LAGOS, IRU KINGDOM UNVEIL ONIRU BUSINESS AND CULTURAL DAY; LAUNCH ONIRU BUSINESS NETWORK
Lagos State Government and Iru Kingdom has unveiled the organisation of Oniru Business and Cultural Day, and launched Oniru Business Network toward advancing the economic and socio-cultural development of the Kingdom.
Speaking at the press conference held to announce the landmark events at the palace of Oniru on Monday, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Bada Ambrose described the initiative as a strategic response to the need for structure and partnership in driving local economic development.
Her words: “Oniru Business and Cultural Day, holding on 14th February, 2026, provides a platform where indigenous and expatriate businesses can showcase their products and services, tell their stories, and connect with clients, investors, and collaborators. It brings government MDAs, financial institutions, development partners, and the private sector together for dialogue that is not abstract, but directed toward solutions for real issues such as access to finance, compliance frameworks, infrastructure, tourism development, local content, digital adoption, and youth employment. It provides a cultural anchor, reminding us that development thrives best in environments where people feel respected, included, and seen.
“Crucially, this initiative also functions as a pipeline builder. The engagements, relationships, and commitments formed here will find continuity through the Oniru Business Network, which will maintain a living registry of businesses, host periodic forums, support capacity-building programmes, and facilitate structured communication between businesses and government. It offers the kind of institutional memory and strategic follow-through that Lagos seeks to embed in its economic governance.”
According to her, the mandate of her Ministry, under the T.H.E.M.E.S+ Development Agenda and Lagos State Development Plan 2052 cannot be achieved in isolation, but requires trusted partners across the ecosystem, traditional institutions like the Palace of the Oniru, development finance organisations, business associations, private sector actors, and indeed the media who help shape the narrative and give visibility to credible platforms.
“The Oniru Business and Cultural Day is not merely an event; it is a thoughtful, intentional intervention in how we organise the relationship between culture and commerce in Lagos. It recognises that the Palace stands as a centre of legitimacy, continuity, and trust, and that culture itself is not only a heritage to be celebrated but also a powerful convening platform through which dialogue, partnerships, and economic opportunity can be meaningfully pursued. I extend profound appreciation to His Royal Majesty for his vision, courage, and sense of responsibility,” she said.
In his address, His Royal Majesty, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal, CON, Abisogun II, Oniru of Iru Kingdom, remarked that the Oniru Business and Cultural Day and Oniru Business Network were informed by the need to establish a credible, organised and trusted interface for conversations among stakeholders whose lives, work and aspirations intersect with Iru kingdom, translating same into outcomes while evolving intentions into shared progress.
“The Oniru Business and Cultural Day was never envisioned merely as a ceremonial festival or entertainment gathering. While it celebrates our heritage, vibrancy, and identity, its foundation is entirely strategic. It is a deliberate intervention designed to organise how culture, commerce, community, and governance interact within Iru Kingdom. It provides a structured mechanism through which people can meet with clarity, engage with dignity, and build with purpose, because the prosperity of any modern kingdom depends not only on its cultural strength, but also on the quality of structures through which ideas, partnerships, and investments can flourish.
“In this partnership, the Palace brings institutional memory, local insight, and cultural legitimacy, as it serves as a trusted host for Public and Private Partnership engagement. The Palace stands as a critical connector between public interest and private enterprise; between policy aspirations and commercial realities; between community expectations and investment ambitions. It offers a neutral and natural ground where government priorities can meet private sector capabilities, and where all parties can interrogate shared interests with openness and mutual respect. On the other hand, Lagos State Government, through the Ministry, provides regulatory leadership, technical guidance, and policy direction, forming a partnership model that is coherent and sustainable,” he said.
The monarch acknowledged Lagos State Government under Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and engagement of the Ministry, whose participation reinforces the policy alignment needed to ensure that investment facilitation within the kingdom is structured, transparent, and attuned to Lagos State’s development priorities.
Adewale Akodu
Public Affairs Unit
MCCTI
Tuesday, 16th December, 2025.
CAPTION
PIX (L-R) Tayese of Iru Kingdom/Chairman, Iru Business Network, Chief Michael Tawadrous; Aro of Iru Kingdom, Chief Lukman Alapafuja; Oniru of Iru Kingdom, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal CON; Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment (CCTI), Mrs Folshade Bada Ambrose; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of CCTI, Mr Babatunde Onigbanjo at the press conference to unveil Oniru Business and Cultural Day and launch Oniru Business Network at Oniru Palace on Tuesday.
