Tosin Taiwo

Long before the fame, his goal was simply the American dream: an SUV, a Ford truck, and the suburbs. But after losing his college scholarships in Michigan, M.I. Abaga was forced back to Nigeria and officially denied a U.S. visa.   Earning a 9,000 Naira monthly salary at an internet cafe in Jos, he had to completely rebuild his identity. Today, he is a legendary hip-hop artist and the architect beh...

Feeling trapped in a "safe" career? Watch this before you make a move. When Taiwo Adeyemi abandoned his civil engineering degree in his third year, his family made him sign a legal undertaking to absolve themselves of his "stupidity."  Today, he is the Chief Executive at BoxxCulture, former manager to Tunde Onakoya, and the culture connector behind some of the most influential talent in Africa's e...

In 2014, Moses Babatope stood in a room full of Nigeria's most distinguished guests for the premiere of Half of a Yellow Sun. He was the man responsible.  From the first frame to the last, the picture was pixelated and the sound was muffled. He wanted to disappear. He never spoke about it publicly. Until now.  In this episode of Growth Through Failure, Moses, Co-founder of Filmhouse Group and CEO...

She had spent years working towards it. In 2023, at 32, she finally got the Chief Brand Officer role she had been groomed for since 2016.  The co-founders had waited specifically for her. The investors were excited. It felt like everything was falling into place. Ten months later, her contract was terminated mid-meeting, without warning.  In this episode of Growth Through Failure, Koromone, aka La...

For years, Tunde Onakoya did one thing: use chess to change the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He broke the world record for the longest chess marathon, 60 consecutive hours in Times Square, New York.  The world was watching. Then he took out a bank loan, designed a chess board he believed in with everything he had, and only sold one. In this episode of Growth Through Failure, h...

At 19, Jola Ayeye was convinced she would never make it. She guessed 80% of a university exam, failed the module, and told Durham: even if I do a resit, I will fail again. Today she is the co-creator of I Said What I Said, one of Africa's most beloved podcasts, with sold-out shows in Lagos, London and New York. In this episode of Growth Through Failure, she shares exactly how she found her way out...

He had the track record, the talent, and the proof. Yet, the UK Global Talent Visa still said no. In this episode of 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲, Ope Aikomo, Paystack’s first employee and a key architect of one of Africa’s landmark fintech exits, unpacks what that rejection revealed about the art of self-presentation and the burden of proof.  It is a lesson on why everyone is in sales, whether they rea...

He directed a critically acclaimed music video for 𝗧𝗶𝘄𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗴𝗲. His next client made 20 people publicly vote on his work. They rejected it. In my latest 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 episode, filmmaker 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗷𝗶 𝗞𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗲-𝗘𝗸𝘂𝗻 shares the raw story of professional setback, the danger of ceding creative control, and the split-second decision to give a costly refund, just to protect his name. A powerful conversat...

She applied to over 16 of the world's most elite universities, including the Ivy League. The pressure was so immense, it led to a full breakdown in the middle of an airport. In this episode of Growth Through Failure, celebrated artist Bunmi Agusto shares the unfiltered story of navigating academic pressure, rejection, and the mental health toll of chasing a version of success that wasn't her own....

She invested her $5,000 life savings into a Lagos souvenir business. The margins were terrible, the business failed, and the depression that followed lasted three months. In this episode of Growth Through Failure, Oluwalanu Agusto shares the unfiltered story of iHeart Lagos, and how that painful failure became the foundation for her success.   TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 0:36 The Failure Story 05:53 Th...

He was a rising star in one of Nigeria's top banks, on a path paved by family legacy. After ten years, he had the promotions, the connections, and the secure future. But during the End SARS protests, a values clash forced a choice between his career and his conscience. In this episode of Growth Through Failure, I sit down with Dare Aderinokun (Bosco), the founder of Quacktails. He shares the unfil...

They were promised $150,000 in a prestigious accelerator. After 18 months of gruelling work, they got nothing. But what if that was the best thing that ever happened to them? In this episode of Growth Through Failure, the founders of This Is Us share their story of turning a crushing rejection into a thriving, self-funded business.   TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 0:45 The Failure Story  09:00 The Emotion...

His first e-commerce launch was a catastrophe. The site crashed in 5 minutes. The entire marketing budget, wasted. Instead of folding, Prince Nnamdi Ekeh, the man now building the "Amazon of Africa" with Konga, flipped the script. He turned the public failure into a PR win that skyrocketed his brand. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 2:12 The Failure Story  9:48 The Emotional Toll 11:14...

His manager stole $100,000 and nearly destroyed his career. This is how Fisayo Fosudo rebuilt everything. Africa's top tech YouTuber shares the painful, untold story of betrayal, police involvement, and the lessons that made him a stronger leader. A masterclass in turning your deepest wound into your greatest strength. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 2:12 The Failure Story  11:10 The E...

After ten years of building one of Nigeria's most beloved fashion brands, Rukky Ladoja of Dye Lab walked away. In this episode of Growth Through Failure, she shares the painful but powerful story of closing her first brand, Grey, and how that "failure" became the foundation for her globally recognized new venture.   We explore: The emotional struggle of giving up on a decade-long dream. Why she ha...

Welcome to the first official episode of Growth Through Failure.   What happens when one of Nigeria's top coders gets rejected by Google? She flips the script. In our debut episode, I sit down with tech entrepreneur and investor Ire Aderinokun (who happens to be my wife!), to discuss her year-long journey of facing rejection from the world's biggest tech companies.   We explore: • The emotional to...

On Monday, I confessed my fears. Today, it's official. This is the official launch of my new brand; a playbook for anyone looking to understand and build in Africa. After a decade of experience, I'm creating a new narrative beyond despair and hype with an authentic, African-led strategic toolkit. In this video, you'll discover my three pillars: • Africa on Monday: Strategic insights on African new...