Adenike Ogunlesi, Africa’s foremost fashion entrepreneur, has become a household name for redefining and blazing the trail in the children’s fashion industry. With over 35 years of experience in fashion and retail, she is the founder and Creative Director of Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, Africa’s leading premium children’s clothing brand, a business that today shares happiness with over a million children and families across the globe.
Her journey began humbly in 1998, selling pyjamas from the boot of her car with fewer than 20 employees. Fuelled by a deep passion for quality, excellence, and service, Ogunlesi transformed that small start into a reputable Pan-African brand operating to international standards. Today, Ruff ‘n’ Tumble boasts over 300 employees, 17 retail outlets, a thriving online presence, and ambitious expansion plans across Africa and beyond.
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Speaking recently at an event, Ogunlesi reflected on her earliest memories of money and the lessons that shaped her entrepreneurial drive. As a child, she saved diligently in a clay piggy bank, only to see her father one day use her savings to buy plantain for the family. That moment, she recalled, taught her a powerful truth: “If you give someone the power to feed you, you also give them the power to starve you.”
Raised by a principled civil servant father and an entrepreneurial mother, Ogunlesi inherited discipline on one side and business acumen on the other. She briefly pursued a law degree at Ahmadu Bello University but left within weeks, choosing instead to forge her own path. “The choices you make in life are yours to own,” she said, echoing her mother’s wisdom.
Her first steps into business came through her mother’s clothing venture, where she was given ₦2,500 to buy fabric. From those early experiences, Ogunlesi discovered freedom, the ability to make her own rules, succeed on her own terms, and carve out a life of independence.
By her early 20s, she was designing for prominent women including Maryam Babangida and Enzo Okoli, learning from them that money was not just about spending power, but about freedom, the ability to travel, own property, and make choices without constraint.
Marriage and motherhood brought a new dimension. Ogunlesi wanted to be both a present mother and a purposeful entrepreneur. That balance gave birth to Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, inspired by her search for quality cotton pyjamas for her children. Parents began asking for her creations, and what started as a side hustle quickly grew into a structured retail vision.
Unlike much of Nigerian retail at the time, Ogunlesi focused on packaging, presentation, and customer experience. Her initial $80,000 investment, savings from her earlier work wisely invested through Merrill Lynch, became the seed capital that built the brand.
For Ogunlesi, entrepreneurship has always felt like standing at the edge of a cliff and deciding to jump. “You don’t always know how you’ll land,” she said, “but you trust that you’ll either find your footing or grow wings.” Her spirituality, she emphasized, has been central to her courage, clarity, and conviction.
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Her philosophy extends beyond business. She rejects the notion of work-life balance, instead advocating for “life by design, not by default.” Guided by six pillars of spirituality, health, wealth, lifestyle, learning and development, and family, Ogunlesi built systems around discipline and intentionality. Her home was run with structure, her library stacked with books, and her lifestyle centered on quality rather than appearances.
“The key is not to perform for others, but to live aligned with your own priorities,” she said, critiquing the pressure many face to wear luxury labels while living broke. For her, real wealth is freedom, the agency to design one’s life and the discipline to stay true to one’s goals.
From a car boot to a Pan-African retail empire, Adenike Ogunlesi’s story is not just one of fashion, but of resilience, vision, and purpose. She has built more than a brand; she has built a legacy.
Disclaimer: EnterpriseCEO is not the rightful owner of the original content or conversation. This feature article is a transcription and editorial adaptation based on an exclusive episode of the “NairaLife Conference hosted by Big Cabal Media’s COO, Anita Eboigbe. All insights and quotes are attributed to NairaLife Conference as shared during the interview. Full credit goes to Anita Eboigbe and the Big Cabal Media team.
