At 80, Sir Steve Omojafor still stands where Nigeria’s Advertising story begins.

Indeed, eighty years is a long walk through time. For Sir Steve Bamidele Omojafor, it is a walk marked not merely by age, but by footprints
deep, unmistakable impressions left on an industry he helped imagine, build, steady, and defend.

Moreover, as he turns 80, the celebration is not just of a birthday. It is the celebration of a life that has become inseparable from the story of Nigeria’s advertising and integrated marketing communications industry itself.

Furthermore,to speak of its evolution,  its early audacity, its discipline, its values, its battles, and its aspirations is, inevitably, to speak of Sir Steve Omojafor.

So, from boardrooms to agency floors, from regulatory debates to moments of quiet mentorship, his presence has long been both compass and conscience.

A Builder From the First Generation

However,Sir Steve Omojafor belongs to a rare generation the builders. Men who entered an unformed landscape and, through vision and courage, laid foundations strong enough to carry decades of growth.

Meanwhile, his journey into advertising began in the early 1970s, following a two-year stint as a journalist at Daily Times.

Consequently, journalism sharpened his sense of narrative, truth, and responsibility qualities that would later define his advertising philosophy.

Therefore, when he transitioned into advertising in 1972 at Lintas, he arrived not merely to work, but to learn, to observe, and eventually to lead.

Significantly, under the mentorship of industry pioneers such as Chief Moemeke, Olu Falomo, and Segun Ogundimu, Omojafor rose steadily through the ranks, ultimately becoming Managing Director.

Yet, even as he climbed, he was already thinking ahead about ownership, partnership, and legacy.

Notably, those thoughts crystallised into bold action with the birth of Rosabel Advertising Limited, founded alongside trusted friends and partners.

Truly, it was a decision rooted not just in ambition, but in belief in friendship, shared values, and collective courage.

Later, in 1990, he would once again trust his instincts, leaving Rosabel to pioneer STB-McCann.

That move, now etched into industry history, further cemented his reputation as a pathfinder one unafraid to step into the unknown if it meant advancing the craft.

Agencies as Signatures, Not Just Companies

Today, Rosabel and STB-McCann still ring a nostalgic sound in the ears and minds of many.

This is because,they are not merely legacy agencies; but extensions of Omojafor’s professional signature defined by structure, thinking, ethics, and a relentless respect for the power of ideas.

Over the decades, his work has shaped some of Nigeria’s most iconic brands, not just through campaigns, but through strategic thinking that placed people, culture, and long-term value at the centre of communication.

His contributions helped professionalise the industry, raise standards, and position advertising as a strategic business partner rather than a peripheral service.

A Voice That Never Looked Away

Even as the industry evolved and sometimes convulsed under economic pressure, technological disruption, and changing client behaviour Sir Steve Omojafor never retreated into silence.

Instead, he emerged as one of the industry’s most consistent and principled voices.

When agencies began to be sidelined in favour of in-house operations, he spoke plainly. Al

Also, when payment cycles stretched unjustly, he challenged it. When regulatory tensions threatened unity, he urged dialogue, not destruction.

During the height of misunderstandings surrounding the introduction of the Advertising Industry Standards of Practice (AISOP), and the tensions between ADVAN and ARCON, Omojafor’s intervention was measured, humane, and firm.

“We don’t want to hurt anybody,” he insisted. Yet he also reminded stakeholders that fairness is non-negotiable.

Agencies, he argued, deserve respect, prompt payment, and trust
because creativity thrives only where dignity exists.

His advocacy has always been driven by belief: that the industry can only grow when all sides clients, agencies, regulators commit to fairness, partnership, and mutual respect.

A Man Who Remembers, and Why That Matters

Perhaps one of the most revealing portraits of Sir Steve Omojafor emerged not from a boardroom, but from memory.

At the 80th birthday celebration of Dr. Abiodun Shobanjo, Omojafor spoke with deep nostalgia about Nigerian advertising’s golden age. As he spoke, the years seemed to peel back.

He recalled an era when young men dressed like Wall Street bankers but thought like revolutionaries; when Surulere pulsed as the cradle of creative ambition; when competition was fierce, but camaraderie was sacred.

By day, they fought over ideas. By night, they gathered over pepper soup and cold beer, bonded by friendship, brotherhood, and shared dreams. It was an industry built not only on brilliance, but on trust.

In remembering that era, Omojafor revealed something essential about himself: a man who values people as much as process, relationships as much as results, and partnership as much as profit.

Leadership Beyond Advertising

Beyond advertising, Sir Steve Omojafor’s influence has spanned banking, education, philanthropy, and public service.

As former Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc., Vice Chairman of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Augustine University, Epe, he has consistently brought the same clarity, discipline, and humanity to leadership.

His national honour, Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), stands as formal recognition of contributions that are, in truth, immeasurable.

Affectionately known as Omo Jesu, he has served as President of the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (now AAAN), Vice President of the International Advertising Association (Nigeria Chapter), and mentor to generations of practitioners who still trace their professional DNA to his guidance.

Eighty, and Still Thinking Forward

At 80, Sir Steve Omojafor remains what he has always been: alert, thoughtful, and invested. Retirement has not dimmed his interest; it has refined it.

Aside these, he still listens, still advises, still cautions, still implores
because he believes the industry is worth protecting.

His life affirms a simple truth: Nigeria’s advertising story cannot be told without him.

Again, even as new chapters are written by younger hands, the handwriting of Sir Steve Omojafor remains visible, steady, elegant, and enduring.

At 80, he is not merely being celebrated.
He is being acknowledged for building, for caring, for remembering, and for never standing aside.