Category: Interview

Susan Jumoke Fajana-Thomas is a Nigerian British politician and activist. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talked about life as a politician with the UK, memorable moments, role models and the things that inspire her.

 

 

WHAT motivated you to become a politician in the UK?

Different reasons drive people to pursue a political career. Sometimes it is idealism, ideology or because of wanting to become a voice for people.  So, I will say my motivation was about wanting to be an advocate, to making a difference and to contribute to making the world a better place. This is a trait I inherited from my father, from a young age growing up in Nigeria. My father thought me the value of supporting people in your community, he thought me that to be a success you must contribute to other people’s lives.

I have been a campaigner since I was in Nigeria. I was involved in The Better Life Programme for Rural Women project in Nigeria that started in 1987 by Hajia Maryam Babangida, the wife of President Ibrahim Babangida. When I came to the UK a few years later I continued in that spirit, I was involved with community work.  I got together with people to set up a residence association where I lived and had a Resource Centre.

While I was doing these things in the community, I also joined the Labour Party through my Trade Union. A few of my local Labour members that knew about my work in the community encouraged me to become active in politics. It made sense; it was a logical extension of my community activism. In 2006, I stood for the first time as a Councillor in the local elections.

Tell us about your experience as a Mayor?

It was a privilege and I will always be thankful to my colleagues and the people that I represent. As the civic Mayor, it means that in your local area you are the number one citizen, you are representing the Queen and have the opportunity to attend many ceremonial and public duties. My term was in the run- up to the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebration.

I attended around 400 events, met many young people, I presided over 20 citizenship ceremonies to welcome new British citizens and presided over Council meetings as the Speaker.  I travelled far and wide within the UK and outside the UK and met many prominent people. The icing on the cake was having lunch with Queen Elizabeth as part of the Queens Golden Jubilee celebrations. It was a good experience and I would not trade it for anything!

What are some of the memorable times with the Labour Party?

I am proud of what the Labour Party stands for and as an elected politician in the Party, every moment is memorable for me.  The Labour Party has always been about people, it was built on equality, social justice and compassion. It was formed to give ordinary people a voice and has sought power in order to improve people’s lives.

The party has given me a platform to become a prominent campaigner and the opportunity to represent people on the council as a socialist. Having said this, two memories stood out for me. When I became the first Black woman to Chair Hackney North and Stoke Newington Constituency. Secondly, in 2018 elections, I had the highest number of votes among over 200 candidates in my area.

You are also a socio-political activist, what inspires the things you do?

My inspiration is to create change and to improve society’s functioning. I am a socialist that is passionate about various issues in our society.  A few of my campaigns focuses on trying to persuade people to change their behaviours and others to persuade governments to change laws.

Outspoken and challenging on the issues that many people seek to avoid. I’ve become an interesting and distinct voice on topics previously considered as taboo within the African community, such as mental health. As a mental health campaigner, I am campaigning to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people who experience mental health problems. As part of this, my organisation is working with Secure-D-Future in Nigeria to run significant mental health anti-stigma programmes.

I am also campaigning on eradication of early child marriage and on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which I believe is barbaric. Children under 16 years have no emotional capacity to commit to a lifelong decision such as marriage. Early child marriage is an abuse. I am also involved in campaigning around gender equality and women economic empowerment. Women in many African countries and homes are relegated into being housewives, without having their own income or profession. I have campaigned for equality for women, so that women can go out there and be empowered. As a woman, it is important for me that women are not just there to be supporters or just to bear children but as equal partners with their husbands.

Importantly, I am a Universal Peace Ambassador. Of course, there would be conflict, but I believe that we need to resolve conflict in a peaceful way. I have gone round the world talking about peaceful resolutions to conflict. I am glad that in my little way, I have been able to make a difference in our society and helping to change people’s lives.

Tell us about life at NTA?

I had a fantastic time at NTA, I started as a Duty Continuity Announcer and to a Producer and was the Head of Presentation Unit before I left the shores of Nigeria. Working at NTA exposed me not just to broadcasting but public life. Importantly the experience helped me to lay a solid foundation for my current public life in the UK. I have not totally left my TV career behind; I still appear regularly on TV as a commentator/panelist.

Tell us about the other things that occupy your time?

