There is a new set of young women rocking the business world in Ibadan right now. They are ladies who have proved their mettle in business. These young female entrepreneurs are the ones running thriving businesses. They cut across Fashion, Entertainment, Beauty, Catering, Events Planning etc. Some of these ladies have built their businesses into a big brands in Ibadan and beyond. Some have even spread their tentacles beyond the shores of Nigeria. In this special report, City People’s IBADAN Correspondent, DARE ADENIRAN presents 20 young women running successful businesses in Ibadan. They are in their 20s, 30s and early 40s Below are their stories.
MARY ADETOUN ODANYE
She is the brain behind the popular Marybel Newlook Boutique in Ibadan. Her upscale boutique deals in ready to wear dresses, shoes and bags for women. In fact, Mrs Mary Adetoun Odanye could best be described as a total package when it comes to the fashion and beauty business. Her store is where big babes in town rush to for their skincare and maintenance products. She sells natural cream, soaps and other beauty products.
TOYIN ADEBISI
Toyin Adebisi is a businesswoman (Entrepreneur) with a passion for creating successful business brands. She graduated with a BA in Economics from the City University of New York – City College in 2008. By September 2010, she was one of the Founding Directors of Mahnatez International School, one of the leading schools known for top-notch educational standards in Ibadan. In recent years, her burning desire for building successful brands was matched with her natural gift of picking the right fragrances for different purposes.
For her passion and experience, she started consulting for different clients across Europe and America before embarking on giving back to her motherland, Nigeria.
She then introduced a one-stop-shop for all handcrafted Home Fragrance and Scented Candle called Lafinda Scents Nigeria, with a distribution chain across Africa from the Ibadan based store
LAFINDA SCENTS also kickstarted an empowerment scheme for entrepreneurs and retail businesses in 2021, by creating customized candles for souvenir ideas. For those willing to start their own private labels, love for candles and Fragrances to suit their requests and clients briefs.
TOLANI ODELEYE
The beautiful wife of Beedel Construction boss, Bukola Odeleye, Tolani is a fashion stylist and a wardrobe consultant. She runs the popular Poshline Clothing and Accessories on Ring Road, Ibadan. She sells female clothes and accessories for both adults and kids. What stands her out is the fact that her stuff are always of top grade and quality. If it’s about classy, beautiful and quality stuff, then it must be from Poshline.
KIKELOMO OLAYENI IDOWU
Kikelomo Olayeni Idowu is the Chief Executive Officer, Kyksie Drapes Events and Interiors Nig. Ltd with headquarters in Ibadan and a partnership in New Jersey, United States. She trained as an event decorator/stylist, interior decorator and an event planner at Flourish Paradise Events Academy presently located in UK.
Kikelomo Idowu is a 360-degree event and Interiors professional, specialised in Events styling, interior designs, event planning and coordination and has been in the event industry for 12 years. She is an active and bonafide member of the Association of Professional Party Organisers and Event Managers of Nigeria (APPOEMN), and a member of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs (NACWE), Dallas, Texas, USA.
She is also an associate in the making of the Women in Management Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), and many other non-profitable and profitable creditable groups. She holds a diploma and Degree in Teacher Education, specifically early childhood education and language arts from the great University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Kikelomo Idowu loves creativity of many kinds and also a great lover of kids being a trained teacher herself.
She loves public speaking and has also been doing great in Business mentoring and Networking. She has helped many people to start up and maintain their businesses. This has birthed the ongoing development of a training school in view. She also has an NGO called ATINUTOBI INITIATIVE, through which she has been empowering women and caring for preterm babies. She is married to a wonderful man and blessed with two beautiful kids and several adopted ones.
CHRISTIANA ADETOLA OYELAMI
Christiana Adetola Oyelami is the Founder & Managing Director, Bankyloolas Cuisine & Mobile. A graduate of the University of Ibadan, B.sc in Microbiology & M.sc in view in Industrial Microbiology. She is a Shakers Bar School certified Bartender & Barista and a seasoned motivational speaker for entrepreneurs & life coach for her staff.
BankyLoola Cuisines has been on the forefront of all A-list events across Southwest, Nigeria as the major company for classy packaged Chops and Grills, while BankyLoola Mobile has different outlets across Ibadan where you order for chops and grills instantly, online and offline. She is a happily married mother.
