Embarking on a Healthier Journey? This Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur Has Answers
“I realised I kind of lost myself in the process of marriage, having children and responsibilities” says Bunmi Fajuyigbe, founder of MyFigure8, the multichannel digital platform that is disrupting the wellness industry in Africa. More concerned with creating a platform that allowed women to take control of their health issues in a holistic manner, rather than embark on a dubious quick-fix diet, the dynamic mother of two embarked on her own wellness journey, based on extensive research and further academic study in the area of wellness, nutrition, fitness and beauty. “There weren’t a lot of wellness coaches in Nigeria then and I believe there still aren’t enough. So I went online did a lot of research, took certification courses in fitness training, nutrition and wellness coaching. I was able to coach myself and in the process, I lost 16kg in 4 months while eating well, exercising and being conscious of myself and my feelings.” What had begun as a quest for the post-baby ‘snap-back’ evolved into a business that has gone on to equip and empower thousands of women to make considered choices that will optimise the health and wellness of themselves and their loved ones.
Bunmi took to her entrepreneurial journey as the proverbial duck takes to water. An effervescent nature coupled with her own ‘before and after’ testimony, led to early adoption of her principles and a raft of clients beyond her home city of Ibadan, Nigeria. The celerity of growth is reflective of a demographic surge that has seen the services she provides needed more than ever. Urbanization brings with it an increased sedentary lifestyle, and in Africa, where according to a 2012 African Development Bank report some 85% of the Africa’s overall population will reside in cities by 2025, the importance of creating solutions that minimise health conditions such as obesity and diabetes is critical. A healthy population is a prosperous one and MyFigure8 is doing much to equip and inform through its services which include interactive workshops for adults and children, events and a ‘Wellness Hub’ located in Ibadan.
When asked about the impact that being a TEF Entrepreneur, Bunmi is unequivocal in her praise: “TEF has helped me be a better business person. The training opened up my mind such that I am beginning to see and pursue opportunities that I wouldn’t have earlier. I see problems now and I build revenue streams around them.” She also spoke of the gender, sector and regional agnosticism that is a capstone of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, and cited how the Foundation’s commitment to encouraging and investing in female entrepreneurs with the same enthusiasm as their male counterpoints as being of pivotal importance “[one of the] challenges is getting investors to believe in female entrepreneurs like Mr Tony Elumelu does.” For her own part Bunmi is passionate about the programme and has spread the word amongst her network of budding entrepreneurs to do the same as she did, and apply.
As with all businesses, Bunmi continues to innovate and develop her service offering to reflect customer feedback and ever changing preferences. She is excited to be a pioneer in Africa in the Wellness Sector, a sector which globally according to Euromonitor is valued at a staggering $3.4 Trillion. In the pipeline is a Fitness Board-Game, the first of its kind in Africa; that will encourage the youth demographic to take their health seriously. In the interim MyFigure8 continues the work of showing people across the continent that health and wellness can a reality for all.