Femi Olayebi is the founder of Lagos Leather Fair , a platform that showcases, celebrates and promotes talents and craftsmanship within the Nigerian leather industry.Femi Olayebi is the founder of Lagos Leather Fair , a platform that showcases, celebrates and promotes talents and craftsmanship within the Nigerian leather industry. Olayebi, a French graduate from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a translator, is also the creative brain behind FemiHandbags.
The theme for this year’s LLF is “Levelling up”. Can you tell us more about the significance of this theme and how it reflects the current state and future aspirations of the African leather industry? The LLF Accelerator is a mentoring concept and the primary objective is to guide and empower emerging leather creative with invaluable resources and industry knowledge to develop themselves and their businesses. By participating in this design and development programme, the selected brands will gain invaluable first-hand insights from industry experts and seasoned entrepreneurs, who will share their experiences and equip them with the necessary tools to thrive and grow their businesses.
The LLF 2024 Accelerator Programme will culminate in a “Pitch-A-Leather-Biz” session, how do you envision this session contributing to the growth of participating businesses? Specifically, the programme will provide participants with access to knowledge resources, mentorship, training, and access to funding, thus helping them to develop a deeper understanding of their craft, solve problems more strategically, and become more confident and empowered to capitalise on opportunities.
I expect that as the programme evolves and matures, it will refine its offerings, expand its reach, and enhance its effectiveness in empowering entrepreneurs, fostering innovation and excellence, as well as strengthen brand building efforts. As the programme grows and gains recognition within the industry, I expect it to scale its impact by reaching more entrepreneurs, promoting sustainability within the industry, expanding its geographic reach and diversifying its offerings.