The Bukola Jaiyeola Initiative: Empowering Microentrepreneurs with Digital Skills

The Ojapreneur Empowerment Project 2025, an initiative of The Bukola Jaiyeola Initiative, has been equiping local microentrepreneurs with essential digital skills to scale their businesses in a fast-evolving digital economy.

The core goal was to empower local marketers with practical knowledge and tools to improve their business visibility and productivity and also contribute to the broader economic development of individuals in Osun State, Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.

Targeting 20 microentrepreneurs from local markets, the program delivered hands-on training using accessible digital platforms such as WhatsApp and AI (Artificial Intelligence)-powered tools like ChatGPT. These tools were carefully selected for their relevance, ease of use, and direct applicability to small business operations.

By simplifying digital literacy and focusing on practical implementation, the project successfully sparked innovation, increased digital confidence, and laid a strong foundation for economic inclusion among local entrepreneurs.

The Market Empowerment Initiative was born out of the growing need to bridge the digital gap among local traders. Despite having access to smartphones, many microentrepreneurs lacked the skills to effectively use them for business growth.

The Bukola Jaiyeola Initiative identified this need and launched a digital literacy campaign targeted at these overlooked but economically vital individuals. The project was specifically designed for microentrepreneurs who had not been exposed to formal digital education but were eager to grow.

With a target of 20 participants, the initiative set out to enhance digital capacity in the areas of customer service, product marketing, and online visibility. The intervention also sparks a broader conversation about economic empowerment through digital inclusion.

The project targeted 20 microentrepreneurs—a mix of both men and women—between the ages of 35 and 60, all actively engaged in trading at the New Market within Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

These individuals had been running their businesses for 2 to 10 years, demonstrating a level of consistency, experience, and readiness for growth. A key criterion for selection was owning a smartphone, ensuring participants had the minimum tools required to benefit from digital training. Their businesses ranged across various sectors, including foodstuff, fashion design, catering services, cosmetics, clothing, household goods, and daily essentials.

The Ojapreneur Empowerment fulfilled its mission of equipping microentrepreneurs with basic digital literacy. Beyond the immediate benefits, the project sparked digital curiosity and unlocked new business possibilities for the participants. It stands as a model for grassroots empowerment and demonstrates that digital inclusion is key to achieving economic transformation at the local and national levels.