How a Nigerian Creative Director Built a Global Career in 5 Years (Xander’s Story)

Everything you are about to read? It has never been said anywhere else.

Author

Team THRIVE
April 23, 2026

Hi Thrivers,

What’s poppin'?

Let’s get one thing clear, if you thought Thrive was just another stiff “business tips” newsletter speaking grammar at you every week… yeah, you got us wrong.

Badly wrong.

We sit at the centre of ecommerce, culture, and creators. With us, ideas don’t just thrive or sound good, they work. We are Thrive, from OATS Africa, and in case you didn’t know, we are the minds behind CiDAR Africa. If you have been here long enough, you already know we are not here to talk theory.

We are here to show you how it’s really done.

For the newbies, welcome. You didn’t just subscribe to a newsletter. You stepped into a room where things move differently.

And we don’t ease you in gently.

We start with exclusives.

Not recycled interviews. Not polished PR answers. The real thing, before the world catches up.

So before we get into today’s business, quick one for you: if you have ever wondered how to sell online and make real money, or how to grow as a creator without guessing your way through it, we’ve already broken it down for you. Tap into our collection of special letters just for you.

Now, on to the main event.

The first-ever exclusive from Thrive, and we mean exclusive in every sense of the word.

We sat down with a creative director who has worked on music videos for the 001 himself, Davido, the one and only Zlatan, and certified culture-shapers like Odumodu Blvck, Straffitti, and more. If those names just made you sit up a little straighter, good.

Because it gets better.

He also walked away from the 2026 Mainstack x TheMomentConf event with a $3,000 creative grant.

His name is Xander.

In a career where everyone is trying to get a word with him, he gave his first-ever interview to Thrive. Not a magazine. Not a big media house.

Us.

So everything you are about to read? It has never been said anywhere else. This is the first time he’s sat down and let someone into his world.

If you are just starting out in the creative, fashion, or entertainment space, whether you are a content creator, an up-and-coming music video director, a producer, or simply trying to figure out how to make real money as a creative in Africa — Xander is exactly the person you need to be listening to right now.

In just five years as a professional, he has built something most people spend a lifetime chasing.

And today, he’s talking.

From Medicine To Becoming The 1%

Before the sets, the artists, and the growing reputation, there was just Alexander on a completely different path.

“I was meant to study medicine… and I actually did,” he says. “But I had to leave to really express my creativity.”

That decision didn’t come with guarantees, but it changed everything.

He started with graphic design, creating the cover art for “Complete Me” by Bad Boy Timz. Those were the early days when the momentum started building.

Then came Lagos. London. Bigger rooms. Bigger projects.

Eventually, he joined the Straffitti team as Creative Director, a move that quietly expanded his reach across Africa.

Today, he runs 1% Studios an independent production and post-production agency and community for creatives operating across Lagos, Cape Town, and London.

Still early.

But already global.

“Something Always Comes Up”

We asked Xander what a creative director really does, and he kept it simple.

“It’s problem-solving,” he says. “You can plan everything, but on the shoot day, something will always go wrong.”

And when it does?

“You have to think on your feet. You can’t just say, ‘we can’t get this shot.’ You figure something out. You can’t just break down and say, ‘there’s nothing I can do.’ You have to think of something.

“And you also have to be open-minded. People on your team will suggest things. You have to listen, adjust, and still lead.”

The Hardest Part Isn’t What You Think

People think execution is the hard part.

Xander disagrees.

“The idea is actually the hard part. The execution is the easier part.”

He recalls a weekend with back-to-back shoots, one planned, one dropped on him last minute.

“I had less than 24 hours to come up with a full concept for Ofensala by Straffitti and Odumodu Blvck,” he says. “I kept listening to the song over and over. I couldn’t even work out at the gym because my head was inside the idea.”

By midnight, he was still building.

By 4am, he had direction. By 10am, everything was locked. By Sunday evening, the video was shot.

“It was good. It was really good.”

What Separates You From Everyone Else

This is his first interview, and yet when asked what separates a good creative from a great one, his answer is direct:

“Time. Work. And who you are as a person.”

But underneath that is something deeper.

“If your mindset is wrong, you won’t even start,” he says. “You see other people’s work and start doubting yourself.”

Then environment.

“If you are around people who are not pushing themselves, it affects you.”

Two things — mindset and environment — quietly decide how far you go.

And then there’s something he keeps coming back to:

communication.

“If you are not connecting with people, if you have bad communication skills, if you lack a sense of humour, you won’t go far. Most times, the people you work with become your people. Your team might become your closest friends.

“So work well with whoever you create with, because you never know.”

Inside Xander’s Creative Process

Xander walked us through his process, and one thing is clear — he doesn’t wait for ideas.

He builds them.

“I visualize everything first,” he says. “I can already see the end from the beginning.”

Then he breaks it down:

Separate the song into scenes.

Build each scene into moments.

Connect the story.

Define the shots.

Gather references.

“I just keep listening to the music and writing,” he says.

Over and over again.

Straffitti, South Africa, And The Brotherhood Behind 1%

A big part of Xander’s growth came from working with Straffitti.

“Working with him pushed me to places I couldn’t even imagine,” he says. “He was pushing my brand more than I was. He saw the vision before I did — and even bigger than I saw it.”

Through that relationship, his work moved beyond Nigeria.

From Lagos to Cape Town, opportunities started opening.

“The projects I did for him… that’s what pushed 1% Studios to the doorstep. People started reaching out.”

He’s quick to add:

“It’s still very small. But it’s moving.”

The Moment It Clicked

Every creative has that moment.

For Xander, it came in 2025.

“It was a shoot with a brand called Snowbunny,” he says. “The budget was around $3,000, and it was a very big deal for me. I had never done a project at that level before.”

But more than the money, it was the recognition.

“Being chosen out of many made me step back and reflect.”

That moment changed something.

“That day… I knew I was him.”

Staying Grounded

Fame, or even proximity to it, can change people.

But Xander is intentional about staying grounded.

“I’ve been with superstars, and they are very down to earth,” he says. “Stay humble. Stay normal. That’s what lasts.”

He references the film Marty Supreme — a quiet influence on his thinking.

“The main thing is to always stay humble, always be good to people. Arrogance is not the way to go.”

THE FINAL WORDS

If you have read this far, you already understand what this is.

Not just an interview.

A glimpse into how things actually work — the pressure, the speed, the uncertainty, and the confidence it takes to keep going anyway.

Xander is only a few years.

And he’s already building across cities, industries, and cultures that most people are still trying to enter.

That should tell you something.

If you are a creative or trying to become one, take what you need from this:

Show up.

Protect your mindset.

Choose your environment carefully.

And when your moment comes, deliver.

Simple.

If you want to connect with Xander or tap into what he’s building with 1% Studios — now you know where to find him.

And on our end?

We are just getting started.

More exclusives. More access. Back to back.

Till next time.

Team Thrive

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