Number one on the list is my family and friends, I love my family. The other thing is my organisation, SFT Foundation Trust with the objective to help build and develop better communities by supporting families through training, coaching, mentoring, awareness generation and research. I mentor and support young people to becoming activists and politicians both in Africa and here in the UK.

My years of dedication has earned me seats on board of various organisations, and these also occupies my time.

Tell us about the people that you admire?

I admire the men in my life, and I have a few women that I admire greatly.  Some of these women are my friends and mentor and a few are my mentees and a few strong African women. My list includes, Diane Abbott MP, Jeannette Arnold, Angeline Makore, Sitawa Wafula, Jenny Okafor, Linda Ikeji, Nina Simone, Oprah Winfrey, Toni Morrison and Michelle Obama. I love and admire my mother, she is a woman that has been through storms but she has always comes out on the other side. For that, I celebrate her.

Finally on my list is late Maya Angelou, she said success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it. I really see myself in this sentence.

Do you have people that you mentor?

Oh yes, I mentor and support young people to becoming activists and politicians both in Africa and here in the UK.  I also provide emotional mentoring to young people, helping to produce social and emotional growth that will improve their relationships with peers, parents, and other adults as well as their overall wellbeing and success in life.

Who or what do you consider to be the greatest influence in your life?

There is no doubt about the who, it was my late father Festus Olusola Fajana. He was my greatest influence.

The what is this quote “A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work”.

What lessons has life taught you?

What life has taught me is that you do not get everything you plan for or our plans are not necessarily God’s plans. Life has taught me that everything is temporary. If you are in this position today, you need to be conscious that things might change tomorrow. Life has taught me that I am my greatest friend, critic and the only person, that can create a successful me. Life has taught me that I should know who I am and who I want to become. Life has taught me to understand that there are always potholes on the way in life and that you must do one or two things, either to navigate around the potholes and get yourself to the other side. Or to decide that you want to halt your travel by going through the potholes and damage your car.

Life has taught me that when you are focused, hard working, when you know what you are doing and where you are going , definitely , you would have success and accomplish many things.

What is your definition of style?

I am a stylish woman; I love to look and feel good in my clothes. I wear colours and styles that flatters my physical appearance and reflect my personality. My style is super chic, dramatic, elegant and gorgeous. I would not go wear things just because they are fashionable or in season.

I love to look good because I believe looking good and successfully is halfway to being successful. I have a very excellent fashion personality. When I step out, I want to be elegant and sophisticated in what I wear.  I am one of those women whose weight fluctuates, today I am size 12, next year 14 or16. I love to coordinate my clothing and accessories and I have a selection of vintage jewellery. My jewellery speaks for themselves because they are bold and beautiful.

What are some of your challenges as a politician?

Of course, there are challenges, layers of them and being a Black woman is one of them.  Hard work and tenacity pay, so I work harder daily. Most important thing you can do is to be clear about your priorities and constantly review them to ensure you are doing those things that are giving you fulfillment.

If you had to advise young people, what would you tell them?

My advice to young people is that it is always good to think differently, empower yourself, believe in yourself, believe you can fly and believe you can achieve whatever you set your mind upon. Be guided by good values in the way you live and work. When the things that you do and the way you behave match your values, life is usually good.

Don’t be afraid of failure, failure is part of success and try as much as possible not to walk before you crawl. Don’t look for quick money, fame or going into criminality but look for fulfilment. When you look for fulfillment, success would come. When you look for fulfillment, fame would come.

Tell us about your plan for 2020?

I outlined a few rough goals to accomplish this year, including a continuation of a partnership work in Africa. I also wanted to start Baby Box Scheme in Nigeria, the Baby Box Scheme, is delivering package for new-borns.

As they say man proposes, God dispose. I did not know that coronavirus pandemic would unleash terror all over the world in 2020.  Now, all I’m looking forward to an end to the coronavirus pandemic and having a bit of normality in my life.  I want to be me, healthy and happy. Most famous importantly to continue to exalt and elevate God.

Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe is the chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora. The lawmaker, who represents Oluyole Federal Constituency, Oyo State, under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in this interview with VICTOR OLUWASEGUN, speaks of her person, past experiences, philosophy, committee and other issues. Excerpts:

 

AS the chairperson of the House Committee on Diaspora, what would you say has been your greatest challenge?

