Taiwo Afolabi appoints son LAX as executive director of SIFAX Logistics on the singer's 33rd birthday

Taiwo Afolabi, the Nigerian billionaire who chairs SIFAX Group, has appointed his son Damilola Afolabi, known professionally as LAX, as executive director of SIFAX Logistics, marking the singer's 33rd birthday with a formal entry into the family's corporate empire.

The appointment was announced through SIFAX Group's official Instagram account on April 10, the same day the younger Afolabi turned 33. The company praised his "leadership and commitment to delivering excellence" in a birthday post that confirmed his new role at the logistics subsidiary.

LAX, who holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from the University of Salford in Manchester, returned to Nigeria after completing his studies and launched a music career that placed him at the center of the country's Afrobeats boom. He was introduced to Wizkid by celebrity stylist Toyin Lawani, who played his music for the superstar, a connection that helped accelerate his early profile. His debut album Rasaking, released in 2018, featured Davido, Maleek Berry, Duncan Mighty and Yemi Alade and established him as a credible voice in Nigeria's pop mainstream.

Hit records including "Gbefun," "Panana," "Ginger" and "Go Low" cemented his commercial profile and gave him a fanbase that stretches well beyond Nigeria's borders. The transition from chart-topping musician to executive director is an unusual move in the Nigerian entertainment industry, though one that speaks to the dual career trajectory that his academic background and family connections have made possible.

Taiwo Afolabi built SIFAX Group into a multinational spanning shipping, logistics, hospitality and aviation. The group's assets include the Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja, Skyway Aviation Handling Company and major port operations at Terminal C of the Tin Can Island Port and the SBA Inland Container Terminal. SIFAX operates in Warri and Banjul and has additional expansion projects in development, with Afolabi also holding luxury property assets including a mansion in Ijebu-Ode.

LAX's crossover from entertainer to executive director is part of a broader pattern across Africa's wealthiest founding families, where milestone occasions are used to formalize the next generation's entry into group operations. The appointment, timed to coincide with his birthday and announced through the group's social media channels, signals that the elder Afolabi is actively shaping a succession structure at SIFAX as the group extends its reach across West Africa and looks to deepen its presence in shipping and port infrastructure.