The Nation Newspaper

Category: Small Business and Entreprenuership

  • Building a profitable business

    A  Calabar-based entrepreneur, Rosemary Orok Oyo, followed her childhood dream of doing something on her own. She started her company. She shares her experience of dealing with challenges and pursuing a long-term vision. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Rosemary Orok Oyo is among the most promising business women this year. She has  turned her love for popcorns into a successful business. But its tryst with entrepreneurship started at a  very young age as  family members  were fashion entrepreneurs.She later attended Federal Government Girls College, Calabar.

    She  got admission  to study  Environmental Education at  the University of Calabar . She started fashion retail business while still in the university. She later  graduated with a BSc Environmental Education, specialising  in tourism and eco-management.  After graduation in 2009, she didn’t bother  to search for a job because it was actually a family business. Three years after, she took over the business and did some renovations to attract more customers.

    In October last year, she enrolled at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Southsouth Entrepreneurship Centre, Calabar.

    There, she realised   that there is a difference between a trained and uninformed  entrepreneur.

    On graduation from the entrepreneurship programme, she  was inspired  to expand her  fashion retail business into maternity and kiddies outfit .

    Consequently, she did her business registration and changed the name of the business from Cita Exclusive Outfit to Teddies World.

    Early this year, specifically in January, she employed a new sales representative who exposed her to the untapped fortunes in popcorn business.

    She said: “I took out some time to pray about it and I had the leading to start the business with a different concept. That was how Teddies Popcorn started.  She started the popcorn business with just N80, 000 and three months after, she got a seed fund from the south south entrepreneurship center.  She has been running the fashion retail business for seven years now, but the popcorn business which is nine months old is making more waves more than the fashion retail business. Chocolate popcorn is her flagship product. Right now, the buzz is about Teddies popcorn. She began coming up with formulations. They produce up to 10 varieties of popcorn.

    On the worth of the business now, she testified: “You wouldn’t believe the worth of the business now but I’ll say it’s quite impressive and our turnover in nine months is in six zeros and still counting.”

    Her popcorn is a brand in Calabar, Cross River State. Her exposure has helped her to explore spices, nuts, cheeses and other whole ingredients that are a wonderful compliment to popcorn. But expected, new popcorn entrepreneurs are emerging, making new investments. To stand out, she is determined to create better-tasting, healthier flavoured popcorn. Consumers are happily buying them, because the love for the snack seems inexhaustible.

    One thing that has stood in her favour is the constant and unwavering support of her family,  friends and customers who believe in her  and the products.

    Between  producing popcorn, and raising kids, every day presents a new challenge. In addition to managing the brand and overseeing marketing, she spends a lot of her time raising the kids and trying to spend quality time with the family. She has now five members of  staff and will still recruit more before the end of the year.

    One of the problems she had when she started was insufficient funds to expand her business and her  second problem was human resource. She related a pathetic experience: “Last year just before the general election campaign started, the economy nosedived in Cross River State. Businesses couldn’t survive and some were struggling to stand.  I took a loan from the bank. It was the biggest mistake I made. Early this year because of the high exchange rate, prices of goods were high and customers couldn’t really shop and that really affected my business. I saw failure staring at me but despite all odds I was able to pay back that loan from our popcorn sales and both businesses are doing well today regardless of the economic situation.”I’ve learnt not to invest or take loan when there is economic crisis in the country,” she added. She is proud of what she has accomplished so far. Teddies popcorn was among the top 50 most innovative businesses by Etisalat EasyBusiness Millionaire Hunt Programme season 2.

  • Entrepreneur creates big business on local problems

    Entrepreneur creates big business on local problems

    One of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs face in today’s increasingly crowded digital landscape is how to be distinctive, memorable, and stand out from the crowd. Founding Director iBez, iBez Nigeria, Ommo Clark  has become the case study example of tech entrepreneurship. She  is genuinely a real game-changer in that she looks to make a real difference in people’s everyday lives by looking at challenges and turning them into solutions and new business opportunities. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    In Nigeria, there is no shortage of talented female entrepreneurs. Women  such as  Ommo Clark, software designer and Founding Director iBez, Nigeria, have been inspiring and leading change in the communication business. She  has become the case study example of tech entrepreneurship. She is one talented Nigerians who has   made breakthroughs, pushed boundaries and held positions of power in the world of technology.