AZEEZ TITILAYO YEMISI
Azeez Titilayo Yemisi is the brain behind the popular Zeeza Events in Ibadan. The HND Computer Science graduate of the Polytechnic, Ibadan has done well for herself in the business world. Her brand which officially kicked off officially in December 2017 has grown in leaps and bounds and has since given birth to other businesses. Her other business interest now includes ZeeZa Studio, where beautiful varieties of setups for shoots like birthday shoots, Pre-wedding shoots to mention a few are being shot and ZeeZa Event School, the school is for aspiring decorators, it’s aimed at giving back to the industry by empowering the youths that have a dream of becoming a florist or a decorator someday. ZeeZa Events has won many awards and recognitions. She is happily married with three beautiful children.
OJO-PHILLIPS OLAMIDE
Ojo-Phillips Olamide, a serial entrepreneur was born in Lagos State in the ’80s but hales from Oyo State, Ibadan precisely. She had her primary education in Lagos, secondary in Jos, OND IN Yabatech and furthered to the University of Ibadan, where she studied Pharmacy and had her degree in Bpharm. She has in view, a masters degree in Pharmaceuticals and Industrial Pharmacy. She bags a professional degree in Business Administration from AIU and in Project Management from the University of Salford Manchester. She is the CEO, Saphyr Events Nig. Ent., an Event Planning and Management coy based in Ibadan but operates all over the nation. She is also the Chief Pharmacist at GreenPlus Pharmacy with its first store located in Ilorin, Nigeria. She is the Head beautician at Makeup Residence, a cosmetics and beauty store in Ibadan
She also runs an Entertainment outfit called QONL. Olamide is known for her strength and tenancy in the business world and has been able to build and sustain her brands over the years.
She has consulted for various organizations and build people businesses to attain great heights in the business environment.
She is happily married with a beautiful daughter.
TIWALOLUWA ADEGBENRO
TIWATHETAILOR is popular and a big brand in Ibadan. Tiwaloluwa Adegbenro, the brain behind the business, is also the owner of Eli & Augustine Limited, an event planning and coordination company.
Tiwaloluwa Adegbenro, born into a Christian family, raised in the great ancient city of Ibadan, is from the popular Ita Baale in Ibadan. She a graduate of Mass Communications from Bowen University, Iwo. She is a banker-turned fashion designer but prefers to be addressed as a ‘tailor’.
TIWATHETAILOR is one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing brands, creating remarkable impact through her unique designs. Tiwaloluwa’s rising profile in the Fashion industry is not surprising, her mother was a prominent fashion designer. She has won many awards and has been recognized in Nigeria and even outside the shores of Nigeria for her distinct works.
AROMIWURA MOTUNRAYO SAYO
Aromiwura Motunrayo Sayo is a Nigerian-Grenadian and an Alumni of Bowen University. Started her career as a Newsreader of major News Bulletins, Headline News, Voice Overs for Jingles on Beat 97.9Fm, Ibadan. She later became a member of the management and team lead for internal, external event and sponsorship deal broker for the same station.
Her passion for urban exposure and modern lifestyle for kids made her to launch a luxury couture apparel for children, Giggles N Cuddles Place. The outlet has since grown to be the major fashion store for children in Ibadan with the delivery channel across Nigeria
BOLUWATIFE
The brain behind Hotties Glam Kaya, Boluwatife has been described by many as a money-making machine lady. She is hot and sassy and understands her line of business like the palms of her hands.
She is a vibrant young lady in her mid-twenties She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hotties Glam Kaya and Body by H. Hottis Glam Kaya is a brand that specializes in Aphrodisiac, self-benefit products for sexual enhancement and it’s also a sexual brand for everyone either married or single.
While Body by H products focuses on perfect body shapes such as breast falling, hips, and flat tummy either as a result of childbirth or nature and premature ejaculation for the male gender. Boluwatife believes in the use of herbs and roots and that this is why all of her products are 100 percents herbs and no side effects, no hormonal imbalance or change.
Having treated over 10,000 clients across the country, Boluwatife has been able to push her brand across social media platforms which have made her popular on Instagram as @hottis_glam.kaya with over 20k active followers who share testimonies of her products every day. She’s not only satisfying her online customers, but she has also been able to set up two physical outlets across the two major cities in South West, Lekki and Ibadan respectively with a plan to expand to Abuja shortly and other foreign countries.
