…When friends and associates shutdown Abuja, Nigeria’s Political Capital city to celebrate Obi Cubana’s 50th birthday
Obinna Iyiegbu, famously known as Obi Cubana, is not given to doing things in half measures. Whatever he sets out to do, he does in grand style, much in the same manner he has become the mythical King Midas whose every touch turns into gold. It has become something of a tradition for him that every business venture he goes into turns out a huge success.
Some may misunderstand his lifestyle to depict extravagance and nothing other than showmanship, perhaps because his almost every day social media presence that presents him always in celebratory mood with friends at different occasions. Those who hold this view miss the point. They are oblivious of the fact that Cubana’s flagship business, the one that brought him to national limelight, is a mixture of hospitality and entertainment. The import of such revelry, which is the promotion of entertainment business not just for himself, but generally, is lost on such critics.
Cubana’s love for glamour and celebration caught national attention in July, 2021, when the then 46-year old relatively known entrepreneur buried his mother, in an event that turned out to be Nigeria’s biggest party of the year. While many may not remember the other equally important features of the funeral, what nobody can forget is the fact that 400 cows, 72 goats and 20 rams were slaughtered to feed guests from literally all walks of life. It is also worth remembering that Cubana buried his mother in a N30 million, gold-plated casket. And for befitting memorabilia, he got the face of his mother engraved in a pendant in a diamond chain that cost $100,000.
Cubana re-enacted the spectacle of his mother’s burial on Saturday, April 12, 2025, when he celebrated his 50th birthday, in a manner only he could have done. The event was nothing short of a bold statement of his huge social capital networth made up of people, friends and associates from all walks of life, entertainment, business, politics, fashion, media etc. Before the event, there had been a buildup in form of a countdown 50 days before D-Day, which heightened expectations about the nature of the Golden Jubilee celebration of arguably Nigeria’s most iconic hospitality and nightlife promoter. The exercise, the first of its kind that anyone can remember, served notice that Nigerians were about to witness a birthday like no other, with a potential for Guinness World book of record and a birthday of the century.
A remarkable feature of the countdown was the launch of a campaign tagged, Golden Age with God Bar. The promotion, which was in partnership with Gold Bar Whiskey, offered participants an opportunity to win various prizes that included a Gold Bar-branded luxury car, supply of Gold Bar Whiskey, VIP invitation to the birthday celebrations in Abuja and Lagos, as well as a one-on-one meeting with Cubana at the event for photo opportunities. It also featured a competition for the best 50th birthday logo design, with a cash prize of N2 million for the winner.
It bears mentioning that, just as it was when Cubana buried his mother, the expenses for the birthday celebration were not borne solely by him, that is, if, indeed, he spent anything from his pocket. The costs were borne mainly by his friends, business associates and those he helped to climb the ladder of success, or those whose life he touched one way or the other. The event presented an opportunity for them to not only identify with him on the achievement of an important milestone, but also to appreciate him for his contributions to whatever they are today. During the 50-day countdown, they turned up with different kinds of donations, in cash and materials, including foodstuff and everything that was required to make the birthday celebration a memorable one. They came in their numbers, from within and outside the country, to say “thank you” for his contributions to making them what they are today.
The heavy involvement of friends and associates in Cubana’s Golden Jubilee celebration speaks to the huge social net worth he has been able to build over many years of networking and building relationship with people that are relevant to his business, within and outside the country. It confirms the truism that you rise by lifting others.
In 2021, it was something of a competition, with friends and associates falling over themselves to see who would donate the highest number of cows. This time around, there was a touch of ingenuity in the contributions some of the friends made to the celebration. For instance, Ituma Chukwuemeka, proprietor of Enviable Transport Limited, threatened to take the shine off other contributors with a donation of 50 tricycles delivered in two trailers. He was matched only by CIG Motors, which rolled out 50 mini-buses, with Cubana’s face adorning the vehicles, as though meant for election campaign. In honour of the king of night life, Samsung Nigeria hosted an exclusive event tagged, “The Night Before 50”, a day to the birthday, at which event it gave out 50 S25 smartphones to guests, in Cubana’s name. Sonia Foods registered its name on the list of donors with 2,000 cartons of tomatoes. There were gifts of 50 rams and 50 Bibles. Lola Andy of Deeutensils Abuja gave 50 food warmers. The hall for the main event was scented by a renowned fragrance company, Shaphire Scents owned by Adewale Aladejana. Worthy of mention is the fact that the number of items donated in each category – 50 – was meant to symbolize the event Cubana was celebrating.