    Her  company,iBez, a technology company  develops software applications and online platforms specifically tailored to people and businesses in emerging and underserved markets and also provides software development consulting services.  Ommo Clark is a qualified IT Consultant with many years of experience working for a string of well-known investment banks and software companies both in the UK and Nigeria. Ommo is an alumnae of London Guildhall University UK with BA (Hons) Business Admin, and from Brunel University UK with MSc Information Systems. She also worked briefly in International Development. She was engaged as an Application Support Consultant with Real Asset Management UK (a Software House) for a number of years before joining the Investment Bank, Lehman Brothers UK; here she worked in the Mortgage Capital Division as a Team Leader tasked with leading the web development and support teams in online mortgage origination, products development and application support services.

    She left Lehman Brothers after four years to work with Icelandic Investment Bank, Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander based in the UK as an IT Project Manager and led the software development team in developing various banking applications before returning to Nigeria where she worked with Soft Solutions Ltd, Nigeria as Head of Project Delivery and Support, and an International Development firm as Chief Operating Officer. One of the first things that struck her in her first few months back in Nigeria was that there were many every day challenges Nigerians were facing that could be easily solved using technology solutions.

    She said: “ I saw many gaps in the Nigerian software development industry that needed to be filled and also many everyday challenges people were going through that can be resolved using technology solutions.” Having gained enormous critical and analytical skill sets she was determined  to  come up with an elite solution to a problem or innovate something.  She started with very little capital. She had to work with her little personal resources and it really affected the speed at which she was  developing  projects around and grow. She did, however, have a vision and innovative ideas that helped to thrust the company into the forefront of the computer industry. As a technology entrepreneur, she believes technology provides a solution to every business, social challenge or need. After doing some research, she came up with internet based solutions.   Today, the business has reached six digits in turnover. She said:  “ We know we have the capacity to do and achieve a lot more. It has been a long hard road.” She  has been in business full-time for about three years  and  in the software development industry for about 15 years. Ommo has taken her company to the pinnacle of success with her excellent leadership and sheer hard work. iBez is also on the verge of launching a number of web-based applications namely – Handy Jacks, which is a web portal for finding certified and vetted tradespeople (artisans) on demand; Lets-Share, which is a web portal for advertising and finding spare bedrooms to rent in a house or flat share; My Office Manager, which is a cloud based office management application specifically designed for entrepreneurs, micro and small businesses to manage their back office operations; Lagos Rocks, which is an e-commerce site to buy sterling silver jewellery and Essentially Lingerie, which is an e-commerce site to buy lingerie.

    What is  helping her is  selling software technologies most people use every day. Today, her products allow small players with big ideas to confront big businesses.  She faced several challenges at the early stage but she overcame all one by one with hard work, determination, patience and never-give up attitude.  She related: “When I started off I had absolutely no idea about how to run or manage a business. I thought that because I am technically skilled and experienced at what I did the work and money would just flow in but they did not. I had to learn how to structure a business properly and develop some marketing and sales skills. I am still not an expert but I try. You have to understand that there is a difference between entrepreneurship and running a business.“When  she  started ,she  was  working   mostly  alone,  often overseeing  all the aspects of the business. These included having telephone conversations with clients, negotiating on projects and budgets, time management, technical development, finance, marketing, preparing contract agreements, etc.  But she has built a small team of software enthusiasts, geeks, strategists, analysts, designers, developers and project managers, all focused on building exceptional software applications. She is very proud of her accomplishments. “I started with nothing – just a dream and an idea and today I have a business that is on its way to changing the world. Just last week, I was invited to participate in a Global Women Entrepreneurship Institute (GWEI) in Atlanta, USA organised by Georgia Institute of Technology. It is amazing to have been one of16 women entrepreneurial leaders from five  African countries – Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Zambia selected to attend this Entrepreneurship Leadership development Programme that was designed to showcase talented African women entrepreneurs in Africa, encourage collaboration with Atlanta based businesses, forge trusted relationships and put them on the global map.”

     

    In ten years time, she wants to have a chain of technology / e-commerce platforms and products that help people and businesses in emerging and underserved communities overcome everyday challenges and improve livelihoods.