EBUNOLUWA AKINWALE
She is many things rolled into one; a qualified lawyer, wellness coach and nutritionist. Ebuoluwa Akinwale is the CEO, Nature’s Treats, a pioneering wellness and organic cafe in Ibadan. She’s been able to turn what started as a hobby into a big business. Having worked for about 5 years in a top Telecommunications company and Oil and Gas downstream both in the capacity of Administrative personnel then Administrative and Human Resource Manager. In 2013, she decided to be more involved with her childrens’ daily routine and start her wellness consulting company in 2023. Ebunoluwa had lost about 37.8kg in total in about 11 months and started helping many people achieve the same.
She is very passionate about youth empowerment/ development. She is also an acclaimed public speaker. She is a fit-fam enthusiast, fashion enthusiast and grateful to be a source of inspiration to many. She is a wife and mother of 3 beautiful, amazing and inquisitive children.
KEMI OGUNLESI
She is one of the top party vendors in Ibadan. Her Supreme Rentals which deals in Chiavari chairs has become a big brand, providing classy services for topnotch parties within and outside Ibadan.
EUNICE ADEOYE
Ripples is arguably the hottest caterer in Ibadan now. Eunice Adeoye, the brain behind the thriving catering company, has really upped her game. Ripples Catering Services handles top celebrity parties in Ibadan and even across other southwest states. Apart from catering, she is also into events planning and training. She is also a finger food expert; her Samosa and Spring Rolls are always creamy. She is a certified Events & Wedding Planner and had her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University Of Ilorin, Kwara State. She also had a Diploma in Events & Wedding Planning from JKL Training Academy, Canada. She is a woman full of experience with almost a decade in the industry.
SOLA IGE
She is the CEO of Martha’s Kitchen, a popular restaurant in Ibadan. Martha’s Kitchen is not only dominating the restaurant business but also one of the most sought after event caterers in town. The company’s name has become a brand. Her selling point is the quality food and good presentation, which has been working for her in the past years. She is also into outdoor catering, events planning and management.
SOKOYA ADEJOKE
The delectable Sokoya Adejoke is the brain behind Tads Kitchen in Ibadan. She is quite good at what she does and that has endeared her to numerous clientele lists over the years. She is also well connected both in the business world and on the social scene. She is not only into catering but also events management. She does events and outdoor catering, as well as corporate catering.
ADEJOKE LASISI
Talk of women who are blessed with creative minds, Adejoke Lasisi is one of them. The Obafemi Awolowo University, O.A.U, Ile-Ife graduate of Economics is an African fabric designer and environmentalist. She also holds a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from EDC, Lagos. She is the founder of Planet 3R and Jokelinks Weaving School. Adejoke, through her weaving skills, is saving the planet by
converting textile and plastic wastes into innovative products (handbags, purses, slippers, hand fans etc). She has won several awards and recognition both home and abroad for her outstanding skills Adejoke emerged as the National MSME of the year 2020 for using her weaving skills to save the planet by converting Plastic and Textile wastes into Eco-friendly products. She was recently recognized by Ooni of Ife as one of the Southwest MSME Ambassadors in 2021.
BUNMI ODERINDE
Bunmi Oderinde runs a very popular cosmetics and spa store called Slayers Corner in Ibadan. She is an ex-banker and one of the hottest young entrepreneurs in the ancient city. Her place is where top celebs, both male and female, attend for massage, manicure, pedicure and other services. She deals in essential needs, body creams, soap, glow oils, face creams etc. In fact, It’s a one-stop-shop for all beauty products and more.
TOKUNBO GBADAMOSI
She owns the popular Butter Cup Creche at Bodija area of Ibadan. Her creche is where most celebs in that area take their kids too. She is as well the one who organises the Santa Claus show at Agodi Garden on a yearly basis.
DAMILOLA ADEJUMO
Damilola, the wife of a popular celebrity journalist and PR expert Wole Adejumo, has been able to turn her hobby into a big business. She loves cooking and that is fetching her good money today. She runs ‘Sokoyokoto Canteen’ at the Jericho area of Ibadan. She is also a teacher and a social worker. She has a masters degree from the University of Ibadan. She is also into events and outdoor catering for corporate and private individuals.
DEBOLA
The banker-turned businesswoman, Debola runs a mega supermarket, Gracey’s Super Store in the Akobo area of Ibadan. She is one of the successful young babes who have proved their ability to turn things around in the business world in Ibadan. Since Debola came into the business scene some years back, it has been no stopping for her as she keeps expand and bringing new innovations into her business on a daily basis. She is also the brain behind StopGap Consulting Limited, a human resource management company.
