When Ayodele Bankole, 34, began selling handmade leather wallets from his dorm room in Ilorin, he never imagined he would one day be CEO of a multi-million-naira fashion tech startup, recently named Startup of the Year by the Nigeria Innovation Summit.
Ayodele’s brand, CraftEdge, combines artisanal leather goods with smart technology think wallets with GPS locators and bags with solar-powered phone chargers. But the idea came from humble beginnings.
“I was broke in school and needed to make extra cash,” Ayodele laughs. “I started crafting wallets from scrap leather and selling to classmates.”
Post-graduation, he continued refining the business while working a 9-to-5. In 2021, he took the leap, quitting his job and securing a ₦2 million loan to expand production. His tech-integrated fashion line quickly gained traction among Nigeria’s growing middle class.
Fast forward to 2025: CraftEdge now exports to six countries, employs 40 staff, and has partnered with two e-commerce giants. More impressively, Ayodele mentors small business owners through his Startup Ladder bootcamps.
“It’s not just about profit,” he says. “It’s about showing others that you can start small and dream big.”
He recently launched a sustainable leather campaign and is in talks with investors for a Series A funding round.
