and get broadcasted on major platforms including the BBC. In 2019, FAB would also serve as curator for African content to the renowned festival whilst hosting the red carper and running the highlights for every day at the festival on Cannes Lions TV on their digital pass.

Moderator, Misk Global Forum, 2018 (Saudi Arabia)

Holds record as the first African Moderator at Misk Global Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an event that brings young leaders, creators and thinkers together from all corners of the globe to engage with established global innovators to explore, experience and experiment with ways to meet the challenge of change. Moderated 3 sessions on the main stage over 2 days.

PERSONAL LIFE

FAB was born born January 25, 1978. He got married to his wife Damilola Modupe Vigo Familusi on the 21st of February, 2009 in Lagos, Nigeria. The marriage has produced 2 girls aged 7 and 6 years.

REFERENCES