By Oluwayanmife Ayobami
Recently, IkejaBird interviewed the founder of one of the youngest personally funded foundations in Nigeria, Jomiloju Connoisseur Bamidele.
For one so young, Jomiloju’s story is remarkable. His sensitivity, resilience and compassion in bettering his life and immediate community is commendable. He grew up in a humble background with a strict but caring mother.
My mum has sacrificed a lot for me
Despite the challenges of his upbringing, he was determined to make something of himself through a strong moral compass instilled by his mother. “I follow her footsteps everyday of my life and that’s why my mates always want to emulate me today.”
“No matter how much evil prevails, light will always be outstanding everytime,” he says, echoing his mother’s teachings about staying on the righteous path.
Helping somebody is the duty of everybody
With a dream to create positive change, Jomiloju started the Jomiloju Connoisseur Foundation while still a teenager – one of the youngest personally-funded foundations in Nigeria.
Though just starting out, the foundation rose quickly by organising workshops and doing outreach projects. “One thing I believe in is that helping somebody is the duty of everybody.”
Women are the bedrock of the society
Jomiloju Connoisseur Foundation’s initial outreach program turned into a heartwarming display of community spirit. They planned to educate and support 80 elderly women on the dangers of drug abuse, a topic often overlooked in this age group.
However, when faced with an unexpected turnout of over 180 attendees, the foundation didn’t flinch and rose to the challenge.
Jomiloju and his crew didn’t just educate the women they also gave them things to stay healthy. The women were so thrilled that they threw a mini party at the outreach for Jomiloju and his team. They sang and danced to show their happiness.
Funding young girl’s school fees
Jomiloju also did something amazing for a university student. This student was unable to pay her school fees after she lost her father. It seemed like she might not have been able to finish school.
The foundation heard about her situation and decided to help. They raised over 2 million naira, enough to cover her school fees They didn’t tell anyone the student’s name because they didn’t want to embarrass her.
The girl’s family were incredibly thankful. Her mom went on to send a special video message thanking Jomiloju and wishing him well.
NDLEA appoints Jomiloju, as Ambassador
Jomiloju’s dedication and hard work didn’t go unnoticed. He became the youngest person ever chosen to be an ambassador for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Nigeria.
The Ogun State NDLEA Commander praised his anti-drug abuse efforts and his foundation’s work. Jomiloju joins a prestigious group of NDLEA ambassadors, including former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and university vice-chancellors.
Jomiloju has displayed maturity and commitment to his work, his determination comes from a core belief that “whenever you extend your arms to people without expecting anything in return, they can understand your point of view.”
The biggest challenge, he admits, is funding and convincing others of his noble cause at such a young age. Yet he perseveres, making personal sacrifices from his fashion business income to grow his foundation. “If you want to be great in life, you can’t think like everyone.”
Jomiloju’s philosophy of “hunger gives birth to passion, and passion channeled positively leads to excellence” reveals the grit behind his heroic work of service to uplift his community against all odds.
