From starting a blog with just ₦500 and a second-hand BlackBerry phone to building a digital publishing platform and a TikTok audience of more than 80,000 followers, Alphonso Olajide Babatunde is steadily establishing his place in Nigeria’s evolving digital media and entertainment industry.
Nigeria’s digital media industry has experienced remarkable growth, driven by independent publishers, content creators and entrepreneurs who are redefining how information, entertainment and culture reach audiences. Among the emerging personalities contributing to this transformation is Alphonso Olajide Babatunde, a Nigerian blogger, publisher, digital strategist and entertainment entrepreneur, best known as the founder of EyesofLagos.com.
Through his work in digital publishing, social media management, music promotion and online brand development, Alphonso has built a professional journey that reflects resourcefulness, persistence and an understanding of the opportunities presented by the digital economy.
His story is particularly notable for its humble beginnings. What started as an attempt to create an opportunity for himself has gradually developed into a broader ambition to establish a media and technology organisation with international reach.
From ₦500 and a Second-Hand BlackBerry to Digital Media Entrepreneurship
Alphonso’s journey into digital entrepreneurship began against a background of financial limitations and interrupted educational plans.
After gaining admission to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), his family was unable to raise the tuition fees required for him to continue his education. Rather than abandon his ambitions, he began working at a friend’s mother’s café.
It was during this period that he discovered blogging.
Armed with approximately ₦500 and a second-hand BlackBerry phone, Alphonso began exploring online publishing, gradually learning how to create content, attract readers and build an online presence.
The modest blogging venture eventually became a source of financial opportunity, helping him raise money to register for another Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination.
He subsequently gained admission to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied Computer Science.
Those early experiences became important foundations for his entrepreneurial outlook. They introduced him to the possibilities of the internet and demonstrated how digital skills could create opportunities even when conventional resources were limited.
Building EyesofLagos: The Vision Behind Eyes of Lagos Media
One of Alphonso’s most significant professional achievements is the development of EyesofLagos.com, a Nigerian digital media platform covering entertainment, lifestyle, personalities, culture, business and trending developments.
Often referenced as Eyes of Lagos or EyesofLagos, the platform was established with the ambition of creating a digital publishing brand capable of connecting stories, personalities and audiences.
The platform’s growth reflects Alphonso’s understanding of the relationship between online publishing, search engine visibility and social media distribution.
Over time, EyesofLagos.com has developed into more than a conventional entertainment blog. Its wider objectives include promoting emerging talent, providing visibility for businesses, supporting creative professionals and documenting developments within Nigerian society.
The platform has also benefited from content distribution across online communities, including Nairaland, helping its publications reach readers beyond its direct website audience.
With a reported readership exceeding 100,000 monthly visits, EyesofLagos continues to pursue opportunities within Nigeria’s competitive digital publishing industry.
For Alphonso, the long-term objective is to develop EyesofLagos into a recognised African media organisation with the capacity to compete internationally.
A Digital Audience of More Than 80,000 TikTok Followers and 30 Million Views
Beyond website publishing, Alphonso has increasingly explored the influence of short-form video and social media distribution.
Through the EyesofLagos digital media presence on TikTok, he has demonstrated an understanding of how compelling content, audience engagement and consistent publishing can generate significant online visibility.
In a period of just nine months, the TikTok platform recorded more than 80,000 followers and accumulated over 30 million video views.
The achievement represents a significant milestone in his digital media journey, particularly within Nigeria’s increasingly competitive creator economy.
TikTok has become an important distribution channel for entertainment publishers, independent journalists, music promoters and digital entrepreneurs. Its ability to connect content with audiences beyond an account’s immediate followers has created new opportunities for media brands.
For Alphonso, the platform provides another avenue through which EyesofLagos can reach audiences, amplify stories and introduce emerging personalities to a wider digital community.
His approach reflects a broader understanding that the future of digital publishing will depend not only on written content but also on video storytelling, social distribution and the ability to build engaged online communities.
The combination of EyesofLagos.com and its social media platforms forms part of his wider ambition to establish an integrated digital media organisation.
Professional Experience and Digital Marketing Expertise
Alphonso’s professional development has involved engagements with businesses, media organisations and entertainment brands.
His experience includes working with Eyes of Lagos Media, Ibejulekkilawyer, Gtext Media, PropertyGallery, Osas Vision Music and Mixnaija Entertainment.
Across these professional environments, he has contributed to digital marketing, website administration, social media management, content development and online brand positioning.
His academic background in Computer Science has also influenced his approach to digital business, allowing him to combine technical understanding with creative communication and audience development.
His core areas of specialisation include:
- Website development and digital publishing.
- Search engine optimisation and online visibility.
- Digital marketing and social media strategy.
- Visual communication and promotional design.
- Content creation, blogging and online journalism.
- Music promotion and digital entertainment marketing.
- Brand development and audience engagement.
These skills have become central to his work as a digital entrepreneur and his plans for expanding EyesofLagos into additional areas of the technology and creative industries.
The 2017 Breakthrough That Increased His Visibility
A defining moment in Alphonso’s blogging journey came in 2017 when one of his major news stories attracted significant online attention.