     

  • Women hold global mentoring walk

    Women hold global mentoring walk

    A NON-GOVERNMENTAL Organisation (NGO) Ideas Builders Initiative at the weekend held activities as part of efforts to mark the Global Women Mentoring Walk. The event is held on the third Saturday of November yearly to promote entrepreneurship among women through mentoring.

    In a message, the NGO’s Executive Director Mrs Lucy Kanu said: ‘’As we walk, women engage in discussions regarding life goals, ideas, challenges and successes. It underscores the value of women’s leadership and exemplifies the transformative impact they have when they come together to promote positive change throughout the world.’’

    A mentor Mrs Akpanette Ubong urged women to be driven by the passion for success. Sit down and think and you will be surprised by the ideas that will come your way.  Where you are working, put in your best.’’

    A former staff member of Toyota Nigeria and car dealer, Mrs Ubong said she dreamt of selling cars while in secondary school. She added: ‘’Do what you can, where you are with what you have,’’ saying that sometimes they might get help.

    Dr Funmi Olushoga of Project Think asked the mentees to also think. ‘’Without thinking, you can do nothing. There is thinking before reaction.’’ While Mrs Oluayo Sowemimo, a cosmetologist and teacher, said women could be where they want to be if they have the faith, acquire the right skills. She added: ‘’Be contented with what you have. Don’t give up.’’Also, a farmer and business support professional Mrs Edobong Akpabio said honesty and belief in oneself were vital to entrepreneurship, noting: ‘’Be yourself.’’

  • Winners named for Ford Foundation Prize

    •Adeleye
    •Adeleye

    The Future Awards Africa has announced successful candidates for the Ford Foundation Prize in Youth Employment.

    They were selected after an intensive four month period. Successful applicants were interviewed in selected cities Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu, Ibadan, Kano and Lagos. The nominees are: Kabiru  Seidu-Dankata; Ez Ifedy-Ralph, Olamide Adeleye,Ukinebo Dare, Ifeanyi  Aniagoh and  Olajide Kabir-Tosin.

    A  co-founder of the awards, Chude Jideonwo said:”This prize is very dear to our hearts,”. “It goes to the core of our work, which focuses on enterprise.  “We are delighted to have gotten young Nigerians taking charge, doing their bits and solving the issues of unemployment.”

    •Dare
    •Dare

    With the goal of the Ford Foundation in West Africa to improve governance systems and livelihood opportunities and The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) to inspire the entire continent of Africa through the works of her citizenry, the award is designed to recognize and support young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 33 involved in a social program or projects that contribute to fight youth unemployment in Nigeria.”

    The winner will be awarded €5000 as well as media inventory valued at $20,000.

    This year’s awards, the  10th anniversary  will hold on Sunday, December, 6  2015. It is powered by RED and held in partnership with the Ford Foundation, Microsoft, the US Consulate, the Canadian High Commission Nigeria and The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

     

    •Aniagoh
    •Aniagoh

    Broadcast partners are Africa Magic, Channels TV and EbonyLife TV, founded by the Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams, The Future Awards Africa has been called the ‘Nobel Prize for Young Africans’, and the ‘most important youth awards’ by Forbes. It is a set of prizes given annually to celebrate and accelerate innovation, creativity and enterprise amongst young Africans aged 18 – 31. It has produced over 150 winners and over 1550 nominees since its first edition in 2006.

     

  • An entrepreneur’s success story

    An entrepreneur’s success story

    Starting a business is a challenging endeavour and achieving success under any circumstance is a great accomplishment. Alhaji Kabir Bawa, overcame some obstacles to establish his thriving food business, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Alhaji Kabir Bawa is the founder and Chief Executive Officer, Afro Foods and Spices Nigeria, a food processing company.

    Bawa’s path to becoming an entrepreneur has been an interesting one. His education and training provided him all it takes to  launch a  career in the civil service.

    He  holds   a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Studies from Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS) and   a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria. Besides, a graduate certificate module in International Financial Services of University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom as  well as  combined Masters Degree of Arts (MA) in Globalisation, International Development and Transition Emerging.

    Bawa started his career as an accountant with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) where he spent 12 years. All the years, he tried to make a career out of civil service but he just couldn’t. He was struggling to stay while his heart was seeking exploits in  self employment.

