Banky W – Biography And Business Life Of Olubankole Wellington

Olubankole Wellington known by his stage name Banky W is a singer, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur. He is an accomplished artiste and built a music empire that produced internationally acclaimed artiste like Wizkid.

See Also: Resources that will help you start, market and grow a sustainable business.

Banky W Background

Banky W was born on the 27^th of March, 1981 in United State to the family of George Bankole Wellington but his family moved to Lagos, Nigeria when he was 5 years old. He started singing in his church choir at a tender age.

Banky W completed his primary and secondary education in Nigeria. After secondary school, Banky W moved to United States of America for his tertiary education. He studied Industrial Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York on scholarship. While in college, he started his record label E.M.E and even featured and won numerous musical competitions in college.

Banky W married Adesua Etomi, a Nigerian actress in 2017. He has four siblings; a sister and three brothers. His sister is the co-founder of The Urban Marketplace(TUM) Showcases and Events.

Banky W’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Like we mentioned, Banky’s love for the entertainment industry started when he was just a little boy. Even though he was studying Industrial Engineering in school, he did not resist the urge of feeding his passion. Of course just like we have always emphasised here, it takes a person of strong will to follow through with his passion. Which is what played out with Banky W when he decided to start Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) with his friend Tunde Demuren in 2002 while in college.

Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E.) commenced operation in Albany, New York, United States before it was moved down to Lagos in 2008. The company is headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. It was envisioned as a platform for Banky W’s music and other signed artiste. The label grew and was home to music stars like Wizkid, Skales, Niyola and Shaydee. Some of the producers associated with the record label are Masterkraft, Jaysleek, Cobhams Asuquo and others.

After many years, Banky W with his partner, Tunde Demuren decided to shut down the record label aspect of E.M.E. and pivoted to a full-fledged media and management agency. They are now focused on creative marketing, advertising, PR, brand events/activation and talent management. This restructuring means that they are not restricted to musicians alone. They now work with OAP’s, Actors, Brands and are evaluating sports management as well. Their goal is to find talents and brands they believe in, partner with them and make them more successful. They also shoot TVC’s and documentaries as great as they shoot music videos.  The company is projecting itself as the one stop shop for the marriage between corporate Africa and Entertainment. And we can say that E.M.E. is doing an excellent work so far.

Some of the Albums Produced by Banky W

• Undeniable: The EP, Banky W (2003)
• Back in the building, Banky W (2005)
• Mr Capable, Banky W (2008)
• The W Experience Banky W (2009)
• Superstar, Wizkid (2011)
• Empire Mates State of Mind (2012)
• R & BW, Banky W (2013)
• Ayo, Wizkid (2014)
• Rhythm and Life, Shaydee (2016)
• Songs about U, Banky W (2017)

Other Notable Interest of Banky W

Banky W is a man of many talents and has featured in MNet TV shows such as Jacob’s Cross, MTV’s Shuga, and some blockbuster Nigerian movies. He loves to know his onion well and be great at what he does.  This led him into completing film-making and screenwriting courses at New York Film Academy where he honed his acting and production skills. Since then, he has produced and directed numerous music video and TV adverts. In 2016, he played a lead role in the popular movie ‘The Wedding Party’.  The wedding party broke box office records.

Banky W has worked with reputable brands and has participated in numerous corporate marketing campaigns including Etisalat’s 0809ja Launch, Coca-Cola, Airtel, Microsoft, TomTom, Samsung, MTN, and many more. He is the brand ambassador of Samsung, Uber, and Ciroc Vodka.

The multi-talented singer and producer is also an accomplished motivational speaker and MC. He has delivered inspiring and powerful speeches at high-profile events like the  London Business School’s Africa Summit, TEDxLagos, WIMBIZ. Banky W has also anchored some important events including the Gulder Ultimate Search Celebrity Show Launch, One Africa Music Fest, and others too numerous to mention.

Philanthropy

Banky W founded ‘I AM CAPABLE’ scholarship fund, a platform he uses to give back to the society.  The foundation provides tuition and other assistance to deserving youths in various tertiary institution in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.

He has played a major role in many charitable initiatives such as Enough is Enough and Light Up Nigeria. Banky W Partnered with the Pink Oak Cancer Trust this year to sponsor the treatment of twenty-five cancer patients.

The multi-talented artiste was part of the #Dream4Naija project with international organisations, USAid and IRI. The project was to encourage youth participation in Nigeria’s political process. He was also involved in #OccupyNigeria peaceful protest that took place in 2012.

Awards Won by Banky W

• Best R&B Artist at Nigerian Entertainment Awards                                                                  2006
• Nigeria Entertainment Awards, Best International Single of the Year                                    2007
• Best R&B Video at Nigerian Music Video Awards                                                                     2008
• Best Male Vocal Performance at Hip Hop World Awards                                                          2008
• R&B Single of the Year at Hip Hop World Awards                                                                    2010
• R&B Singer of the Year at City People Entertainment Awards                                                  2010
• Best Music Video(Male) at Sound City Music Video Awards                                                      2010
• Best R&B Singer at Sound City Music Video Awards                                                                2010
• Most Gifted R&B Video(Male) at Channel O Music Video Awards                                          2011
• Musician of the Year at the Future Awards                                                                             2011
• Best R&B Single at the Headies Awards                                                                                 2013
• Music Entrepreneur of the Year at Awesome Awards                                                               2015
• Artist of the Year at The Urban Marketplace                                                                           2016

Let’s create visibility for your brand and put your business on the world map. Contact us today to make your brand the preferred choice for our audience of entrepreneurs and business leaders.

To keep track of our activities, follow us on Instagram.