A pan Nigerian outfit, Prodiva, has started putting finishing touches on its high octave preparation to host its maiden Independent day fiesta on October 1, 2025, to celebrate Nigeria’s prosperity in diversity.
Prodiva, an outfit coined out of two words, prosperity and diversity, is floated by Bolatito Ajibode, a seasoned banker with deep corporate banking experience spanning 32 years across three banks.
The event, which is being sponsored by Ginger Up Nigeria Limited, makers of Ginger Up and Ginger Shot healthy drinks, plans to empanel a crop of working class young Nigerians who have tried their hands on floating small and medium enterprises, to share their stories, the rough road and the success, to motivate an audience of other young Nigerians on what is possible and to ginger them up instead of contemplating fleeing the country in search of any greener pastures elsewhere.
The fiesta, aimed at promoting industry zeal in young Nigerians, is being headlined by Ifedolapo Runsewe, the young founder of Ibadan-based Freee Recycle Limited which has done wonders with used tyres recycling.
The event taking place at Muri Okunola Park in Lagos would have free exhibition stands for some of the fiesta partners.
According to Ajibode, who described herself as the woman with green blood running in her veins, because of the love for fatherland Nigeria, after the maiden edition in Lagos, it would now be a yearly event that would be taking place in all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
She said, “By God’s grace, it is going to be a yearly event. A day is coming when Dangote would come and tell his story and ultimately we will be doing it in all the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. After the maiden edition in Lagos, we will do it again in Lagos. By the third year, we should be in Abuja.
“By the fourth year, we should be in Port Harcourt and the fifth year, in Enugu and then in Kano. In future, this independence fiesta will be happening simultaneously in all the six geopolitical zones, so that is what we have in mind.”
Brimming with unparalleled patriotic zeal, Ajibode created a pan Nigerian fabric, prodiva during her days as a top banker when she discovered that Nigeria lacked an African print that defines her cultural essence like the kente print that is synonymous with Ghana.
She therefore designed Prodiva fabric to celebrate Nigerian 60th independence in 2020.
Prodiva fabric is designed out of the unique cultural essence of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
On the pan Nigerian fabric are the six features representing the regions: Green land unique with North-Central zone which is the food basket, capable of feeding the whole nation when fully harnessed; the hand crafted calabash used in serving cow milk in North eastern Nigeria; the Arewa knot, the political symbol of Northern Nigeria; the crown of Oduduwa sybolising power and authority of the Yoruba race in South-West; the ofor, the sacred symbol of justice, truth and authority of the Igbo chief in Eastern Nigeria and the Fedora black hat which is also known as Niger Delta cap (nicknamed Goodluck or Resource Control cap) from the South south.
She narrated the story with provida:
“Despite being the largest Africans that wear Ankara, I wondered why Nigeria could not be identified with a unique fabric just like the kente with Ghana. That was how I came up with provida fabric to become the unique identity of Nigeria.”
After identifying the unique features synonymous with the six geopolitical zones, Ajibode approached the fabric honcho at the Yaba College of Technology for a good design and she came out with a beautifully designed fabric which she has been marketing for years now as Nigeria’s unique wear, the equivalent of Ghana’s kente.
According to her, during the fiesta, prodiva will be marketed to participants just to encourage them to don Nigerian wear instead of any foreign material.
Ajibode, who is the founder of Ginger Up Nigeria Limited, described herself as a living evidence of prosperity in diversity.
She started a cottage industry from her kitchen in 2016 after her experience of prepared fresh ginger and honey mixture for her husband to enjoy his tea and pap, because the imported ginger granules was not available in the market.
Fortunately, her employer, Stanbic IBTC Bank, has a policy that encouraged staff to invest in their outside business interest.
Consequently, Bolatito became the first producer of commercial ginger drinks in Nigeria, employing more than 50 well-paid workers.
After leaving the bank, Ajibode was appointed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the Deputy Managing Director of Lekki Free Zone Development Company.
She served as the DMD of Lekki Free zone for three years and retired in July 2025 to focus on the production of her ginger drinks that which is now a national product and gradually becoming an international brand.
