By Matthew Johnson

LAGOS — House of Tenposs, a creative and innovation hub established to develop locally owned ideas, products and technologies for global markets, has commenced operations with a target of taking Nigerian creativity to the international stage.

The organisation, which comprises four subsidiaries — Gush Book, Nutrika, Bill-Am and Winca LAB — was formally unveiled by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, represented by Mrs Janet Oputa.

Keyamo commended the founder and Chief Executive Officer of House of Tenposs, Ojo Ayoola, for his commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.

The minister, while highlighting ongoing Federal Government reforms in the aviation sector, particularly in safety, sustainability, maintenance and space development, said government initiatives could not substitute private-sector innovation.

“None of that can substitute what the inventor of the House of Tenposs is building,” Keyamo said, urging Ayoola to remain committed to his vision.

He also called on Nigerians to embrace ownership and entrepreneurship, saying the country’s future would be shaped by individuals willing to take risks and create value.

Speaking at the event, Ayoola said ownership remained critical to Africa’s quest for global relevance.

He said controlling ideas, intellectual property, brands, production capacity, technology and routes to market would enable Africans to move beyond being consumers of other people’s innovations to becoming creators of globally competitive solutions.

“When we own the idea, the intellectual property, the brand, the production capacity, the technology and the route to market, we stop being only users of what others create. We become creators of value that others can use,” he said.

Ayoola cited African technology companies, Andela and Flutterwave, as examples of businesses that developed solutions from the continent while creating opportunities in international markets.

According to him, Andela’s model connected African technology talents with global opportunities, while Flutterwave developed payment infrastructure that enables businesses to operate across different markets.

“These stories matter because they show that African problems can produce African capability and African capability can travel,” Ayoola said.

He explained that the philosophy behind House of Tenposs was to move from “possibility to ownership”, describing its development process as a three-stage journey — independence, interdependence and dominion.

He said independence involved building intellectual, technical and productive capacity, while interdependence focused on collaboration and mutually beneficial relationships.

Ayoola explained that dominion, in the context of House of Tenposs, did not mean dominating others, but attaining a level of competence in solving important problems that people beyond Nigeria would depend on locally developed solutions.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser on Climate Change and Circular Economy to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Titilayo Oshodi, urged Nigerians to embrace the risks associated with ownership and entrepreneurship.

Oshodi also called for selfless service and collective commitment to building a stronger Lagos and Nigeria.

The launch was attended by government officials, entrepreneurs, innovators and other stakeholders, who gathered to witness the commencement of operations of House of Tenposs and its ambition to position Nigerian creativity and locally developed solutions for the global market.