Lagos has a way of sharpening instinct, and for Tiwalola Olanubi, that instinct was digital. Long before “creator economy” became a buzzword and long before brands realised just how powerful online communities could be, he was paying attention. He grew up in the city where trends move at internet speed, and by the time he reached the University of Lagos, it was clear his curiosity wasn’t leaning toward the construction sites and measurements of Quantity Surveying, it was tilting toward media, communication, and the way people gathered around ideas online.
The turning point came in his third year when he became a Blackberry campus ambassador. It wasn’t just a gig; it was his first lesson in digital influence. Tiwalola learned how communities behave, what excites them, what sparks loyalty, and how a single device could become a cultural symbol. That experience didn’t just deepen his interest, it gave him the blueprint he would later scale across the continent.
From Campus Ambassador to Architect of Digital Culture
His early campus days were the training ground he didn’t know he would need. By promoting Blackberry across multiple schools, he started understanding something most people missed at the time: young Nigerians were shaping the future of marketing simply by being online.
The more he experimented with communication strategies, the clearer the gap became. Brands needed voices that sounded like real people. Influencers needed structure, guidance, and data. There was no bridge, just chaos, excitement, and opportunity.
So after graduation, Tiwalola made a decision that would change the landscape. He built Dotts Media House. It started small, running campaigns with a level of speed and cultural accuracy that corporate agencies simply couldn’t match. Within a few years, Dotts was involved in over half of the online campaigns happening in Nigeria (a statistic that wasn’t loud, but deeply telling).
He wasn’t just running campaigns. He was helping define what digital marketing looked like in one of the world’s most expressive, fastest-moving markets.
Read: How Three Nigerians Built a Viral AI Job App, Sorce
Building Dotts Media House, and Accidentally Building an Entire Industry
Dotts Media House would eventually evolve into Dotts Group, but the early days were the real foundation. He built a team that worked with the accuracy of a tech startup and the cultural fluency of young Nigerians who understood the internet from the inside.
The agency expanded naturally into three areas:
- Dotts Media House (campaigns and strategy)
- Dotts Co-Working Space
- Asteri Africa (booking and talent management)
These weren’t random expansions. Each one solved a real gap. Brands needed data-driven campaigns. Creators needed management. The ecosystem needed a place to meet, experiment, and grow.
By 2019, Dotts introduced something the industry didn’t even realise it was waiting for: Nigeria’s first Influencer Marketing Report (NIMR). It organized what had been a freestyle economy for years. Suddenly, creators had benchmarks. Brands had data. Agencies had structure. And the creator economy finally had language, numbers, and credibility.
With campaigns for Pepsi, Adidas, HP, Intel, ChipperCash, and other major brands, Dotts wasn’t just operating at scale, it was setting the standard for how African digital strategy should be approached.
Trendupp Africa: The Creator Economy’s First Real Power Station
Trendupp wasn’t a side project; it was a response to years of watching creators struggle without the infrastructure they deserved. Launched in 2019, the platform became the first reward-based ecosystem for African content creators.
Trendupp Awards amplified the movement. For the first time, creators were celebrated on a platform built specifically for them: cash prizes, brand collaborations, mentorship, and even a car for the overall winner. The message was simple: content creation is work, and work deserves reward.
Trendupp Africa Mag added another dimension, giving emerging creatives visibility and professional recognition. Today, Trendupp has helped thousands of creators navigate partnerships, build careers, and understand the business side of influence; something the industry lacked for years.
Read: Ire Aderinokun: Nigeria’s First Female Google Developer Expert
The Other Side of Tiwalola: Purpose, Discipline, and an Obsession With Building Systems.
Away from the campaigns and spotlight, there’s another layer. His entrepreneurial range stretches across industries, but there’s a consistent pattern: if something lacks structure, he creates one.
This explains Zarafet Loaves, his bakery; Forge & Flip, his real estate venture; and multiple tech and education-driven projects. He doesn’t build for aesthetics, he builds for impact.His dedication extends to youth development. Through CSR initiatives with NaijaHacks, Leap Africa’s Youth Day of Service, mentorship programs, and training workshops, he’s spent years helping young Africans navigate creativity and entrepreneurship with clarity.
Awards have also followed: Future Awards Africa nominations, BrandCom CEO of the Year recognitions, 40Under40 Africa, multiple entrepreneurship awards, and an honorary doctorate. But the consistency behind the accolades is what stands out.
What’s Next: Scaling African Creativity Without Diluting Its Identity
The next chapter is global. Dotts Media House has already begun expanding into Francophone Africa with plans for the Middle East and Europe. His vision is straightforward: African digital creativity should not only compete globally, it should lead.
He’s building systems that allow creators, brands, and industries to scale without sacrificing authenticity. The African voice deserves global visibility, and he’s determined to ensure it gets there with structure, support, and credibility.
Tiwalola’s story isn’t the typical “startup to spotlight” narrative. It’s the story of someone who understood the internet early, trusted the signs, and built the infrastructure others now rely on. His journey shows what happens when instinct meets consistency and when creativity meets discipline.
For more stories of Africans shaping culture, business, and innovation through originality and grit, explore the RefinedNG spotlight series — where excellence is documented in real time.