Adenike Ogunlesi, leading contemporary kids clothing brand in Nigeria

There is just something special about my Leading Woman for this week. She is very passionate about children hence the establishment of a clothing line that has become a household name. She is the MD/CEO of Ruff n Tumble, the gorgeous and graceful Adenike Ogunlesi.

Ruff ‘n’ Tumble is an indigenous lifestyle brand with an international appeal. At Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, they design, produce and retail clothing for boys and girls from new born to sixteen year olds (0-16 yrs).

Their style is trending with pieces that allow the young dynamic Nigerian to express their personal style.  They have evolved over the years as the favourite brand for children’s clothing in Nigeria as well as the leader in their niche market.

In addition to the locally produced clothes, they also retail international brands from the UK, Italy, Spain and America.  They opened their flagship store in Ikeja GRA, Lagos in June 2000 and presently operate several outlets across the country.

Adenike’s childhood days were sometimes traumatic, but fun. According to her, “We were allowed to express our creativity as we grew up in a very creative environment. We were also very free spirited, ran around, rode bicycles, we climbed trees. My mother remains the strongest influence in my life, she was vey creative and that impacted my creativity and the passion that I have for design and textiles.” She says.

Wondering why Nike went into this line of business? Hear her tell it all “Ruff n Tumble was borne out of a need to get cotton pyjamas for my children. I made some extra pyjamas and took them to play school at the time and sold them to some of the parents. One of the initial challenges was the acceptability of locally made products. This led us to improve on our quality and benchmark our products and services against international standards. We faced all the regular issues entrepreneurs face with financing, finding the right people, but we found solutions to all those challenges by consistently looking for new and productive ways around them.” Says Nike.

With such a fantastic business come its challenges which Nike tells me when she says “Professionally, I strive to continuously be abreast of international trends, be in the know of technology and innovation that seek to improve and keep us ahead. My personal challenges include trying to be a good leader, a motivator and an inspiration to the younger generation”.

Ruff n Tumble currently have 10 branches and they are opening another five before the end of the year but Nike sees into the future and tells me that in five years, “I will like to see our brand litter the landscape of Nigeria and West Africa with a dynamic team who are thriving in a continuous learning environment.”  Nike believes.

The challenges that stare women entrepreneurs in the face are enormous, some of which Nike reveals. Hear her “There is a need to do more and to get more women in positions where they are able to influence policies that support women. There is also a lot of capacity locked in women that needs to be released into the workforce. Statistics show that when you support a woman, you support the entire community. Statistics also show that when you support women entrepreneurs, 90percent pay back their loans. There are lots of professional and entrepreneurial organizations that offer seminars, workshops and mentorship programmes that help build entrepreneurial and management skills and I encourage women to participate to help build better and sustainable businesses” Nike advices.

Asked to share on her clothing lines and her face brightens up, you can tell she is about to share on something she is highly passionate about. Again, she speaks “our brand is fun, colorful, youthful, and our lines are trendy and in line with what obtains internationally in the children’s clothing industry. We design for the Nigerian child that is creative, free spirited and fun. At Ruff n Tumble, we are all about kids. We bring to our stores an experience that is unforgettable.”

I am sure you have seen different clothes for children at different places and time but Nike says her wears stand out because “our value proposition is our strongest differentiating factor. We are the leading contemporary kids clothing brand in Nigeria, our stores have evolved into boutiques that offer discerning customers affordable fashion with designer features and details.” She reels.

For any woman who wants to go into her line of business, Nike has this to say to you “have a clearly defined vision, strategy, commit to it, be persistent, innovative and dynamic. Work hard but work smart. Turn all your challenges into opportunities of growth and see how everything will work out for your good.”

As a pioneer of children’s outfits in Nigeria, Nike admits it is really an honour but it doesn’t come without the challenges as they have to keep on maintaining their standard and position.

Honoured that Ruff n Tumble has become a household name, Adenike adds “we are expanding aggressively and bringing our brand closer to more Nigerians.”  She ends with words of admonition saying “there is a need to harness the strength in our diversity to create TEAM NIGERIA. It’s time to see the opportunities in the challenges.”

KEMI AJUMOBI