ADENIKE OGUNLESI

Adenike Ogunlesi

Visionary and driven are words that come to mind when Adenike Ogunlesi is mentioned. She founded Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, the foremost indigenous lifestyle clothing brand in Nigeria, operating to international standards in the design, production, and retail of children’s clothing for newborn children to age sixteen. 

An authority in the garment manufacturing industry in Nigeria with over 35 years’ experience, driven by a passion to show the world the possibilities that abound in Nigeria, starting with the production of quality clothing. Adenike has built a successful, premium children’s clothing brand with over 16 international standard retail outlets across Nigeria and an E-commerce platform; making Ruff ‘n’ Tumble an instantly recognizable brand in the Nigerian & West African market while creating and establishing the children’s fashion retail industry in Nigeria. 

With Adenike as the Chief Responsibility Officer; Ruff ‘n’ Tumble has birthed the Timotiwa brand (A Yoruba name meaning- ‘Where I come from’) which designs and produces children’s clothing made with quality African print fabrics, popularly called Ankara. 

Other initiatives started by Adenike include the I Share Cuz I Care Foundation- A foundation dedicated to developing the consciousness of children on the benefits of sharing and caring for the society through community engagements, and the Betti-O School of Fashion- A garment training institute that trains young individuals with practical skills in garment making, the business of fashion, leadership and entrepreneurship skills that influence and drive change, to add value to the Nigerian society and the world by extension. 

Not only is Adenike a force to reckon with in the fashion retail industry, she actively seeks to build and impact the world. She is a non-executive Director at Lafarge Holcim Plc; the founding member and first president of the Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) at the Nigeria Employer’s Consultative Association (NECA). She is an advisory board member and mentor at WISCAR (Women in Successful Careers) which is a structured mentoring programme for young women. She was an advisory board member of the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) at the Pan African University’s Lagos Business School; A board member of the Feed A Child Programme; The Amazing Amazons Initiative and the coordinator of the Marriage & Family Life unit at the Catholic Church of Presentation. 

Adenike is a winner of numerous awards and an avid motivational speaker talking to women’s groups, families, entrepreneurs and young people.  

She is happily married to Adegbola Ogunlesi, an industrialist in the beauty industry, with interest in the communications and real estate industry and one of the founders of the men’s fashion label, Sofisticat. They are blessed with 3 grown children.