Diaspora is key to the development of the nation, but we need to align the priorities of the three arms of government. For example, prior to the motion raised by me on the floor of the House on the need to investigate Diaspora remittances, the issue of Diaspora remittances was not given the priority it deserved.

My other example of a related challenge is human trafficking with human trafficking, a large number of girls are often trafficked abroad and there is a need for sincere and progressive collaboration between the relevant ministries and agencies – NAPTIP, NIDCOM, Nigerian Immigration Service and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, it is NAPTIP’s sole responsibility to deal with such cases as they have to work closely with immigration to prevent the trafficking at the source. Once these cases are reported, it is the duty of NIDCOM, NAPTIP and Foreign Affairs to bring our fellow citizens back home. The Nigerian police must also investigate, arrest the unscrupulous agents and the judiciary must prosecute on a timely basis.

My other key concern is the mode of preparing our country’s budget, who determines the infrastructure priority projects that go into the budget each year? What is the involvement of the local government and each constituency’s representative prior to the envelopes going out? In my opinion as an accountant, constituencies and states need to be carried along in determining the budgetary items for their localities. For example, in a private company, each department sends its requirements to the budgeting unit, which collates and builds a budget around each department’s requirements.

You are versed in policy formulation, business analysis, strategy development and implementation. Do you think this government is doing well in terms of Ease of Doing Business?

The policies are awesome; the programme is being driven very well by the Vice President’s office, but that is not enough. For the programme to truly succeed, all arms of government must cooperate. The legislators, once they pass value adding laws, need the executive to implement the laws and policies, while the judiciary needs to adjudicate fairly and timely.  The onus falls on our civil service; their cooperation is key as each policy or law is a piece of paper; the civil service is utmost for the proper implementation of these laws and policies.

You are also an expert in tax/financial management, is the Finance Bill the right thing at this time when most Nigerians are hungry?

The Finance Bill, 2019 was presented together with the 2020 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari and has been passed into law. The Bill, among other things, seeks to promote fiscal equity, align local laws with global best practices, introduce tax incentives for investments in infrastructure and the capital market. It also supports small- scale businesses in line with the ongoing Ease of Doing Business reforms and it has its pros and cons, good and bad. Small businesses with turnover less than N25 million to be fully exempted from Companies Income Tax (CIT) & entities with less than N25 million in turnover are exempted from VAT registration. Efficiency must also be built into the system such that VAT paid is completely remitted and in a timely basis to government coffers. We need focus on blocking loopholes that encourage diversion by creating barriers to diversion.

Hate Speech Bill, what do you think of it? Should it be passed in the House, especially as your constituency is against it?

What does the term hate speech mean to you? Hate speech is an abusive or threatening speech or writing that expresses prejudice against a person or particular group. Why do you think we have so much hate speeches on social media platform? This is because Nigerians are disgruntled, Nigerians are unhappy. The platform creates an opportunity for Nigerians to voice out their opinions to be heard.

While I condemn any form of abuse against the human race, I cannot say that the social media has not made positive impact; it has given an opportunity for positive news about the country to travel across the world. It is very informative and has aided prompt resolution on national issues raised. Persons are now more than ever being held accountable for crimes committed against humanity and the nation. As legislators, we understand that there are more pressing issues pertaining to the nation that need to be addressed, issues like unemployment, security, power, socio-economic development, infrastructural development Thus, priority in legislation should be to address these key issues and to create an enabling socio-economic environment for citizens of the country. This would resolve the prevalence of hate speeches, as citizens will be less likely to talk ill about the country when this occurs. Not that I am in support of hate speeches, some are malicious and untrue that have resulted in many lives, reputations and marriages etc. being ruined.

Hate speech itself is a tort under common law when it results in injury to whom it is targeted.  Injury can be either emotional distress, physical or bodily harm or can even lead to death.  All any such law does is to only codify it and put what already exists under common law into statutory form.

That being said, may I add that if need be, let us think of ways to regulate the social media rather than enacting draconian laws with strict penalties such as death is indicative of a dictatorial regime. Although if death should occur as a result of hate speeches, murder charges then may apply.

How useful are Diaspora remittances as a developmental tool for the country?

Leveraging Diaspora Resources for National Development is aimed at creating an avenue for prospective, meaningful and sustainable diaspora investments, which if well realised will boost growth and development of our great country.

