Tourism icon, Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye, has disclosed that the 24th tourism product of the week, is Ijoko Rimi. Though it may appear similar to last week’s presentation of is (Simi Rimi), it has distinct features that provides a complete different water experience from last week’s tourism product.
‘Ijoko Rimi’ according to him, is a Yoruba term that means ‘sit on water’.
Once again, this item is produced locally from wood and recycled vegetable oil kegs. However, rather than being designed as a floating bed, it incorporates the seating portion of a plastic chair (what’s left after you cut off the chair’s legs) to create an apparatus that will enable tourists gently float on water while relaxing in a seated position.
He then mentioned that the apparatus is also designed in a way that would facilitate sports fishing, so that keen anglers can spend a relaxing day attempting to catch fish.
The materials this apparatus uses are eco friendly and aligned to the recycling culture currently being promoted world – wide. This is obviously very useful in a country like Nigeria where plastic chairs and kegs are widely used and discarded.
He noted that the sitting feature in Ijoko Rimi can be harvested from chairs that would normally be condemned and added to our environmental waste because their legs aren’t functioning correctly and are no longer able to support anyone’s weight.
The fact this equipment uses recycled material means it can be produced at a very cheap cost, which will also impact on the cost of using the water sport activity it promotes.
Ijoko Rimi can provide a basis for youth employment, as enterprising youths can establish water sport centers that use Ijoko Rimi only and which centers can be patronized by people in the cadres of society that are normally unable to patronize recreational water sport centers that use expensive water sport equipment like speed boats, kayak and so on.
It will also generate employment for those responsible for the manufacture and maintenance of this wholly indigenous apparatus.
Otunba Akinboboye reiterated that Ijoko Rimi could be used for ‘sport fishing’ as individuals can relax and float around on the water while casting their fishing rods and hoping for a passing fish to bite.
Nigeria, he said, has an abundance of river fish, which includes tilapia, giwan ruwa (Nile perch) boney tongue and cat fish. Though aware that, for example, there is tilapia in Europe, such fishes were raised in fish farms so European fishermen may enjoy catching wild fish in their natural habitat.
He emphasized that sports fishing is a growing tourism sector. According to Future Market Insights (FMI), the fishing tourism sector is estimated at US$ 72 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$ 211 billion in 2033.
An analyst, Rohnak Shah, in discussing the growth in this segment of the tourism market attributed same to the fact that fishing tourism offers consumers a calming and fun tour, where they are closer to serene rivers or seas, and learn new skills. The need of consumers to be closer to nature has thus positively benefited the market while giving tourism firms a key selling point for their tour packages.
Obviously it would be great if Nigeria could plug into this growing tourism market by introducing an unusual and unique but comfortable way for sports fishermen to pursue their hobby while exploring other aspects of Nigeria’s vista and culture.
Otunba Akinboboye noted that other countries were also leveraging off eco – friendly water sport products that tied into their culture to create tourism experiences. For example, in Indonesia, in an attempt to boost the fishing tourism sector, a fishing boat was created with a touch of Pasuruan cultural heritage, which is indigenous to a region in East Java. It was hoped that the design would attract the tourists’ attention by presenting them with a local heritage fishing experience.
The Kanger Valley National Park, which is a popular tourist destination in Chhattisgarh, India, has also introduced Bamboo rafting as an adventure activity. These bamboo rafts, which are made of bamboo poles tied together with ropes and steered by expert rafters using long poles that were traditionally used by local tribes for transportation and fishing.
Otunba Akinboboye emphasized that Ijoko Rimi could be used for activities other than fishing and he merely focused on that aspect of its use because he wanted to point out a growth sector of tourism that was not currently being addressed in Nigeria and which could be aligned with this particular product.
Otunba Akinboboye said that the focus on developing and using eco – friendly water apparatus that has a cultural twist is a case of taking advantage of ones advantages.
He also mentioned that, by using recycled plastic items, which is a material that is a by – product of the mainstay of our economy – petroleum, we would be promoting a ‘360 degree Waste to Wealth Culture’ that was in tune with modern thinking and could be used as a definite selling point when marketing our tourism products and activities locally and internationally.
Otunba Akinboboye explained that the creation of Ijoko Rimi, is part of his quest to provide tourism products that are unique to Nigeria and which could attract tourists intent on undertaking adventures outside of their ‘usual’ experiences.
