Lagos, Oniru Partner to Promote Business, Culture
Yusuf Ebiti
Oniru of Iru Kingdom, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal (Abisogun II), announced the maiden Oniru Business and Cultural Day and the launch of Iru Business Network, a new platform conceived to harness culture, commerce and community development in Iruland area of Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to him, the initiative is designed to provide a structured and trusted framework for sustained engagement among traditional institutions, businesses, government agencies and residents, following Iruland’s rapid urban and commercial growth.
He said: “This initiative, developed in partnership with the Honourable Commissioner for the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Kaosarat Bada-Ambrose, represents a deliberate move to create a formal, organised, and trusted platform.”
“Beyond the one-day event, the future of this initiative lies in ongoing, structured engagement under the umbrella of the Iru Business Network, which is designed to build bridges between culture, commerce and community development. It provides a trusted platform where traditional institutions, the private sector and government can engage transparently and constructively.”
He said the palace would serve as a stabilising anchor amid Iruland’s fast-changing demographic and economic landscape, ensuring development remained guided by shared values, mutual respect and community cohesion.
At the centre of the new framework is the Oniru Business and Cultural Day, a flagship one-day event that will bring together indigenous and expatriate businesses, creative, artisans, entrepreneurs, corporate organisations and development partners operating within the kingdom.
The event expected to hold on February 14, 2026, will feature curated exhibitions, enterprise showcases, business dialogues, networking sessions and cultural performances reflecting the heritage of the Oniru people and the diversity of residents in Iruland.
Already the project has secured the backing of Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, signalling policy alignment with the state’s private sector development and investment promotion agenda under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Commenting on the project, Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Bada- Ambrose, described it as a strategic intervention to strengthen the interface between culture and commerce, using traditional institutions as trusted conveners for economic dialogue and partnerships.
The commissioner added that the Iru Business and Cultural Day is an invitation to indigenous operators to formalise their businesses, join the network and “position themselves for opportunities that will follow.”
“It is an invitation to expatriate businesses and multinational firms to deepen their engagement with the community and contribute to capacity-building, investment and job creation,” Bada-Ambrose said.
She thanked the monarch, on behalf of the Lagos state government, for his “exemplary leadership and foresight”, and pledged that through data, policy, culture and capital, Lagos will continue to provide a hub for “development that leaves no one behind.”