What dictates your dressing?

I am not a fashionista; I focus more on what suits my body type. I hardly follow trends not because I can’t afford it but because I find contributing to humanity more exciting. On a lighter note, I remember many friends calling me an ‘Ijebu’ as far back as my 30s as I wouldn’t spend money on frivolous things.

Knowing what my income was at such a young age, they couldn’t understand why I wasn’t heavily into designer labels all the time nor could they understand why I wasn’t having shopping sprees on my trips abroad.

How do you unwind? What constitutes leisure to you?

I love the quietness of nature; unwinding, for me, means spending quality time with my family and friends;  a day at the beach;

Akogun Demola Adedoyin is an alumnus of the Unilever Marketing Academy. The marketing communication expert has held managerial positions in Brand Support of the Unilever Central Africa business. Now the Chief Executive Officer of Integrated Troops, a marketing communication agency, he reveals how the journey started, ways the industry can contribute to Nigeria’s economy, among other issues, in this interview with Fredrick Adegboye.

 

TROOPS Activation is your baby…

You mean Integrated Troops.

Ok, Integrated Troops; when was it born and what is it all about?

Integrated Troops is about the evolution of marketing itself; marketing evolved from doing advertising to becoming an integrated marketing communication activity. So it wasn’t about the above-the-line, below-the-line. Now sometimes you don’t even need a TVC (television commercial) to run your campaign, so it becomes an integrated marketing communication of a thing. Now for troops, it is all about the need to understand that you also have your TV set, you have your phone, you have your newspaper, you have your billboard, all of those are the different channels. You have your ‘air force’, the ‘naval forces’ in the seas. You also need to have your troop soldiers where the need arises to evolve a ground battle, so it’s about the ground battle forces for marketing communication. We are ground forces for quality consumer engagement and interaction.

So, when was it born?

Troops was born in 2006, and well it’s been there before then and it’s a journey that has always been, especially with my coming on board in 2010.

What do you mean by coming on board, are you not the one who birthed it?

I was the ‘driver’ for Troops, Linkpoint and a couple of other agencies. Troops is a result of a need; an industry need.  I actually initiated a few friends to say, ‘guys this is the kind of challenge that we have here and there.’ Some of them said ‘We want you to do it.’ By the time I was leaving service, I chose to align with Troops, as I could have aligned with any other agency. For instance, someone once challenged me and said, ‘why are you always bringing your friends to come and pitch for businesses here?’ And I answered, ‘Do I need to go and look for my enemies to come and pitch for businesses for us?’ I have to make everyone my friends first; I have to look for the best among friends to work for us, because my friends are some of the best in the industry.

When would you say you noticed you had a flair for marketing communication?

It started from secondary school. In my secondary school days, after WAEC and JAMB, I started running Mainguys Entertainment. With Mainguys Entertainment, we were running shows; we ran entertainment. There was a particular show we had that was so successful I was going to school and did not remember to submit my list of requests to my father. The next thing, then I was already in school, my father came to my school unannounced. He travelled all the way from Lagos, came to the school unannounced, went to the HOD, presented my name and said, ‘sorry, this student, is he your student?’ He was not asking them to go and call me, because for him, ‘how could somebody who was a student leave home and forgot to collect his pocket money; yet when he  was leaving for school, he dashed his younger brother and sister money? That one is a cultist.’ Mainguys has been there; it’s more of an adventure. You really don’t know where you are heading to; you just want to make things happen. So it started from my youth days, and by the time I was in higher institution, I already knew how to prepare my proposal, get friends involved. We worked for some clients. I already knew people who were in advertising, so if you can do a good proposal and you convince them, they can convince their clients. So by the time I was coming out of school, I knew I should go and work. So in getting my first job, I didn’t negotiate salary; there was no salary negotiation. I just requested for a job, and Sesan Oyebode offered me a job: the amount I got the first month was different from what I got the second month, and then what I got the third month, and then I became a staff. That was the beginning of a great story.

What’s the difference between marketing communication, advertising and public relations? What’s the thin line?

