Fifehan Osikanlu is a co-founder, Principal Partner Eden Venture Group. She is a multitalented disruptor and social impact architect committed to empowering young people, women and entrepreneurs in the creative sector. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde she talks about the challenges, working with influencers, SME’s, what government can do and across various industries in US and Africa.

What are some of the changes that you will like to see in the sector?

I would like to see more male public and private sector leaders and influencers being bolder about using their voices and platforms to advocate for and support Women’s Economic Empowerment in Nigeria. Also like to see

Policy changes when it comes to accessing resources, transparency around how these policies are developed, and including more female voices across demographics.

Thirdly, I would like to see Monitoring and Evaluation reporting on the implementation of existing policies and holding policy makers accountable when set goals are not met. Also, there should be Private sector investment and support to enforce internal and external structural and systemic changes where possible.

Lastly, it will be have religious and cultural leaders in society advocating and promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment, getting involved in advocacy campaigns and holding political leaders accountable using their platforms to galvanize the population to take action.

You work with influencers, how does this motivate you?

It is incredibly encouraging when I see artistes like MI, Dija, Chigurl, WAJE and BankyW using their  platform, spending time, money and resources to advocate for gender equality and WEE. Seeing them pouring into the lives of young women and men is a huge motivation.  It motivates me to move forward in the work I am doing as it shows me that they truly care about the wellbeing of their millions fan base.

How can the government help to make things better for women?

Government should allow more women to actively participate in policy making and not just in implementing them or as the people doing the grunt work and heavy lifting.

This can be done by actively supporting NGOs, appointing more women into positions of power and not just support roles. This should be positions where they are actually in control of policy and decision making. Policymakers in positions of power should be more representative of the population, inclusive and equitable.

Also, there should be more male leaders speaking out and advocating on behalf of women.  Men tend to pay attention to each other and also outperform each other. So while waiting for a more gender balanced leadership cabinet, having people like President Buhari, Governors and other male lawmakers advocating for issues affecting Women, would significantly shift mindsets and ultimately actions.

What are some of the other things that occupy your time?

I spend a lot of time working on mental health awareness, advocating for mental health and holistic well-being.

However, the bulk of my time is spent seeking ways to support underrepresented entrepreneurs who include women, creative and cultural entrepreneurs and technology entrepreneurs in our global society. I help by supporting underserved entrepreneurs to nurture and grow their businesses by connecting them with supporting resources.

What would you describe as the turning point in your life and career?

Turning point was when I left my very comfortable job in the US exactly 10 years ago and decided to come and serve my people – in particular women and girls.

What advice do you have for young people who want to come into the entertainment sector?

I think the first thing is to stay humble, no matter how talented you are. The second is to lead with love. You cannot go wrong when you lead with love. That does not mean you should be a ‘mumu’ or allow people take advantage of you. Leading with love just means your intention is to be loving, kind, patient, empathetic and forgiving.

Also, the four agreements should be studied and embodied. Thisinclude: do your best always, make no assumptions, be impeccable with your word, take nothing personally and watch out for imposter syndrome: Understand that you are unique. Everyone is unique and so you need to spend a lot of time understanding who you are, focusing on you, and your inner person. Not worrying about what is going on outside because that is where you are going to get distracted and derailed. It is important for young people to get to know themselves in a very deep way as that is the only being you can actually trust – Your intuition or Holy Spirit or inner self – however you choose to sew it, get to know that person, develop a relationship and trust that person.

Tell us about your role models, people you admire in your career or in life?

I shy away from calling people my role models because it connotes that you are trying to emulate or copy the person. I don’t think that is a healthy way of developing yourself.  I would say however I have a lot of people that inspire me and my mother tops that list.

A formidable woman scientist of many firsts both at home and abroad, she is a wellspring of knowledge, creativity and inspiration and to see her at 83 still active and sharp, is awe inspiring!

The second person is the average bread or garri seller in the market.  Every time you come to her shop, she is always smiling and kind. They remain kind in spite of all that they have to deal with. Those are the people that inspire me and I would want to be more like.

What are some of the principles that guide what you do?

The four agreements. They are my guiding principles. The other is to do no harm, but take no shit. The reason thisresonates with me is because I struggled a lot especially speaking up against injustices that were done to me. I  realised that the more silent I am about these injustices, the more they are likely to be perpetuated.  So, they need to be brought to the fore and be addressed.

What are some of the things that you would like to do in future?

One of them is to have a Leadership development school or academy specifically for the creative industry but at the intersection of technology and social impact, for boys and girls. This will center on gender equality, the creative arts, technology and essentially social work and development.

The other thing is to own a fund or be part of a fund that supports these underrepresented and marginalized entrepreneurs.

If you had to advise Nigeria Youths today what would you tell them?

They should find a way to start their mental health and wellness journey as soon as possible. If they understand how significant mindset programming and trauma deeply influence the way we think and act, they would immediately do all they could to unlearn certain mindsets that do not serve them?

Also understanding the role culture plays in the way they are raised and being willing to do the work to disrupt these outdated mental models.

I strongly believe young people in this country can be unstoppable if only they understood that they are incredibly powerful and that power resides within them. Once they understand the power of the mind, they would know that it is important to get their mental health in check. One of the things that I would like to do is write a book about the Power of the Mind in achieving your dreams.

