LIFE HISTORY OF MR. BENJAMIN SUNDAY IDOWU AJIBOLA BABATOPE A.K.A. “BENCO STITCHES” 

BIRTH AND PEDIGREE

Mr. Benjamin Sunday Idowu Ajibola Babatope (affectionately known as ‘Benco’) was born on the 18th of December 1948 in Efon-Alaye LGA of the old Western State , now Ekiti state, to Pa Jacob Taiwo and Madam Lydia Omolayo, both of blessed memory. Benco was born into a devout Christian family and they were members of the Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C.) in Efon-Alaye. The late madam Esther Oluwasola, (maternal grandmother) was known town wide as an early morning street evangelist who would walk the streets each morning as early as 5AM sounding the call to prayers- “E ji iji ododo, E gba ara yin k’ale l’owo orun iku at ese” (Wake up in righteousness, shake yourselves away from the sleep of sin and death!). This earned her the moniker of ‘Jiji Ododo’, and her children and grandchildren earned ‘children of ‘Jiji Ododo’. Pa Taiwo and madam Lydia were both from the Elewere Dynasty in Haye quarters of Efon-Alaye, their marriage was the very first marriage ceremony in the CAC group of churches world over, officiated by none other than the late Apostle Ayo Babalola, founder of the CAC movement. Madam Lydia was one of the many missionaries who toured with the late apostle to neighboring towns to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Benco had 2 surviving siblings with whom he grew; his older brother late Chief S.T. Babatope and his younger sister Mrs V.B Ola. Unfortunately, pa Taiwo died in 1957 while Benco was in primary three and madam Lydia had to raise him and his siblings mostly by herself. 

EDUCATION & CAREER

Benco, started his formal education at the St. Stephens C.A.C. primary school, in Erekesan area of Efon-Alaye and later on to the St. Charles Grammar School in Osogbo for his secondary school education. He however, could not complete his course of study due to financial challenges. His father’s earlier death meant he often had to live with relatives at a time; Pa Oluwatayo Akinyemi of blessed memory, who then was a teacher in western Nigeria, was a prominent figure in his early life and he moved often with him on his work transfers across the region.

On the choice of a career, post his secondary school, madam Lydia considered the main artisan vocations of the time and decided that skills in tailoring were the most enduring as there will always be a basic need for clothing and a near insatiable desire for current clothing trends. She thus enrolled him as an apprentice with Ajayi Tailors in Oshogbo, then Oyo state, where he learnt to make trendy clothes for men.

Benco graduated from his apprenticeship arrangement in 1967 and opened his own tailoring shop in Oshogbo. From his early forays in the industry, Benco realized that women clothing were more varied and in demand as women were multiple times more likely to make new clothes than the average man. Thus he moved to Lagos in 1969 where he enrolled with the late Pa Ayodeji to learn female clothe design and sewing.

Benco would later on open his own ‘feminine fashion design’ outfit at 23 Moloney Street , Ebutemetta East. He coined the name ‘Benco Stitches’ for the outfit which reflected his own forward thinking and vision for the profession. In the early 80s, he opened a second shop at 44 McCullum street, Ebutemetta to serve mainly as a show-room for his designs and latest works. Special care was taken with the interior décor of wooden wall panels and sliding glass doors to match the level of his designs. The main workshop was later moved to 44 McCullum street following the sale of the initial property in 2010.

Benco married Mrs Mary Alake Babatope (nee Bolarinwa), a trained teacher in July 1977. Despite his own truncated formal education, and against conventional thought at the time, he was an ardent believer in the value that both formal and informal education had to offer; he thus encouraged his wife to pursue her formal education to a reasonable conclusion. Although she also learnt hair dressing, tie & die and fashion designing, she still later earned her Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree from the University of Lagos. This same drive was transmitted to his children to ensure they all had formal education while they also learnt the basics of fashion designing in their free time.

His lack of a full formal education notwithstanding, Benco had an insatiable appetite for learning and new things. He was often seen in the fore front of design and thought for the profession. In the early 80s, Benco began the first of his many learning pilgrimages to the United Kingdom where he worked with various design and production houses to hone his skills.

Benco often retold the story of his first travel and skills test; the production factory rep had told him that he did not have the level of skill they needed and so could not work with them. Benco said he was stunned and humbled by the experience and it further showed him that indeed the world had moved on beyond what he had been taught and was practicing. Rather than choose a path of less resistance, Benco went back the following day and asked to work without pay- his goal was to see for himself what the others had and thus learn from observation and by doing.

Within a short while, he saw his own deficiencies; learnt new methods and worked with new tools and machinery. He was able to prove his worth and worked his way through the designing, cutting, sewing, ironing and packaging departments. These skills and machinery he brought back to Nigeria and reflected in his work and cadre of clientele.

His quest for knowledge was only matched by his passion to pass on the same to others. Benco took on many male and female apprentices over his decade long career who have all gone on to contribute to the development of the tailoring and fashion design sector of the country. In 2012, Benco was nominated by the National Directorate of Employment to be part of the Technical Aid Corp from Nigeria to Namibia as a Trainer. The objective of the Corp was skills transference; to tutor Namibian youth in the art and science of Fashion Designing and thus help build the nation of Namibia and strengthen diplomatic relations between the two nations. Benco left Namibia in 2014.

SOCIETIES & ASSOCIATIONS

Over the years, Benco helped found and grow many organizations with diverse goals and diverse peoples from different walks of life.

He was the Pioneer President of the Sunrise Club of Efon-Alaaye,Lagos, position he held from 1971 to 1988. The club exists till date and the friendships forged there have indeed transcended time itself

The Pioneer President Lagos state Tailors and fashion designers Association (LASTFADA)- He was the pioneer President of the Lagos State Fashion Designers Association (LASTFADA) which inauguration took place in May 2001 when Mr. M. T. J. Oni was the President of the Lagos State Council of Artisans  and Tradesmen (LASCOTA). He was a Member of Trustees in Lagos State Tailors and Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (LASFADAN) until his death. 

He was the First Vice Chairman Lagos State Council of Artisans and Tradesmen (LASCOTA) from 2018 till death.

He maintained his Trainer/ mentor status with the National Directorate of Employment, Lagos, till his death.