He also emphasized that this unique water sports apparatus is aligned with the government’s push to create employment, encourage indigenous manufacturing and reduce importation.
We hope you found the discussion about Ijoko Rimi as fascinating as we did and look forward to learning about the other tourism products Otunba Akinboboye has within his creative and African focused portfolio.
Paris has always had a way of making fashion feel less like clothing and more like theatre. And when the world’s style aristocracy gathered for the Spring/Summer 2027 season, Nigerian high flying businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, arrived with the kind of polished glamour that commands attention without demanding it.
Against the timeless backdrop of the French capital, Achimugu stepped into the world of Paris Fashion Week in a look that married sophistication with modern femininity. Her ensemble was defined by a refined silhouette, impeccable tailoring and the kind of carefully considered styling in which every detail appeared deliberate. The proportions were elegant, the finish luxurious, while her accessories added just the right measure of sparkle and personality.
Her beauty look complemented rather than competed with the outfit. Immaculately styled hair, luminous makeup and a poised, confident bearing completed the picture, allowing the clothes to retain their quiet authority. It was a lesson in restraint: nothing appeared excessive, yet every element, from the jewellery to the finishing touches, contributed to the overall effect.
The real strength of Achimugu’s Paris appearance, however, was in the details. The interplay of texture and silhouette gave the look dimension, while the accessories provided those subtle flashes of glamour associated with the best society dressing. There was an understanding of proportion, balance and occasion, a recognition that at Paris Fashion Week, being noticed is not necessarily about wearing the loudest look in the room.
For Achimugu, fashion has never seemed like an afterthought. It is part of the persona, the jewellery, the sculpted silhouettes, the luxurious textures, the immaculate finishing and that unmistakable confidence of a woman comfortable in her own skin.
Her Paris appearance offered yet another glimpse into the glamorous lifestyle of the Felak Concept Group boss, whose public persona has over the years straddled business, philanthropy, high society and fashion.
In the city, amid the fashion houses and international style elite, Achimugu appeared more than as a spectator but as a Nigerian woman confidently occupying a global fashion space. Her look spoke in the sophisticated language of Parisian dressing, polished, assured and intentionally glamorous, while retaining the unmistakable confidence of a woman bringing her own sense of style to the occasion.
And as the lights of Paris dimmed on another fashionable season, her appearance left behind the unmistakable impression of a woman who understands that fashion, at its most powerful, is as much about presence as it is about clothes.
Sharon Ademefun Adeleke, the elder sister of Afrobeats superstar, Davido, has revealed how she manages her brother’s finances and her unconventional approach to marriage.
Sharon disclosed this while appearing on the Morayo Show, adding that she regularly discusses Davido’s finances with him, particularly his spending on cars and jewellery.
“One of the major things I’m always getting on my brother is jewellery and cars. My God!” she said.
“Me and him will sit down. We will have a finance meeting every week because I think it is important for him to know how his money is being spent.
“And I will now say, ‘David, please, no more cars, no more jewellery.’ Twenty-four hours later, you will start seeing it on the blogs that he bought another car.”
Sharon, a mother of three, also spoke about her marriage, saying she made it clear to her husband from the outset that she did not intend to follow a traditional approach.
“When I met my husband, I explained to him that there isn’t going to be a traditional kind of marriage,” she said.
“I remember, I think in the first few months of us dating, I cooked and all the things. When he was eating, I was like, ‘Oh babe, are you enjoying the food?’ He said yes.
“And I said, ‘Good. Now you know I know how to cook, but I don’t like cooking, and I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”
The entrepreneur revealed how she built her wig-making business. She said she learnt to make wigs out of frustration with the difficulty of securing skilled hairstylists and wig makers, who were often fully booked.
“I learnt how to make wigs because I was frustrated because really good hairstylists and wig makers are always busy. Even if you drop your things with them, every week they will still be busy,” she said.
“So, one day I said, ‘What is this wig making? Let me just try.’ At that time, there was maybe one video or two compared to now, when if you go on YouTube, you can find thousands of videos about wig making.
“I was heavily pregnant and very bored, so my husband took me to the beauty shop, and I bought all the pieces. I just started trying, and then I started doing it more and more. Then my friends started asking me to make wigs for them.”
Sharon said she believes people sometimes discover their businesses unexpectedly rather than through careful planning.
“I’m a big believer that when God gives you a business, you kind of fall into it sometimes. It is not something that you planned,’ she said.
“When I started going into it, I started going for training all over the world.”