By Ndukwe Edward
A fresh effort to change the economic narrative of Ajegunle by turning local talents, skills and ideas into sustainable businesses has received strong backing from the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Energy and Mineral Resources, Hon. Sabur Akanbi Oluwa.
Oluwa, who spoke during the 2026 economic summit, business fair and exhibition organised by the Ajegunle Business School (ABS), described the organisation’s activities as a form of community service and urged residents to support it by patronising its programmes, the products and services of entrepreneurs it has trained.
The lawmaker also disclosed that the House Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources was working to improve electricity supply to Ajegunle, particularly because reliable power remains critical to the survival and growth of small businesses in the community.
“As Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources, we are doing everything in our power to ensure there is steady electricity for our Ajegunle entrepreneurs,” Oluwa said.
He urged residents and stakeholders to support ABS, noting that the organisation has been making significant contributions to the development of the community.
The call for support came against the backdrop of growing efforts by ABS to create an alternative economic narrative for Ajegunle by identifying, training and connecting local entrepreneurs with growth opportunities.
‘The Wealth Is in the People’
Explaining the philosophy behind the initiative, the founder of Ajegunle Business School, Alfred Konaughe, said the organisation was established partly to challenge the negative perception of the community and demonstrate that its greatest resource is its people.
“Many people want us to change the name Ajegunle Business School, but I came to realise that wealth does not reside in places; it resides in people,” he said.
He explained that ABS was created to train and equip residents to discover and develop the value within them.
The school, which began about nine years ago, has directly trained more than 300 entrepreneurs, while its partnership programmes have expanded its reach to hundreds more.
Through its partnership with Paradigm Initiative, the school has trained six cohorts, with participants also expected to transfer knowledge to others.
Beyond training, ABS said it has helped entrepreneurs gain access to funding opportunities. Through its relationship with the Bank of Industry, some beneficiaries have accessed loans at nine per cent interest.
According to the school proprietor, more than 30 of its entrepreneurs have accessed between N1 million and N5 million each in financing since January.
From Training to Real Businesses
The impact of the programme was reflected in the stories of some of its beneficiaries.
One of them, identified as Magic Finger, Joy Obasi attended the ABS Basic Certificate Course in Entrepreneurship in 2021 and subsequently expanded her business to establish two kitchen centres, with plans for another.
Another beneficiary, a fashion designer, has also expanded her business beyond Nigeria and is currently operating in Kenya.
The school said such stories demonstrate that entrepreneurship training can become meaningful when participants receive not only knowledge but also access to markets, finance and networks.
The organisers also used the business fair to showcase products and services developed by ABS trainees alongside other entrepreneurs who were given space to exhibit.
Fashion Designers Seek Value for Their Work
One of the emerging initiatives showcased at the event was Skillbridge, a platform created to help fashion designers in Ajegunle gain visibility and better appreciate the value of their work.
Its founder, Odunlami Ayomidi, said many talented designers in the community were underpricing their services despite producing quality clothing.
He said Skillbridge was established to help designers understand that the value they create goes beyond the physical clothes they make.
“You can go to an event and see somebody dressed beautifully, without knowing that the outfit you think costs N70,000 may have been made for N5,000. That is a loss to the fashion designer,” she said.
According to him, the platform is intended to connect designers with customers who appreciate their work and are willing to pay fairly for their skills.
He also challenged the perception that Ajegunle residents do not appreciate quality fashion, saying that Ajegunle is a high fashion base where customers would patronise local fashion designers when they see quality and consistency.
Young Entrepreneurs Finding Their Feet
The fair also provided a platform for young entrepreneurs still at the early stages of their businesses.
Among them was Chukwu Debelu Fayvor, a young entrepreneur who makes parfait, a snack made from ingredients including yoghurt, granola, fruits and oats.
Fayvor, who started the business about a month before the event, said the idea was inspired by the need for convenient snacks for students, workers and people who need something light and filling during busy days.
She said the reception had so far been encouraging.
The organisers said allowing such young entrepreneurs to exhibit their products was part of the school’s wider objective of moving people from ideas to viable businesses.
‘Do Not Allow Yourself to Be Shrunk’
Speaking to the entrepreneurs, Yetunde Abisoye urged them to develop confidence, pursue continuous learning and maximise every opportunity available to them.
She warned them against allowing other people’s expectations to limit their ambitions.
“Do not allow yourself to be shrunk to the size that people want you to be,” she advised.
She encouraged the entrepreneurs to remain passionate about their work, read widely, attend relevant training programmes and pursue excellence.
She also urged them to embrace education and understand the importance of giving back to society.
“Learn excellence. There is a better way to do what you are doing,” she said, while encouraging those who had dropped out of school to consider returning.
Recognition for Community Impact
The event also featured the presentation of certificates to graduating entrepreneurs and awards to organisations recognised for their contributions to human capacity development.
The Curve Africa was among organisations honoured for outstanding impact in human capacity development. Its Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Kelechi, was recognised for the organisation’s contribution.
Speakers at the event noted that initiatives such as ABS were helping to challenge old stereotypes about Ajegunle by placing entrepreneurship, innovation and human capacity development at the centre of the community’s story.
The emerging message from the business fair was clear: Ajegunle’s economic transformation may not necessarily begin with waiting for outsiders to invest in the community.
It could begin with residents deliberately recognising, supporting and patronising the entrepreneurs growing around them.
As the organisers put it, supporting entrepreneurs is empowering communities.
And if local talents are given the right training, electricity, finance, visibility and patronage, Ajegunle may yet build a new economy from the wealth that has always been within its people.
