Kola Kehinde/
In a society where accessibility remains an afterthought, Busayo Adebulegbe, popularly known as Chef Wheels, is proving that disability is no obstacle to creativity, productivity, or profit.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) graduate, a chef, writer, designer, and para-athlete, has turned challenges into opportunities, building a thriving business that reflects both resilience and innovation.
Busayo identifies two major hurdles confronting people with disabilities:
- Inaccessible workspaces – Most offices lack ramps and other structures that make wheelchair mobility possible.
- Transportation challenges – Lagos commercial buses (Danfos) do not accommodate wheelchairs, forcing him to rely on taxis. But with low salary offers from companies, the costs of commuting made traditional employment unsustainable.
Faced with these realities, Busayo chose entrepreneurship.
“When the system doesn’t accommodate you, you create your own system,” he says.
At his Chef Wheels Kitchen on UNILAG campus, Busayo serves students and visitors with an impressive menu, from gourmet burgers to spicy jollof rice, rich spaghetti packs, and tasty turkey toppings. He also handles event catering, exam meal plans, and convocation parties, earning a growing reputation for quality and consistency.
Beyond the kitchen, he’s a T53 para-athlete training to compete at top levels, and occasionally collaborates on fashion design projects. To him, these are not separate hustles but different routes to one goal – financial freedom and self-empowerment.
Busayo hopes to expand his business to employ others, particularly people with disabilities who face similar barriers in the job market.
“Business growth creates jobs,” he says. “And if I can help others find purpose and income, then I’ve done more than build a brand, I’ve built opportunity.”
Unshaken by pity and powered by purpose, Chef Wheels continues to roll toward his dream of turning adversity into empowerment; one meal, one customer, and one victory at a time.
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