The publication gained visibility through Instablog9ja and subsequently attracted further attention on Nairaland, one of Nigeria’s established online discussion communities.
The exposure represented an important milestone for his publishing ambitions and helped strengthen the visibility of his work.
For an independent blogger building a platform with limited resources, the experience reinforced the importance of timely reporting, compelling headlines and understanding how stories travel across Nigeria’s online communities.
It also strengthened his belief that independent digital publishers could establish meaningful audiences without necessarily depending on traditional media institutions.
Contributions to Nigerian Music Promotion and Entertainment
Alphonso’s involvement in the entertainment industry extends beyond blogging and digital journalism.
Through music promotion and digital marketing, he has participated in campaigns and projects connected to Nigerian artists and entertainment personalities, including Tclassic, DJ Baddo, DJ Humility, Portable, Kogbagidi and Bilique.
One of the notable experiences in his career involved being part of the promotional team associated with Tclassic, contributing to efforts aimed at expanding the artist’s visibility and taking Nigerian music to wider audiences.
His involvement alongside industry collaborators, including Mixnaija Entertainment, formed part of his experience within the Nigerian music promotion and distribution ecosystem.
For Alphonso, music promotion represents an important intersection between entertainment, digital marketing and audience development.
He believes independent artists require more than good music to succeed in an increasingly competitive industry. They also need strategic publicity, effective distribution, audience engagement and consistent brand positioning.
This philosophy has informed his involvement in music marketing and his broader interest in building a media organisation that can support African creative talent.
Mentorship, Professional Development and Personal Influences
Alphonso acknowledges the contributions of individuals whose guidance and influence have helped shape his personal and professional development.
Among those he recognises is his late elder brother, Alphonso Kehinde, whose early guidance and influence played an important role in his formative years.
He also acknowledges Dr. Stephen Akintayo, Chief Executive Officer of Gtext Media, whose mentorship and professional environment helped him develop a better understanding of corporate structures, professionalism, consistency and organisational discipline.
Another important influence is Mr. Lucky Ekenonmaghele, whom Alphonso regards as a mentor and father figure. His guidance has strengthened Alphonso’s understanding of accountability, responsibility, discipline and proactive leadership.
These relationships have contributed to his approach to business development, professional relationships and long-term personal growth.
The Bigger Vision: Media, Technology and African Creative Industries
Although EyesofLagos remains a central part of his entrepreneurial journey, Alphonso’s ambitions extend beyond digital publishing.
His long-term vision is to develop a diversified media and technology organisation that can operate across several sectors of the digital economy.
Among his major objectives are:
1. Building an International African Media Company
He intends to expand EyesofLagos into a major media organisation capable of discovering African talent, documenting important stories and connecting African creativity with international audiences.
2. Establishing a Record Label
Another ambition is to establish a music division that will discover, develop and promote emerging African musicians while providing opportunities for sustainable careers in the entertainment industry.
3. Developing an IT and Digital Solutions Company
He also plans to build a technology company offering website development, application development, digital marketing and software solutions for individuals and businesses.
4. Developing Business Automation Technology
Alphonso is interested in creating technology solutions that simplify organisational operations through data management, recruitment integration and business process automation.
His vision is to develop applications that reduce paperwork, improve efficiency and help businesses manage their operations more effectively.
5. Creating Opportunities for Young Africans
An important part of his long-term ambition involves investing in young people through practical opportunities in media, entertainment, technology and digital entrepreneurship.
He believes access to relevant skills, mentorship and professional opportunities can help young Africans participate more effectively in the global digital economy.
Why Alphonso Olajide Babatunde’s Journey Matters
The story of Alphonso Olajide Babatunde offers an example of how digital entrepreneurship can emerge from modest beginnings.
His experience demonstrates the importance of identifying opportunities, developing practical skills and using available resources to create something with long-term potential.
From a young man exploring blogging with a second-hand mobile phone to an entrepreneur building EyesofLagos.com and developing a social media audience of more than 80,000 followers, his journey reflects the changing nature of media ownership and digital business in Nigeria.
His experience also highlights the growing relationship between traditional blogging, social media publishing, entertainment marketing and technology.
As Nigerian media continues to evolve, entrepreneurs who understand these different areas may play an increasingly important role in determining how African stories, music and creative talent reach global audiences.
EyesofLagos Is Only the Beginning
Alphonso Olajide Babatunde represents a generation of Nigerian digital entrepreneurs seeking to build beyond conventional career boundaries.
His journey from financial limitations to digital publishing, from blogging to entertainment promotion, and from website development to building a substantial TikTok audience reflects an entrepreneurial outlook shaped by persistence and continuous learning.
Through EyesofLagos.com, also known as Eyes of Lagos, he continues to develop a platform that connects entertainment, culture, business and digital storytelling.
His ambitions for the future extend into music, software development, business automation and international media.
While much of this vision remains a work in progress, the foundation has already been established.
For Alphonso, EyesofLagos is not simply a website or entertainment publication. It represents the starting point of a larger ambition to build a Nigerian-born media and technology organisation with the capacity to create opportunities, promote African creativity and reach audiences around the world.