Adebola Adefila
Founder & CEO, Ire Dire
Bola Adefila is the founder and CEO of Ire Dire, a ready to wear clothing line in Nigeria. Through Ire Dire she promotes our culture and showcase our local fabric by using locally sourced materials (Adire and Aso-oke) predominantly.
She has been an entrepreneur for more than 2 decades, running several successful businesses with an extensive background in manufacturing, distribution, trading, importation and real estate.

WALK THE TALK & DO THE WORK
Impact Report
Bola has been building:
SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES
We asked Her for Clues
Something that catalyzed your growth - besides working hard?
The first catalyst for me is that I was born into a family of entrepreneurs, so entrepreneurship is what I have always known. I grew up not thinking of anything other than being an entrepreneur.
Secondly, having extensive exposure to manufacturing, especially at an early age has helped my growth and shaped my abilities.
Being a stickler for originality has also paid off. Although Adire and Aso-oke are common in Nigeria, our prints are original and unique. That, coupled with the fact that our styles are functional and tailored to customers' lifestyles is an advantage.
Social media has also been a leverage for reach. When asked about how they heard about our brand, a lot of our customers confirmed that they found us on social media, particularly Instagram.
Finally, we prioritize top-notch customer service, doing our best to make customers happy and delighted to come back.
Something you're most proud of?
Within 5 years, Ire Dire has flourished. We started with outsourced production, and in 18 months, we transformed the business into a full-scale production clothing line.
When I am talking to some industry giants and comparing notes, it's amazing to see their reactions to the numbers I share with them in terms of production and sales. Sometimes we are even unable to meet up with customer demands.
We've sold 1000s of products, including some I call hero products because we've sold over 1000 pieces of those styles and counting.
We've reached more people and hit higher numbers I didn't imagine could be possible, all in the space of 5 years. And it all started with a simple idea and the boldness to take the first step.
On Showing Up
Entrepreneurship goes beyond building a business or creating a solution to receive value.
It is a lifestyle of courage where tough decisions must be made for an idea to stand the test of time. Profit comes from the most interesting places and you must be tenacious enough to see it through.
Worth Remembering
It is easier to dance to the beat of your own drum... find your rhythm.
- ADEbola adefila
GET INSPIRED
Follow Bola's Work
If any part of her story resonated with you, there's more where it came from.