There are no lines anywhere. It’s just that marketing communications is a body of communication weapons for different purposes. So, the weapon that you want to use for this particular objective may be public relations; for that objective, it may be advertising. For that other objective may be direct lines; another one, you might just say ‘let’s us do publicity’. Publicity is even different from public relations. So, it’s a whole kind of skills that I like to call weapons. Now because of the complexity of implementation, nobody has to claim to be master of all, so, since we know that they are different kinds of weapons, you must be able to present yourself to the client and say ‘this particular weapon is one I’m an expert in’, because you cannot say ‘I’m general, I know how to use everything’; the client is going to be worried. Which one is your specialty? So, it is not as if you can decide whether you like to use advertising or you want to decide to use PR, no it’s illogical. You have to determine which of these tools is applicable and relevant to the challenge at hand.

Which one are you general of; which one is your own specialty?

We are experts in direct communications, direct marketing.

How can marketing communication contribute effectively to an economy such as Nigeria’s?

There’s a lot that can be done. For our industry, implementation standard is still not up to what it should be. So, basically, the way I think we can help to grow the economy is to pay more attention to implementation dexterity.

What is the bane of the industry?

It’s the Sponge Syndrome. When a sponge absorbs and does not squeeze, it stays there and starts stinking. The one that squeezes will receive fresh water and still squeeze. For me, we should not be sponges that retain to stink, but we should rather squeeze.

Some people claim you ran to Abuja as a result of some challenges, how true is that?

It’s a lie; my office is here in Lagos, Adeniyi Jones precisely.

Your philosophy of life?

Challenges, for me, are opportunities

What does your wife do?

She is a fashion consultant.

How would you describe fashion?

Fashion is what makes people feel good.

In the name of fashion, what will you never be caught putting on or using? Or what do you dislike on a person, in the name of fashion?

I have seen things, things that I won’t like to see my children wearing; things that I don’t like? Torn jeans, yeah, torn jeans. Torn jeans is an error, I don’t like it. And dresses that leave nothing to imagination

Describe Demola Adedoyin in just three words.

Selfless, pragmatic, createpreneur.

Mobola Akinrutan is the CEO of Login Fashion House, known for her fascinators, accessories and her clothing line. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her world and the things that inspire her.

 

 

YOU are great with fascinators, how did this begin?

It is a very interesting story and something that I stumbled on. I had a party and my makeup artist was running late. So, I had to wear a wig and that was what inspired me to think about them. After the party, I went online and did a course.

That was a great eye opener for me and it led me into exploring the opportunities here.  That was the beginning and if you check our collections you would be amazed at what we have; a variety of awesome styles to fit various looks. That actually took us into another phase in the business and we have now moved more into photoshoot, which is also very interesting.

Which fabrics do you love working with?

The fabric you work will naturally bring out the creativity in what you do. I love to work with our very own ankara.

What inspired you to go into the fashion sector? 

It is something that I am very passionate about and I would say that the journey has been interesting for me.  I create, design and style. I love to express myself through my styles and design.  Looking back to when I started, I would say that it has been a great learning curve for me.

Along the line, I have also discovered that the fashion industry is fast paced, exciting and full of creativity and glamour. To be able to express my passion, I have to discover and rediscover myself on a continuous basis. That makes it very exciting with new things coming up all the time.

What inspires and drives what you do?

Transformation comes when your outlook stands out. That is what you get from a good designer or clothier. So, from the onset, my focus was to transform lives positively. So, my desire was to make a positive impact in my country by making fashion simple, effortless and chic.

What was it like at the beginning? 

At the beginning, I always knew that I wanted to carve a niche for myself. I wanted to be an independent designer, be sought after when it comes to luxury fashion concerns, especially in the middle market segment and retail chains. Those sectors were hard to balance in the beginning, but gradually that challenge was surmounted.

What were the challenges encountered? 

Usually, I get inspired by the challenges around me and create solutions from this. Like every sector, fashion has its own challenges but I was not deterred because I knew where I was going. However, looking back, I would say that personnel can be a big challenge. If you don’t have the right hands, it can slow you down.

Tell us about your designs and your achievements

Our designs are high on creativity and embellishment. That is what makes them stand out and be different from others. Something you see and you just want to have for keeps. This is possible with our excellent drawing ability, fine eye for details and strong visualisation skills. In addition to all these, I would also say that we have an edge because of what I call a sharp business sense.

Each time I look back to when we started, I get motivated in different ways. Designing has therefore given me a platform in the African fashion space and I am proud of my label, especially when I see it on people.