    He  was suffering from a  family  trait. His grandfather was an astute trader and a business man and so was his late father. He said: “I grew up in a family business of construction and general trading.This had positive impact on me.”  So in 2006, he resigned to establish Afro Dimension Company Limited, a building and civil engineering company, which was  into real estate and manufacturing.

    In no time, the company  became one of the biggest concrete manufacturing companies in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Though a  firm believer that “food is at the centre of our whole society”, his   diversifying into food processing   was as a result of the frustration, he went through in the hands of Customs/Quarantine officials of the United Kingdom. He said: “Each time I carry food stuffs to family and friends who live in the United Kingdom they get  confiscated at the Heathrow airport because of lack of effective labelling and packaging. The last straw was when I carried Ogbono in black nylon bags for my doctor friend  and was asked at the airport what it was and I stood there helpless telling the white man it was Ogbono and he was looking at me. What language is this guy talking? I was perplexed how on earth I would not know Ogbono was not English.

    “Eventually, the  foodstuff was  confiscated at the airport. After  that  experience, he   decided to do something to save himself and other Nigerians from further embarrassments in the hands of Quarantine officers across the world.

    For five years, he  began  to research into what makes Indian and Chinese food get global attention and the result led to the setting up of Afro Foods and Spices.

    Today, his   company  is involved in processing a wide range of products, including cowpea, bean flour, fonio, ginger, garlic, whole wheat meal, yam flour (Elubo), brown beans, peeled beans among  others, using modern processing equipment.  The products he said just got into the markets a couple of months ago after going through rigours checks and procedures by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and are certified fit and offered registration numbers. His vision is to revolutionise the market by offering them affordable and nutritious food options made from local products. He  started with  his savings and support  from the   Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin). He  has   put quite a lot of resources into the business. His passion for food and a desire to ‘disrupt’ the food industry  will see him turn a humble idea into national  food business. For him,  the   potential in the food industry is unlimited.  This is because people will never stop eating. He continues to see opportunities everywhere.

    His  mission to make  the  company  a multi billion naira food processing company engaging about 10,000 farmers and providing employment to about 3000 skilled Nigerians in the long run. He wants to see Afro foods not only in the kitchen shelves of every household in Nigeria but in Wal-Mart in the United States, on the shelves of Tesco, Sainsbury and ASDA in the United Kingdom.

    Bawa and his   company are a real inspiration, because they are testimony to the power of perseverance, tenacity, confidence in a great business idea, and a desire to build a powerful brand that can make a difference in the marketplace.Most of the product ideas in Afro came about as a result of observation and acquiring knowledge through asking questions and processing answers. Example is the introduction Afro peeled beans.

    He  said: “One day I called my wife from the office and told her I was craving for moin-moin and I knew I couldn’t get it when I needed it because the socking and washing takes time and effort. “When I came back home, I asked if the moin-moin was ready but lol and behold the beans was still undergoing washing. I stood in the kitchen watching the processes and in the end sympathise with all moin-moin and bean cake lovers. “At that stage I came with up with the idea of providing ready for use peeled beans.”

  • Social entrepreneurs seek economic solutions

    International social entrepreneurs are gathering in Lagos next week to seek solutions that make quality livelihoods and securing economic rights for Nigerians.

    The Development Dialogue, with “Spurring Africa’s Development by Social Innovation and Leadership” as its  theme will hold November 26th. According to the organisers, the high-impact summit for Nigeria’s development sector, will host over 500 practitioners across impact areas including agriculture, education, healthcare, media and arts, economic empowerment and financial inclusion, housing, environment, gender advocacy among others.

    The Dialogue, which builds on the success of a pilot edition held in May, will spark interesting conversations around achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa, principled leadership and social innovation as well as linkages of collaboration for social good.

    Executive Director of Ideation Hub Africa, Debola Deji-Kurunmi, (host of the event), expressed enthusiasm saying: “We believe that Nigeria’s development space is an enormous one, and this summit provides a desperately needed platform to explore the narratives around Africa’s prosperity through the third sector.”  Experts  expected to address the forum include Country Director for African Development Bank in Nigeria, Dr.Ousman Dore, who  will  represent the bank’s president, Dr.AkinwunmiAdesina .

    He   will deliver the keynote speech on Spurring Africa’s Development by Social Innovation and Leadership.

