Applause as Tomike Layi-Babatunde’s Acacia Studio launches Tara Collection

By Nehru Odeh

Tomike Layi-Babatunde, the founder of Acacia Studio is a woman with a mission. She is also a woman with a strong aesthetic sense. Though a lawyer who was trained at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, she has decided to bring art, beauty, design and of course comfort and joy to the homes of Nigeria through her locally-produced, state of the art homeware collection which draws inspiration from the rich tapestry of African heritage and blends traditional aesthetics with modern design sensibilities.

Still, Tomike has taken her passion and creativity notches higher as Acacia Studio, a leading name in innovative Afro-contemporary design specialized in producing homeware collection using traditional methods, from furniture to ceramics, launched the Tara Collection in grand style at JK Randle Hall, Onikan, Lagos on October 19, 2025. The event was tagged “The Assembly: Dinner & Dialogue Night.”

However, the remarkable thing about that event is that it wasn’t just a launch it was a gathering, a hangout. It was also an evening of togetherness, camaraderie, community, love and fun as guests were treated to a string of refreshments while a live band played scintillating music in the background.

It was also a celebration of art, culture, community, beauty, design and heritage through Nigerian craftsmanship as everything on display that evening – plates, plate mats, furniture, ceramics etc – were sourced and curated locally.

Guests in attendance included Barrister Bimbola Salu Hundeyin, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government; Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Senior Pastor, Trinity House; Mr Yemi Adeola, Chairman Stirling Financial Holdings and former Managing Director, Stirling Bank Plc; Mr Kunle Ajibade, Executive Director, ICNL; Funke Aboyade, SAN; Mr and Mrs Ade Oyebanji, SAN; Prof. M.T Abdulrazak, SAN; Barrister Adedumade Onibogun and Mr Akin Oladeji.

Tomike’s parents, Mr and Mrs Layi Babatunde, were also at the event to give her all the support that she needed. And Tolani Layi Babatunde, the Chief Operating Officer, Acacia Studio, also made her presence felt.

Asked what inspired her to create the Tara Collection, Tomike said: “One of the major values that we hold here at Acacia Studio is community and the art of gathering. If you look at any average Nigerian, no matter what their level is in society, they always have that family unit and that spirit of community and kinship. And that’s something that we really hold dear here. We wanted just a small gathering for people to just sit down, have a nice meal, discuss, engage, and have a beautiful evening.

“We are a brand that focuses on Afro-contemporary furniture and homeware made in Lagos, Nigeria, and we want to showcase Nigerian culture and heritage to the world.”

What has been her experience so far ever since Acacia Studio was founded? “It’s been challenging, it’s been exciting, it’s been fun, it’s been interesting, it’s been a lot of different things, and it’s been a journey that I wouldn’t trade for the world. Manufacturing in Nigeria is not an easy thing. It’s not an easy feat. But somehow, we’re doing it and we’re growing and progressing,” Tomike noted.

The event was indeed a huge success. And distinguished guests, thrilled at the growth and success of Acacia Studio as well as Tomike’s entrepreneurial spirit expressed how delighted they were.

Barrister Bimbola Salu Hundeyin, Secretary to the Lagos State Government in an interview with journalists for instance, said Acacia Studio has what it takes to compete globally.

“You’ve seen some of her works.They’re extremely beautiful. They are creative. I really believe that she will go places. I want to believe when you came in, you saw a few of them. You saw what she did -the table mat, the Adire etc. She will compete globally. I can assure you she will do well. We’re very proud of her. We’re with her all the way,” Hundeyin enthused

She also said the Lagos State government is doing all it can to encourage creatives like Tomike.

“We’re big on the creative industry. You know that Lagos itself is a state of culture. That’s why we call it the state of aquatic splendour. The government is very keen, especially, on encouraging young people in the creative industry to build their potential. We have a lot of entrepreneurship programs for them,” she said.

Mr Layi Babatunde, SAN, also showed his excitement at the progress her daughters, Tomike and Tolani, have made with their entrepreneurial skills and Acacia Studio.

“I commend their energy. I commend their creativity. And I pray that they will be able to sustain it and not get diverted. But quite honestly, one is encouraged by their efforts and their determination and commitment. For you to build a business up to this level, it takes a lot of dedication and effort and commitment. By the grace of God, we are able to achieve that. And we cannot but be grateful to God and to commend her and her team for the fantastic work that they are doing.

“This gives us the opportunity to come and see for ourselves what they are able to achieve. The sky certainly is not their limit from what we can see. And we are very proud of them. And I believe Nigeria is proud of them. Nigeria certainly has a very great future. Yes, and these young people are going to be a very important factor for us to achieve that.”

Asked how it felt to be at the event, Mr Layi Babatunde, SAN, enthused: “It’s nice to be here. It’s fantastic. The household items, the furniture pieces, the table mats, the beautiful designs that are on them are really quite encouraging. And they are things that create memories, actually. I’m sure even if you have people visiting from outside of the country, you’ll be amazed at the value that we bring to the table in terms of our culture and lifestyle.

“So, it’s good to be here. Thank God that the two of them are working out things together. And they are making a lot of progress. It’s time to sit back, watch them, support them where we can, advise them, encourage them, and let them be. Let them go out there and prove themselves. And I believe they are doing so.”

Barrister Adedumade Onibogun also expressed how delighted he was at the event and, also, his appreciation for what Tomike has done with Acacia Studio.

“I must say that I am not surprised because when you look at the quality of everything that has been put together here, it shows the depth at which the founders of the studio go to curate their pieces, to curate their furniture, and to tell the African story through the work that they do.

“I think it’s very brilliant what they have done this evening. And I look forward to a lot more amazing things that they are set up to do I think the world needs to look out for them because what they are doing is phenomenal. And the world needs to pay attention.

“And I’m sure with the way they are going, they are going to catch the attention of the world because there is so much authenticity to what they bring to the table. And I feel it’s something we should all pay attention to, especially because the world today is focused a lot on cultural heritage. What makes us different? What makes us unique as a people? How do we tell our stories?

“I’m sure you’ve heard sometimes when they say Africans don’t tell their stories enough and they allow other people to tell their stories for them. But Acacia Studio is telling our stories and I think that’s a wonderful thing. I support what they are doing. I’m totally with them. And I wish them all the very best,” Onibogun maintained.

Onibogun believes that government is doing something to encourage the creative industry. However he urged it to do more, given the contributions of the creative industry to the economy.

“Sometimes people say government is not doing enough. But I don’t think so because I am familiar with one or two things that government is doing, especially in the creative industry. Government is doing a lot in that space. I believe that government can only continue to support creatives, continue to support the creative economy because you’d be surprised how much the creative economy can boost for Nigeria.

“I think people also need to understand that government cannot do everything. We all need to put our hands on deck. While the government is doing what they can in the way they can, even individuals, businesses, organizations, you also join us to collaborate with the government and other critical stakeholders to support the creative economy. And I’m sure we will all gain from it at the end of the day.

“And we should be pushing our local industries on the global platform. We have done a lot of importing. We should start exporting. And some people are doing it already, right? But we need more people to do it, because that’s even going to help us fight the dollar at the end of the day. So we should look at placing local content on the global platforms. I think that’s where our focus should be,” Onibogun said.

The evening wore on, spiced up with the spirit of camaraderie in the air. And as the live band played refreshing music guests could not but be amazed at the beautiful artistic designs that Tomike and her team at Acacia Studio were able to put together, thus creating unforgettable memories. And as one of the guests earlier said, those designs indeed tell stories about our rich cultural heritage.