For achievements, I would say that satisfying our customers is very important for us. We have a great desire to showcase our designs in the international space and put Nigeria on the map in a unique way.

Tell us about some memorable moments as a designer

There has been a number of memorable moments for us at Login and they include participating in shows as well as moments when my customers talk about my label (Login). They recommend it, and prefer it.

How would you classify your designs? Let’s talk about what makes them different.

It is a collection that takes different people into consideration and we have something for everyone. In the collection, you find that my design cuts across formal and causal wears. And the embellishment part combines with the ability that I sketch my styles out myself.

What are some of the other things that occupy your time? 

I love to talk to people and motivate them in some of the other areas that I have interest in and knowledge about. That is also inspiring because that way, they learn from me and I also learn from them too.

Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

My parents have been two of the biggest influences in my life. They have values that I admire and I am proud of them in so many ways. In addition, I also have a great influence on myself and this has helped to motivate me at the different phases in life.

What lessons has life taught you?

The biggest lesson life has taught me is that success is no accident. It is about hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love for what I am doing.

Who are the people you admire?

My parents, and my supervisor, Jane Riley, was an inspiration for me. She has a tremendous moral compass. If something appeared morally questionable, she taught us to lean towards the right thing to do. She was right as it strengthened our relationship with clients and benefited everyone in the end.

If you had to advise Nigerian designers, what would you tell them?

They are really doing well and I am inspired by the things that they are doing. Nigerian fashion is really setting a pace on the global scene and there is still a lot to do. So, I would tell them to continue to give their best in the industry and put God first.

Where do you hope to see your brand in the next few years?

Our dreams and desire is to help project Nigeria positively on the global scene, impact our world and be reckoned with. In addition, I see worldwide sales and to be relevant in different ways. And to give back in employment and training.

What are some of the changes that you would like to see in the fashion sector?

To make the sector stand out, I strongly believe that staff and electricity to drive what we do is very important. So, having constant electricity would therefore go a long way to make things better and boost our productivity.

What are the things that you would not do in the name of fashion?

Have products that have unique quality is something that would make our products compete favourably with our competitors all over the world. I will never compromise my standard and that has really worked for me. Also, tell us about the other things that occupy your time

I am into food and that is something that I find very exciting and interesting. I only do food in packs by supplying to events, church programmes, offices and party take aways. Login meals, interestingly, has carved a niche for itself and that is a part of my life that I have found to be evolving in different ways.

I must say that I am a woman of many parts and sometimes, I don’t even know where I get the energy from. I just got to start my hair line. This inspiration also came when I decided to do more of wearing wigs. So I invested in it to share it with people around me, and enjoy the goodness. That has also opened up a number of opportunities that are exciting and the brand is known as Loginstyleme.

That is not the only thing. I am also into farming. I have a fish farm and we rear catfish and I also do chicken. My farm is in Lagos and it is called Tyelog Farms.

How did you coin your brand name?  

When I moved back to Nigeria, I was trying to get into the fashion industry and also back into the system.  And after a while, I decided to use login and I matched it up with the line am in: Login House of Fashion.

Tell us about life before fashion

I studied Accounting and I practiced with my dad in Obat Oil and Gas for about three years. My dad wanted me to stick to the oil and gas industry but I wanted to be on my own. I opted for fashion and he supported me because he is also someone who loves to look good; he is very fashionable. Leaving Obat was a big challenge. I sent in my resignation letter but it was not accepted. So, I had to leave unannounced for the UK.

The experience has been good, interesting and very encouraging. The name of my outfit is called Login House of Fashion. I showcase children’s wears and I am working more on the English look. I started with my daughter initially; that was before I got the support of my family. The most creative part of my business is the children’s ready-to-wear clothes, and parents are usually excited when they see the things in our collection. They are English designs but I work with African fabrics.

Now the business has taken shape and I have the support of my family, friends and clients. While I was in the United Kingdom, I went for a fashion course and it was a great eye opener for me. I did just the theory part and didn’t do the practicals because it was a bit challenging. So moving back to Nigeria, I did the practical thing here.

How would you assess our designers today?

My design is a crossword. I have just moved more into ‘SBSL’: Simple But Stylish Look.

Are there new areas that you would like to go into?

Yes.  I am an entrepreneur who is opened to so many things. Now, I am thinking of going into properties.