     

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  • SMEs tasked on innovation

    Etisalat Nigeria has encouraged Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the country to adopt innovative models of doing business to enable them accelerate their growth and increase capacity and profit.

    Head, Enterprise Marketing, Etisalat Nigeria, Bidemi Ladipo gave this advice while speaking in Lagos, at the Market Access initiative, organised by Etisalat Nigeria, in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University.

    He said being innovative will help startups and small businesses to grow sustainably in spite of environmental challenges that every business faces. “When you are starting a small business, you have to be unique and innovative. Don’t copy other people’s business ideas; if your idea is based on an existing one, then you have to go the extra mile by adding something unique.

    “We are proud to be associated with small and growing businesses in Nigeria because we share a similar story. When we came to Nigeria, the market had been fully taken by existing operators. Though we came into the market as a small player, today out story is different; we have over 23 million subscribers and we are on our way to becoming the number one player in the industry. This tells us that every small business has a potential to grow into a big corporation, which is why we associate with small businesses.”

    General Manager, Programmes and Partnership at Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Wale Anifowose, said Market Access Nigeria is a platform that brings together  SMEs  and large companies to network, start relationships and create opportunities to ‘buy’ the goods and services of the SMEs.

    He commended Etisalat for being at the forefront of promoting entrepreneurship through its various initiatives such as the Market Access and the EasyBusiness Millionaires Hunt among others.

    The Market Access platform has seen tremendous success since its inception in 2011. Market Access has aided SMEs in networking and developing productive relationships with larger organisations. Last year, the platform toured the country to regions including Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt with a combined total audience of over 2,000 people for the year. This year, the platform has toured Port Harcourt and Abuja.

     

  • Centre urges professionals to stimulate economic growth

    Director-General, African Centre for Supply Chain Obiora  Madu  has urged  professionals to stimulate  higher business  growth in the  economy  through  improved  activities.

    Addressing the fellowship investiture and induction ceremony  of the  centre in Lagos, Madu  said Trade and Investment Minister Okechukwu Enalamah has called on professionals  to tap into business opportunities and  support the nation’s  ambitious economic development plans.

    African Centre for Supply Chain, he  noted, provides technical  assistance  for professionals, entrepreneurs  and  large businesses to  grow and create local jobs while also benefiting from  their creativity, growth and innovation. These ranged from developing a functional  supply chain, preparing for the public procurement process, enhancing the service offer alongside the supply of products and building strategic alliances with other small businesses in the supply chain. Supply Network Operations Manager,Procter and Gamble, Temitope Ogunfayo   said a reliable brand strategy will help  entrepreneurs  make inroads in the minds of their customers and will ensure that all products and services have a visual identity and good positioning in the sector that they  operate in.

    A good brand strategy, he added, can help entrepreneurs   create a niche of their own and enable their target audience to identify and differentiate their brand in the cluttered marketplace.

     

     

  • Global group to empower SMEs to access international funds

    Global group to empower SMEs to access international funds

    An international organi-sation, Afribiz  Group, is poised to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Nigeria, access international funds and thus contribute to economic growth and income.

    These involve individuals and organisations seeking financial support for small to mid-size projects  of  up  to $100 million.

    The  Head, Nigeria-West-Africa Liaison, Mrs  Nwakego Eyisi, said  international  funders are looking for  high-potential SMEs  to  offer  funding  assistance, which  local   companies  can  explore  to boost their businesses.

    However, getting funding granted,she explained,  requires knowledge about the criteria for  acquiring such funds. Many high-potential SMEs ,she  noted, cannot  explore  funding  opportunities   because they do not understand what funders expect of them and cannot access the support they need to meet these high standards.  She  attributed  this  to  poor project preparation.

    According to her, thorough project funding preparation make SMEs eligible to receive large funds based on various criteria.

    To  fill this gap, she said  her  organisation  is ready  to build and strengthen the capacities  within enterprises to tap into direct funding themselves.

    According to her, bankable projects don’t automatically happen. It requires a strategic approach, which encapsulates the many variables into a synergised whole.

    During their trainings, financial investment experts share their experiences in projects as well as present innovative projects which have received support. The  trainings   focus  on  early stage project development process – from idea to feasibility . It also prepares project stakeholders for the remaining stages of the project development process.

