Folajogun Akinlami has worked in broadcasting, written books, produced films and championed opportunities for people living with disabilities. Now, she has added fashion to her growing portfolio with Let Love Lead, a clothing brand whose launch campaign celebrates women of different ages and body shapes.
The brand, officially launched in October 2026, offers T-shirts and activewear. Its message, inclusive activewear for every body, is reflected in a campaign that features women in coordinated outfits in different colours.
For Akinlami, a Nigerian broadcaster, author and disability advocate based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, the venture opens a new chapter in her professional life. It also brings her into an industry where the way people are presented can influence how they see themselves and who they believe a product is meant for.
Known in her writing as Vickie Banks, Akinlami has explored questions of identity, relationships and disability through several creative platforms. Her work has taken her from Nigerian radio and television to publishing, international engagements and film production. Let Love Lead is her latest business venture, giving her another way to connect with an audience.
A CAREER ROOTED IN THE MEDIA
Akinlami's professional journey includes presenting and producing entertainment programmes at Ondo State Radiovision Corporation (OSRC) and Orange FM. At OSRC, she also served as Head of the Entertainment Unit and Secretary of the Programmes Department, contributing to programme reviews and broadcast-content standards.
Her broadcasting experience extended beyond entertainment. Through Beyond Challenges, a disability-focused programme, she brought the experiences and achievements of people with disabilities into public discussion.
The programme formed part of her work to present people with disabilities through their individual experiences and accomplishments, rather than allowing their physical conditions to define the stories told about them.
She has continued in digital broadcasting through Folajogun Akinlami TV. Its programmes include Beyond and Above Challenges, which explores the experiences and achievements of people navigating barriers, and Hanging with Diasporans, which features conversations about Nigerians and their experiences outside the country.
The range of subjects reflects her continuing interest in stories about people, their lives and their place in society.
FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO ADVOCACY
Akinlami is a polio survivor with a physical impairment affecting her right leg. Her experience has informed her interest in disability and the way people living with disabilities are represented in public life.
In 2018, she established the Differently Abled Foundation in Nigeria, an organisation that advocates inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities.
Her involvement in the subject has also taken her beyond Nigeria. In 2019, she participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States. During the fellowship, she volunteered at Gigi's Playhouse, a Down syndrome achievement centre.
That experience inspired Fola and Haley: A Friendship Story, published by Wisconsin Life in January 2020 and credited to Akinlami and producer Karl Christenson. The story explored friendship and self-perception through her connection with a young participant at the centre.
The project added to her work documenting experiences that can offer audiences a broader understanding of people whose lives are sometimes viewed through a limited lens.
THE AUTHOR BEHIND VICKIE BANKS
Writing has given Akinlami another platform for examining personal experiences. Under the name Vickie Banks, she wrote Stolen Paradise, which explores life, love and disability. The themes also featured in a discussion documented in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's 4W Initiative 2020 progress report.
Her autobiographical book, Phoenix: A Journey of Rebirth and Resilience, examines identity, relationships and rebuilding a life. Her subsequent manuscript, The Child I Chose, takes her autobiographical writing into motherhood.
Across these works, Akinlami addresses aspects of life that extend beyond disability, including relationships, family and personal identity. The books form part of a body of work in which individual experiences are given space beyond the labels society may attach to people.
Her academic interests have also touched on these questions. She completed a master's degree in Youth Work and Leadership Practice at Nottingham Trent University, researching the self-perception of women living with physical disabilities in Nigeria.
The research subject connects with concerns she has explored in her broadcasting and writing, particularly the experiences of women and the way they understand themselves in relation to society.
A CREATIVE INTEREST THAT EXTENDS TO FILM
Akinlami's work in entertainment also includes music and film production.
She co-produced Ariwo Oja Parts 1 and 2 and contributed the soundtrack, combining her musical interests with her involvement in screen production.
Her film credits include Pendulum and Ile Binukonu, released through her developing film platform in 2026. Another project, Enough, is awaiting release.
These projects show another side of her professional life. Alongside programmes focused on disability and social experiences, she has participated in film and entertainment productions that broaden her work beyond a single subject.
Her career has consequently developed across several platforms, with broadcasting, writing, music and film each providing a different means of reaching audiences.
LET LOVE LEAD FINDS ITS PLACE
With the launch of Let Love Lead, Akinlami has entered fashion with a campaign built around a clear idea: women of different ages and body shapes should have a place in the brand's presentation.
The collection includes T-shirts and activewear, while the launch images feature women wearing coordinated pieces in different colours. This approach establishes the brand's emphasis on inclusive representation from the outset.
Fashion is a commercial business, but it is also closely tied to personal expression. Clothing is part of people's everyday lives, and the images used to market it help establish who a brand hopes to reach. By featuring a variety of women, Let Love Lead presents an alternative to campaigns that rely on a narrow picture of the people who wear particular styles.
For Akinlami, the clothing line adds a new dimension to her work. Her previous projects have reached audiences through television, digital media, books and film. With fashion, she is entering a market where her ideas will be presented through products people can choose to wear.
The brand also represents a new business interest for a professional whose career has developed across Nigeria and the United Kingdom. From her early broadcasting work to the establishment of the Differently Abled Foundation and her creative projects, she has taken on roles in different fields while continuing to develop her interests.
Let Love Lead now joins that portfolio as an officially launched brand with its own collection and identity. Its focus on inclusive activewear gives the business a defined starting point as it introduces itself to potential customers.
For readers interested in the collection, the brand's official online page provides a direct way to explore its offerings.
As Akinlami continues her work in media, writing and film, Let Love Lead adds fashion to a career shaped by a willingness to explore different creative and professional opportunities. The brand's October launch marks the beginning of this latest chapter, bringing her into a new industry with a campaign centred on making more women visible.
