When Tolagbe Martins, Founder of The TM Grammar Ministry and convener of The Language of Retail, convened over 30 of Nigeria’s most dynamic retail and service operators at GAIA Africa, Lagos, on Friday, November 7, 2025, for The Operators’ Roundtable, it was a well thought-out, high-level, invitation-only working session aimed at co-creating practical frameworks to drive excellence across Nigeria’s retail economy.
The session brought together chief executives, founders, and senior managers from the fashion, beauty, hospitality, food, and distribution sectors. The goal: to tackle real operational challenges and design actionable solutions that can strengthen Nigeria’s retail landscape.
Unlike traditional conferences, The Operators’ Roundtable was structured as a design sprint, part fireside conversation, part collaborative laboratory, focused on translating frontline operator insights into frameworks that can inform both business practice and policy engagement.
“The people building and operating Nigeria’s most successful businesses often have the deepest insights but the least time to share them. This Roundtable was about creating space to listen to those voices, connect what’s working across sectors, and document lessons that can strengthen both enterprise performance and employment systems,” Martins said.
One of the event’s highlights was a candid fireside conversation with Wonuola Okoye, Chief Operating Officer of Persianas Retail Limited and Managing Director of Ashluxe Fashion and Beauty Limited.
The discussion explored the evolving realities of operating within Nigeria’s retail ecosystem, from navigating policy environments to building strong service cultures and developing sustainable business models.
The working sessions, facilitated by Ndali Orepitan, Head of Learning Experience Design at Talstack, guided participants through structured breakout discussions. Through these sessions, operators mapped shared challenges and co-created solutions around four strategic pillars: Talent Development, Service Culture, Operational Excellence, and Policy & Partnerships.
Insights from the Roundtable will be consolidated into The Operators’ Playbook, a practical, community-built resource that captures tested strategies for sustainable growth within Nigeria’s complex operating environment. The Playbook is envisioned as both a reference tool and a blueprint for businesses seeking to balance profitability with purpose and long-term resilience.
The initiative was supported by ecosystem partners including the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), GIZ, and other private sector stakeholders committed to strengthening Nigeria’s talent-driven retail economy.
According to organisers, The Operators’ Roundtable marks a major milestone in The Language of Retail’s mission to codify and share the frameworks that drive service excellence and enterprise development. Since its launch in 2023, the platform has trained more than 500 frontline staff and cultivated a growing community of practitioners across fashion, food, lifestyle, fitness, and hospitality sectors.
Looking ahead, Martins said The Language of Retail will expand to Kano and Abuja in 2026, before returning to Lagos for its fourth edition in the last quarter of the year.
With initiatives like The Operators’ Roundtable, Nigeria’s retail ecosystem is increasingly defined by collaboration, innovation, and the shared ambition to build businesses that are not only profitable, but purpose-driven and sustainable.
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