The main birthday event on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, was the best that could be described in terms of glamour, glitz, razzmatazz, colour and splendor. It was a roll call of who is who in Nigeria’s entertainment industry, as well as business, politics, fashion and media. The roll call of politicians included Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election; Senator EyinnanyaAbirbe, from Abia State; Senator Christ Ngige, former minister of labour; Senator Dino Melaye and Emeka Ihedioha, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Many members of the national Assembly were also present including the Deputy speaker, Benjamin Kalu. Highlife sensation, Flavour, was among many musicians and entertainers that entertained guests.
The high-octane party provided an opportunity for those who did not make their donations before the birthday to do so conspicuously, perhaps as a deliberate strategy to share the spotlight with the celebrant. Among those who fell into this category was an anonymous donor who made a grand entry into the venue, full of drama and followed by scantily dressed young men and women in traditional attire, with 10 of the men carrying one treasure box each filled with N10 million in cash. The man made a cash donation N100 million neatly arranged on the floor for all to see – not sprayed, apparently in order not to attract the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Another exceptional donor, CEO of Malivelihood luxury gifted Cubana a green-coloured Rolex wrist watch emblazoned with the Nigerian coat of arms, which was rumoured to be worth N1 billion.
Cubana describes himself as an accidental businessman. He comes from a family of civil servants, engineers, surveyors, etc, and had hoped to follow in their footsteps. But one thing was certain for him – he knew he would be successful in life – in whichever area he would go into, and would be a role model for others. The dream of being a role model would later become a prophesy foretold, as he has not only realized that dream, but is also a mentor who has nurtured and facilitated the growth and success of many others.
What is in a name? There’s a lot in a name. There are many who link the success story of the Anambra-born businessman to his choice of name for his empire that covers hospitality, entertainment, agriculture, bitter Beverages, transportation and real estate, among others. He had visited South Africa, where his wife went for the delivery of their second son, and saw the name, Cubana, an entertainment centre, and fell in love with it. He resolved to take the name back to Nigeria, which he considered a bigger market than South Africa.
Today, Obinna has built Cubana into a global brand, such that people think South Africa took the name from Nigeria, not knowing it is actually the other way round. The Cubana Group’s first line of business, night club, is among the most notable in Nigeria, in terms of standard and class of clientele, attracting the richest, which include celebrities, music, movie and football stars, especially in Abuja and Lagos.
A smart businessman who can smell a business from afar, Cubana recognized the potential for bitters in the Nigerian alcoholic beverage market and dived into it, with production of Odogwu Bitters. The Odogwu brand is today a favourite among the country’s youths and those usually referred to as big boys, at parties, night clubs and lounges.
He identified a market for tricycles in a country with a huge transport infrastructure deficit and tapped into it by setting up a company for local assembly of the vehicle that has become the most popular means of transportation in all the states of the federation. This informed the choice of 50 tricycles as birthday gift by Enviable Transport Limited. At the time he held the birthday bash, Cubana had given out 30 of the vehicles. It is possible, by the time you read this, he would have given out the entire number to help people have a start in life.
Cubana enjoys luxury, and spares no cost to give his family of seven the best that money can buy in any part of the world. He lives in a well-appointed mansion, and drives the most exotic vehicles. But his joy and satisfaction do not come from the opulent lifestyle he lives. His satisfaction comes from the number of lives he touches on a daily basis, those whose lives he helps to change, including those on whose table he helps to put food every day – chefs, waiters, bartenders, managers, cleaners, security personnel, etc – who earn money working directly for him, as well as vendors and suppliers.
He derives satisfaction from people who become successful in business through his mentorship and guidance. It gives him joy to know he has helped to launch young men and women on the path of progress in their chosen areas of business, with the multiplier effects of boosting the economy and creating jobs. This is in line with his belief that local businesses must be supported to succeed, as the only pathway to the country’s economic growth. Cubana’s dream for the next 50 years, if God spares his life, is to have opportunity to nurture more entrepreneurs and create more millionaires who would, in turn, mentor others and provide more jobs to take more people off the streets – for a Nigeria where the standard of living would be higher than what it is today.