    Mrs Eyisi said preparing SMEs for early stage project development is critical to promoting economic growth.

    According to her, Sub-Saharan Africa has significant growth opportunities for investors taking a long-term view on growth, but however, noted  the absence of a functional project preparation to meet the criteria of international funders.

    Her organisation, she stated, offers   intensive project finance investment preparation that can be presented to international investors.

    The company‘s  activities, according to her, has helped  to  increase  the number of investible SMEs.

    She said her organisation has partnered with the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Limited (IDC) to incubate several highly-scalable SMEs.

    By sharing its expertise and resources to a wide base of SMEs, she expects the development to have a multiplier effect, attracting new investors to the SME market and increasing access to capital.

    Afribiz Group is a United States based consulting firm focused on early stage project/venture development and pre-transaction services in emerging and frontier markets.

  • Turning a childhood hobby into responsible business

    Turning a childhood hobby into responsible business

    Getting a business off the ground is a challenge for young entrepreneurs.But small business owners starting up and running their own businesses despite the economic downturn are still hitting the headlines. Jacquelyn Esho is one of the nation’s brightest young entrepreneurs making waves and offering their advice to other budding entrepreneurs. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Thief Executive, Motherland Events Jacquelyn Esho has achieved more in her 22 years than many people would hope to achieve in a lifetime. Her talent, interior design was a way for her to express her creativity and it was perhaps this that drove her to make a huge success of her life.

    She went on to study Interior Design Arts at the University of London. After graduation, she made the decision to turn her childhood pastime into a viable responsible business.

    She started Motherland Events with the aim to change people’s perception of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. She has been running the company since 2013 in the United Kingdom.   The Interior Design Graduate recently moved back to Nigeria to develop her company. But her   life as an entrepreneur and her story is very exciting.  As  setting up a successful business in her mid twenties was by no means easy. But she  was  determined to do  something on her own. Her words: “ I started at the age of 20 with my first pay check £1600.” The business was growing until she decided to return to Nigeria. She  delighted  that  she  has been able to create jobs for youths and mostly international students who have come back to Nigeria and want to start work in a familiar environment. This is a huge accomplishment, and is al

    so incredibly important to the country’s wider economy and development.

    “I have a head office in Ikeja Lagos where I manage four members of  staff”. She said:” I am very unlike my friends, I work Monday- Sunday, and I am awake at 4am everyday speaking to the lord before I start my work, I spend most of my weekends exploring new and exciting places in Nigeria. She  added: “ I would say I have sacrificed living like a normal teenager, I admire the young entrepreneurs who work day and night trying to improve Nigeria like me.” Most exciting, however, is that she has structured her business in a way that it is expected to create more jobs in the next 15 years.

    The recent years has seen her company grow from strength to strength. However, it is not just business accolade for which the‘ formidable young woman should be proud; it is also the impact that her work is having on the economy.

    Her  words: “ I am determined to improve the tourism sector in Nigeria through entertainment, arts and culture. During my first London to Lagos event in June this year,  we faced a lot of challenges and also a financial loss however it is important to have faith in God and believe you are on the right track and things go wrong so that next time you will have a clearer view.”

    She  has firsthand experience of how difficult life can be for new starters. Day-to-day life is a huge challenge as  entrepreneurs  constantly struggle to put food on the table.

    To her ,the company’s  most important achievement is  to see a change in people’s perception of Nigeria and Africa as whole. She noted: “ I hope to see a positive image of Nigeria in the media.”

    For  Esho, being a young entrepreneur can be difficult especially when one is  the youngest person in her office. Being the  boss, she  doesn’t allow her age interfere with her  business,she  gives people respect and authority as required. She   is a fantastic example of a woman that has risen to the top of her game through sheer determination.

    Her best advice for young entrepreneurs is to keep going, “don’t stop at road blocks, no matter if you have run out of money keep going.” “My greatest fear is forgetting why I first started; sometimes when people become successful they forget who they are and where they came from.”

    Her greatest inspiration has been her mother.  “ she supports me majorly and shows a great example, and I am extremely proud of what I have achieved to date and give all the glory to God.”

    In  the next 10 to 20 years, she sees motherland Entertainment doing great things, having offices all over Nigeria, inviting travellers from UK, USA, Canada and other countries.