Kanu Nwankwo, nicknamed Papilo, is a brand that made his name on the football pitch. Today, Papilo is a name that resonate among Nigerian football fans and brand conscious folks. His face and reputation have helped endear brands to the hearts of many consumers. And even after his soccer career, many promoters will still gladly have him endorse their brands.
Papilo is also renowned for his philanthropic gestures. Apart from the famous Kanu Heart Foundation, which has been helping underprivileged African children and young adults, living with different heart ailments in Nigeria and other African countries respectively, obtain the cardiac surgical operations needed for years, the former Arsenal player also has Papilo Studio which commenced operation in 2014.
The ultra-modern studio specialises in photography printing and sound production. THISDAY recently met with David Oluleke Aina, the manager of Papilo Studio located on Allen Avenue, Ikeja. Taking this reporter on a tour of the facility, Aina explained that Papilo Studio is equipped with technology that can compete with any other laboratory anywhere in the world.
“Papilo has really invested into this studio. It’s well equipped such that some parts are still not optimised in terms of usage. Apart from the fact that it’s a world class photography laboratory, Kanu sees it as another means of giving back to the society. Our print quality is fantastic, yet we print at a price far lower than other studios,” he stated.
Papilo’s goodwill doesn’t just rub off on other brands, it also helps further his own cause. The name Papilo has been drawing traction to the studio.
“The brand name Papilo (Kanu) has rubbed off on the brand. The patronage has been encouraging. We see new faces every day. Photographers come in from different parts of Lagos to have their works printed out. We have the young generation of musicians trooping into the music studio every day with their crazy hairstyles.”
Speaking further, the manager said recently, someone came to print his work and he loved the quality and said he would recommend the outfit to his friend, especially given the fact that the place is owned by Kanu.
For Papilo Studios, its state-of-the-art equipment also provides a platform for business in aspects of branding such as printing of flex banners, stickers, branded mug, shirts and vehicles. Coupled with increasing patronage, Aina is confident of the studio becoming a huge force to reckon with in the next few months.
