Interviews

Adenike Ogunlesi is the Founder and Chief Responsibility Officer of Ruff 'n' Tumble, a leading designer and retailer of children's clothing based in Lagos, Nigeria. Established in 1996, Ruff 'n' Tumble today has stores across Nigeria and is known as an indigenous premium brand with designs inspired by African print fabrics.

Ogunlesi starts the interview by reflecting on her upbringing in Ijebu-Ode, a town outside of Lagos. Born to a Nigerian father and Scottish mother, she grew up close to nature and discusses her early exposure to fashion as her mother made men and women’s clothing from a local fabric called adire. She relates some challenges during her childhood connected to her father’s polygamy, which meant that she was raised in a large family with siblings of varying ages. Additionally, she emphasizes principles that she learned from her mother which included a dedication to remaining “true to oneself.”

This principle, as Ogunlesi describes, affected her during her first years in university when she started taking law courses at Ahmadu Bello University in northern Nigeria. She decided that a law career did not suit her, and instead joined her mother’s tailor shop. Working alongside her mother, Ogunlesi gained experience in designing and tailoring clothes, as well as running a business in the garment industry. While her mother mainly made clothing with adire fabric, Ogunlesi began making a range of different clothes with other fabrics that attracted high-profile clientele. She continued with this business before starting a family with her husband, at which point she decided to take a three-year break to focus on raising her three children. She explains how it was the right decision for her at the time, underscoring the value she places on family.

In 1996, Ogunlesi sought to buy new pajamas for her children when she noticed that prices were too high for the average family. With her experience in clothes manufacturing, she designed pajamas which she began selling to friends, family, and other mothers at her children’s school. Noticing a demand, she developed a label for her clothes – opting for the name “Ruff ‘n’ Tumble” to communicate that these were meant to be “clothes children can rough around in.”

As the company grew, Ogunlesi describes her strategies to hire the right people and maintain their accountability through performance management systems. She explains her commitments to customer service and consistent product quality, noting how “I took it upon myself as my moral responsibility to show my country, Nigeria, as capable of excellence. I will not compromise on those values.” Training and education, according to Ogunlesi, were key to ensure that employees understood and adhered to the brand's guiding principles. She states that this was especially important in the early years, while the brand was making a name for itself in the market.

Ogunlesi proceeds in the interview by discussing the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurship in the Nigerian garment industry. She underscores the importance of promoting government policies that would enable investment, and her view that greater focus should be placed towards supporting better-quality technical schools. Regarding opportunities, she speaks about sustainable practices and businesses that young people in Nigeria have developed such as the use of alternative, natural materials, and clothes recycling. Ogunlesi also discusses her role as a mentor, helping found women’s groups to create an enabling learning environment and network for female entrepreneurs. Explaining the origin of these groups, she says that “my pact was that if I succeeded, I would help any woman that needed my help.”

To conclude the interview, Ogunlesi highlights her views on entrepreneurship as a human need to innovate and break boundaries. She speaks about the significance of values and principles in guiding an entrepreneur's journey, acknowledging that entrepreneurship is not without its challenges and the responsibility to impact lives positively. She sees the responsibility of business leaders to society as a foundation that entrepreneurs should remain committed to as their companies continue to grow.

 Close