Lagos is a city that never sleeps. The streets thrum with restless energy, its nights lit up by music, lights, and endless laughter. And in the middle of this whirlwind sits Chiby, the man behind one of the city’s most recognizable social brands: Chibyverse.
The journey began in 2019, when a friend invited him to help with events at South Socials. There was no grand vision then — just the chance to make some extra cash. “I said yes — no harm in that,” he recalls. They ran events until early 2020, when the pandemic dimmed Lagos’ nightlife. But the city always finds its rhythm. Soon after, Johnny Walker came calling with an activation, and Chiby took the reins. “In 2021, I restarted South on my own. At first, it was just for fun, but the numbers kept growing, and I realized there was something here.”
As the parties expanded across Lagos, from South to Hard Rock Café, 355, and Moist Beach, a new identity began to form. At first, he and his team joked about calling it the Southyverse, riffing off Marvel’s Multiverse of Madness. The name didn’t, but the concept stuck. “If I’m planning events at three outlets in a single month, it makes sense to call it the Chibyverse — my universe, taking people to different outlets, different places, different vibes.”
His first solo event after the restart in 2021 confirmed he was on the right path. The crowd was electric, a mix of people who wanted to dance endlessly and others who preferred to sip and soak in the atmosphere. “It was fantastic, a completely different vibe from before,” he remembers. Each venue shaped the culture differently: South was intimate, Moist was alive with beach energy, and Praia — fully outdoors — has been a surreal experience. “Every venue had its own identity. Moving around gave me experience and taught me how to curate properly.”
Over time, however, the community itself began to change. The loyal crowd that had danced with him since 2019 was now older, their focus and energy shifting. “Those who were 29 then are 35 now. Raves are the new thing, and they’re different — not legwork or breakdancing, but just jumping, moving your head, losing yourself. To keep Chibyverse alive, I have to rebuild and regrow, and target the younger crowd that still loves Afrobeat parties.”
Through it all, Afrobeats has remained the heartbeat of Chibyverse. “We’re in Lagos — we have to be the biggest consumers of our own product,” he says firmly. He entered the scene just as Wizkid, Davido, and others were pushing the sound to global heights, and the Detty December era made Lagos a party capital. “When you have that quality of music coming from your own country, it’s a no-brainer. That’s what people wanted, so I gave it to them.”
There was a moment when he experimented with Afro House, curious about the rave wave taking over Nigeria. “I was experimenting. One of the perks of planning events is that you get to have fun with it. Afro House energy is different; it is Gen Z, Alte-esque, very aesthetic — you can tell an Afro House party the moment you walk in. But my brand is Afrobeats. That’s what my sponsors sign up for and what people know me for.”
Ask him what makes Chibyverse special, and he doesn’t talk about DJs or venues first. He talks about culture. “People come to Chibyverse to dance. No one is mocked for being themselves. In clubs, you see people buy ₦10m bottles just to pose with their phones. But here, everyone is here for one reason — to actually turn up.”
The milestones speak for themselves. In 2022, Chiby hosted his first festival with Wande Coal as headliner, drawing 3,000 people. He’s partnered with MTN, Johnny Walker, Jameson, and Smirnoff. He’s taken the platform to Ghana and Uganda with Joeboy. “The fact that these big corporations believe in what I’ve built — that’s my greatest achievement,” he says with pride.
But the hurdles remain real, especially in Lagos. Venue scarcity tops the list. “They’ve taken away Moist, Landmark, Good Village, Soul Beach — all prime spaces. If I want to host 4,000 people now, I’ll pay ₦15–20 million just for space, before talent or marketing. That’s ₦60m in costs. Infrastructure is the biggest challenge for every organizer in Lagos.”
Looking back, his only regret is not taking branding more seriously early on. “At first, it was just fun and money. People didn’t even know what Chibyverse was — I had to say South Socials for them to get it. If I had branded earlier, maybe things would be different. But no regrets — the journey shaped me.”
And so, Chibyverse keeps moving forward. Bi-weekly events in Lagos remain the heartbeat, with Abuja and Port Harcourt on the horizon. For Chiby, the formula doesn’t need reinvention — just consistency. “We’re not changing what works. At Chibyverse, it’s always 100% vibes. A space to unwind, ease your stress, and have quality time. That’s what we do best.”
