Everyone finds strength in different places. However, Jimmy Ofuoyan, CEO of 360Kuts and Khalilimages found his in the strangest arena of all, and more interestingly, in the face of most distressing adversity.
Life could not be harder than when a child is born and raised in an environment devoid of the basic entitlements. The Chief Executive Officer of 360Kuts and Khalilimages endured depressing formative years, which spiralled into his pre-teen days when it reality dawned on him that he would not enjoy the privilege of being a kid.
Jimmy Ofuoyan grew up in a family of nine–four sisters and three brothers, of which he is the youngest of the male siblings in Nigeria. Before he became a teenager, he already had the wisdom of an adult. He read the handwriting on the wall, understood the journey ahead and purposely took steps in the direction he wanted to go.
At just 12 years old, Jimmy Ofuoyan decided to learn a vocation–a decision that eventually changed his life. The entrepreneur took up skills in braiding and fixing of women’s hair at his brother’s unisex salon, which he complemented with more knowledge in men’s hair styling, through watching videos on YouTube.\\
In no time, Jimmy Ofuoyan was granted the freedom to stand on his own, having been adjudged to have satisfactorily acquired the necessary skills. However, in 2016, after he turned 18, he decided to relocated to Libya, en route Italy, with his nephew Tony, and two friends: Harris and Frank.
The 360Kuts and Khalilimages founder encountered the most difficult event of his life. He fell victim of human traffickers, who threw him into prison for one year and six months. Meanwhile, the situation in the prison would go on to shape his future. In the face of the unfortunate situation, he found purpose. He began to provide hairstyling services to fellow inmates and the traffickers, by using comb and razor blade.
Heaven smiled on him and he miraculously escaped from captivity. He ran off to Italy, where his life took a dramatic turn. Jimmy Ofuoyan continued to practice his skill in a camp where he was later relocated to from Sicily, in a reception centre called LAPISS (Laboratorio per le Aree Protette Italiane e lo Sviluppo Sostenibile) located in a small city of Penne in Abruzzo. There, he also worked as a disc jocke
He could not secure a job after moving to Pescara in 2018. Rather than suck over the situation in a strange land, he provided home services to people as a hairstyling. He caught the attention of many when he was first featured to give a haircut service to an Italian footballer from the town, and later, Leandro Fernandes from Juventus. Jimmy Ofuoyan became a sensation among celebrities in Italy. He’s won the Blurriest/Fasted Fade Technique Barber Battle against other good hairstylists and barbers in his comune & barbershop, and he is renowned as the first migrant from his Nigerian state to have risen to such prominent level.
“One of the pivotal moments in my career was when I relocated to Libya and found myself in a prison camp. It was during that difficult time that I realized the power of my hairstyling skills. I started providing haircuts to the captives and even the traffickers themselves, using just a razor blade and a comb. That experience not only improved my skills but also ignited a fire within me to pursue my passion even amidst adversity,” the 360Kuts and Khalilimages recalled in an interview.
