Segun Adewumi Gabriels: Premium Lifestyle Connoisseur Who is Taking Social Entrepreneurship, Nightlife a Notch Higher  

Premium lifestyle connoisseur, Segun Adewumi Gabriels, known in most circles as Api Lifestyle, is a Nigerian-born social entrepreneur who is taking the nightlife business a notch higher. A quintessential mover and shaker of entertainment in Africa, Gabriels, through his company Apitainment curates good times through events, businesses and social gatherings like the Drip City Pool Party, Nights Like This Abuja, Fluxx Urban Luxury Party, Baller’s League, Carnival and The Garage Party, amongst several others. Although the Abuja-based entertainment industrialist and social reformist is a graduate of Theatre and Performing Arts from Ahmadu Bello University, his foray into the world of premium entertainment has proven to be a calling that is yielding dividends. With the opening of his night club, Tokyo Nightlife in Abuja, this has set him on the trajectory of living up to the billing as the king of nightlife. For those in the know, the club offers a wide variety of music selection by renowned disc jockeys, which coupled with its aesthetics and vibe, appeal to a diverse audience who seek premium entertainment. Given the successes recorded with the club, the entertainment guru, who stresses that his selling point is built around giving his customers a sense of belonging, also tells Chiemelie Ezeobi how he constantly wants to motivate others to ‘Never Stop, Never Settle ‘

You describe yourself as a social entrepreneur and nightlife influencer, what exactly does that mean?

Simply put being a social entrepreneur just means I earn a living by providing social activities and entertainment. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. And being a nightlife influencer, well, from the context, that too is a bit self explanatory. We live in an era of influence, which to me is just a positive term for pressure.

And in this case, the ability to convince people to spend their hard earned money at my club or parties is a skill I bless God for everyday of my life. Haha.

You are a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University where you studied Theatre and Performing arts. Why did you deviate to join the hospitality sector?

I have said this before, that I really don’t see it as a deviation. Theatre and performing arts groomed me to be able to pull out extrovert tendencies within me. So you can say my formal education also plays a role in my current occupation and ambitions. 

Give us a detailed breakdown of the journey so far, highlighting your greatest moments as well as challenges

It has been quite an amazing journey so far, and I bless God for it all. Sometimes I sit and I’m in awe of what he is using us to do. I think about the 80+ staff, that are able to cater to themselves and they families, these are the real WINS, it is not just about paying, but also touching lives. As for the party aspect, that’s another story entirely.

We’ve been banging hard since the 7th of December, every weekend as well as holidays and its been quite a thrill.

Tokyo Nightlife is best experienced not explained. I mean, its sufficient for those who don’t have the ability to be here for one or two reasons, but if you reside in Abuja and Tokyo isn’t your go-to destination when it comes to premium lifestyle entertainment, that’s a big mistake.

From events like the CARNIVAL, which was on Sunday, the 23rd of April, and live musical performances, from the likes of Seyi Vibes, Peruzzi, Zlatan, to name a few, and celebrity and influencers presence at all times, it has been a busy five months and we are only just getting started.

I appreciate everyone that has been with us on this journey, especially my colleagues and counterparts, because that’s what I see them as, not just competition.

I even showed how much I am interested in maintaining relationships with them, and this can be seen in the just concluded Baller’s League, which held on 26th of March. It was not-so-serious football match between the major clubs in Abuja. I call it not-so-serious because it was more about the fun, and less about the sport as a competition.

A few of the things I take pride in, is our reservation-based method of table bookings, valet parking, which gives our customers the sense of belonging, our top notch security, ample space in the club for every customer to have a good time, our in-house professional dancers, our world class DJs, hypemen, drummers, sound designers and lights controller.

But with all this, it amounts to nothing if our tables aren’t filled with our customers who I really want to thank for giving me the opportunity to prove myself, so I can share my story and be an inspiration and source of motivation to someone out there, with a simple message that it is possible. NEVER STOP NEVER SETTLE.

We have a busy schedule lined up for the rest of the year and you can bet on it that there will be none like us.

As a player in the hospitality food-chain yourself, how do you unwind and refuel your batteries from burn out?

You know a lot of people see our posts and believe perhaps that we aren’t humans. Like we don’t eat or sleep. I like my alone time so much, that once I’m out of work mode, my bed and couch becomes my best friend. Not necessarily sleeping but resting, watching shows on YouTube, while still being all around social media, and basically being a regular human being.