LadeNigeria is no new shoe brand to the people of Osun state. Monsurat Ololade, the creative director of the brand is also a well-known youth in the state of Osun not only for her craft but also as a girlchild advocate, self-reliance evangelist with appreciable presence on the social media.
But just as many people look up to Monsurat Ololade today, she shared that her journey to being a recognized brand owner was never an easy ride but that of pain and struggling.
Sharing her experience at TEDx Osogbo on Saturday themed “Becoming”, LadeNigeria as she is fondly called stated that her husband’s death and widowhood at very young age pushed her from her comfort zone into becoming a deep thinker.
In this video captured from the event, Lade Nigeria narrated how she got married at the very tender age of 22 due to familial pressure but unfortunately lost her husband barely a year after marriage. In her words “growing up in the family of four where all of us are girls and with pressure to get married because of my stature, I thought it will be okay if I get married but that was her wrongest (sic) decision I ever made if there is any English like that.”
Monsurat Ololade moved on to chronicle her struggles after her husband’s death by moving from Port-Harcourt to Osogbo to start all over again selling rice before venturing into learning shoemaking and finally carving a niche for herself.
Monsurat Ololade in her closing remark advised youths to be self-reliant and start the journey early Monsurat Ololade says she is passionate about girl-child education and wellbeing thus her plan to launch a foundation that will cater for this cause when she celebrates her 30th birthday later this year.
Watch the full video below