The other thing I would tell them is to actively exercise in their Civic rights through voting and keeping up to date with policies and laws that affect them and putting pressure on their local government leaders and legislators to take appropriate action where needed.

How do you relax?

I love dancing, I love music. Music helps me relax. I also love watching romantic comedies, dark comedies and some horror films…I think because it helps me unplug from the everyday stressed.  When I am extremely stressed meditation helps and after meditation I put music on and everything is better.

Most of the time, I relax by trying to switch everything off and just meditate. Or, I could just be reading one line of the scripture, reciting it in my mind and understanding it.

Also spending time with really close friends and family just acting goofy and being silly, sharing jokes and sometimes getting deep. For some getting deep is stress inducing so don’t try this at home.

What type of books do you like to read?

I like to read books that have fantasy but with a purpose e.g the alchemist.  Books that tell interesting stories like fiction, science fiction, self development, professional  books and even romance.

What lessons has life taught you?

The biggest lesson life has taught me is that nobody knows anything.  No matter what you have read, no matter how many Ph.ds you have or how old you are. It has taught me to be constantly open to learning.  I am a student for life; never would I call myself an expert. Growing up with a professor and PhD holder as a mother, I felt like an over achiever but life taught me that I know nothing.

He came, he saw and conquered.  That aptly sums the performance of seasoned designer Ade Bakare in his three decades as a designer creating master pieces for women of class as well as churning out bridal pieces with unforgettable memories.

As you scroll down memory lane, you discover that the United Kingdom designer did not earn the title as one of Nigeria’s most exquisite fashion designers on a platter of gold. He worked really hard, burnt the midnight candle, persevered and perfected his skills.

Today, he is known for creating captivating designs, working with adireon silk, which has become a signature for his brand.

“I was captivated about fashion from an early age because I liked reading fashion magazines and I loved drawing a lot. So, I guess over the years they became fashion illustrations.”

In addition, young Ade always liked clothes and from an early age looking good was a lifestyle.

Even though he had his eyes on the prize quite early, he also had to pursue education first coming from a family that valued education. “My mother came from a very educated family, her father was a principal, so education was paramount”.

So, he went to school and got a degree in History from the University of Lagos but still came back to his first love. “Although, I attended fashion school much later, I had encouragement since I was about 8 years old. I used to sketch and my mum would buy me fashion

magazines like Vogue, Bazar, Cosmopolitan and also Vanguard newspaper in Nigeria which covered couture shows over the weekend in the 1980s.”

Apart from his knack for creating exclusive pieces, the turning point was when he got a grant to start his business.  “My business was started with a loan from the Prince of Wales Business Trust (PYBT), a scheme set up by the Prince of Wales to support young entrepreneurs. I had attended a course on how to set up a fashion business. So, after finishing the course I applied to the PYBT scheme and I was given a grant”.

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At that point, schools in Nigeria  did not offer degree programmes in fashion design, England is known worldwide to have the best fashion design schools, and it also happened to be where Ade was born.

At  the moment, Ade Bakare couture is a household name, a label that gives inspiration to women, artistes, celebrities as well as young upcoming designers.

He sums up the secret of his success as being tenacious, having a strong vision of what he wanted to accomplish and knowing that success is not a destination but a journey.” Interestingly, his inspiration starts with great research and working around a theme. “One of the great joys I get by being a fashion designer is seeing our ideas come to fruition, as they say ‘design success is in its implementation’.

Learning the ropes of creativity actually came from serving those who had perfected the art. So, upon graduating from Fashion College in Manchester, Salford University College, he worked for couture designers like Victor Edelestein and Christina Stambolian before setting up his label After garnering great experience the label started selling a line of high end day and evening wear dresses to boutiques and stores across England. Bakare later he set up a couture salon in Mayfair which made dresses for private clients. He also went into the production of fragrances and launched his first perfume called “Breeze”.

Even though he was based in the UK,  Bakare was usually invited to Nigeria to stage fashion shows which   opened other doors of opportunity. He then became the official designer to the late First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, which led to constant travels to Nigeria and subsequently he opened an outlet in Victoria Island Lagos.

Over the years, Bakare has increased his presence in Nigeria by working on various successful projects, setting up (YDCC) Young Designers Creative Competition to promote upcoming fashion talent, designing uniforms for organisations like the wheat baker hotel in Lagos, restaurants, providing clothes for MTN project fame, Big brother Nigeria, airlines uniforms and costume designing for films such as the current film in the cinemas Ayinla Omowura directed by Tunde Kelani.

Bakare recently marked three decades in the industry across  two continents with a seminar for young and upcoming designers and as well as  Couture Show which saw him display his collection for 2021. Here, he showcased some of his private clients in his couture designs. The list of exquisite ladies in attendance include Bimbo Haffner, Jumoke Owoyeye, Gogo Yusuff, Aduke Gomez, Shaffy Bello ,Omowunmi Dada, Towun Candid Johnson, Funmilayo Marinho, Tundun Tejuosho, Eriye Onagoruwa, Adekemi Adewunmi and Helen Prest Ajayi.

The Celebrations climaxed with advice to the younger generation and he urged them to appreciate the fact that it takes time to build any business. They must not follow the and wagon which believes in the notion of overnight success and fake celebrity culture. Instead, they should endeavour to work hard, stop looking for instant success, which is a smoke screen.