January 28, (THEWILL) – Recall that late last year, THEWILL exclusively reported the transformation of one of the branches of Cubana Night Club, the Adeola Odeku, Victoria Island branch specifically, owned by king of nightlife, Obinna Iyiegbu, aka Obinna Cubana, to Vaniti Nightclub after it was sold off.
This newspaper had reported that Obi Cubana decided to cut his losses by selling off the branch to a new owner after patronage dwindled to an all-time low with former loyal patrons deserting the club for newer clubs that sprung up on the island.
Ironically, the patronage at the much newer branch of the club located in Ikeja GRA has been on an upward swing, with many night crawlers residing on the mainland preferring it to other clubs on the Lagos mainland and an even much newer one just a stone throw away.
Well, the promoters of Vaniti NightClub are two dynamic young men named Uyi Ogbebor and Ayokunle Akinbode. Ironically, Uyi once worked with Obi Cubana as a public relations manager at his Cubana Night Club, Abuja until he resigned, following irreconcilable differences.
Both Uyi and Ayokunle run HWP Group, a media, entertainment and hospitality company under whose umbrella, top clubs like, Moscow Underground, Hustle and Bustle, Whiskey Mistress, Magic City and restaurants like Chow by Moscow and Tiki Cultures, all operate in the capital city.
Uyi, who most people regard as the face of the group, is also a real estate entrepreneur with an ongoing estate project in the heart of Abuja named Apex Garden Estate.
While Ayokunle is a graduate of Covenant University, Uyi is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from Igbinedion University. An innovator in the tourism and entertainment sector, the HWP Group’s strength lies in its partnerships with some luxury brands such as LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), British American tobacco, and Trace Nigeria. Back in 2018, Forbes rated the duo to be on a mission to own one of the best media, entertainment and hospitality companies in Nigeria by 2025.
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