Adefunke Kuyoro is a Human Resources expert, the National President of APPOEMN and CEO TWC Events Services.As mentee and beneficiary of Fela Durotoye Leadership trainings, she has also trained and empowered younger people in different capacities. In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, she talks about her passion for entrepreneurship, leadership development, capacity building, safety and new trends in events planning.
How has the digital space helped you and the organisation?
COVID has trained everybody. This year our level of training has been higher than it has ever been. Normally, event planners are very busy people but we have been able to run trainings every month. Before COVID we always struggled with time but this is no longer a problem.
We have our trainings and everyone is able to partake. This year we have had 8 trainings already, that is a feat for us. Part of the training we have had is how to utilize your social media space to ensure that all the social media handles are working for you. Gone are the days when you have to be jumping up and down everywhere. You can do things from the comfort of your office or home and your productivity is higher.
Tell us about the conference and what inspired the idea?
TIC is the events Industry Conference. In 2017, APPOEMN decided that we would hold a conference for all events practitioners who are our members, so that we all come together and talk about what is happening in the industry. How can we move the industry forward, make things better and train ourselves.
The first day is usually a Master class, where we had facilitators come and talk to us about different things. The second day is the CSR and it is free with the theme globalization. So, we decided to bring in Google to come and give us Apps that would work and help us work globally. Everything is now global since the advent of COVID. We also have the safety commission. In every other country safety is a paramount thing in events. You need to know what to do and what not to do and be sure that everybody is safe. We also have a legal clinic. If you are going to work globally you must be aware of the laws and rules that bind. How to construct your contract so that you do the right thing. The CSR is free and anybody can come to partake of the training and this evening we have our dinner and awards night.
How did you get into the sector?
I relocated from the UK to Nigeria in 2011. In the UK, I was doing events here and there. Not as a business but I did it whenever the opportunity came. When I got back to Nigeria, I began to think of what to do. I knew this was a sector that I had passion for and I could do it effortlessly, without blinking my eyes with a sense of satisfaction. So, I said why I don’t convert it into a business.
APPOEMN was launched in 2012 and when I got in, I didn’t want to assume that what worked in England was the same here. So, I began to seek out people who did the same thing, who could mentor me in terms of the environment and the society. That was how I came across the organisation at the launching and I joined.
What were you doing before this?
I am professionally a computer person. In England, I was working with an NGO organising programs and travelling to places like Liberia. I was going everywhere and that was already in me. We would design a program for them, fly over there and execute the program.
What are some of the challenges in the sector?
The challenge is the fact that sometimes clients do not know why they want an event planner. They just know that if you are doing an event, just call an events planner. But they do not have an inkling of the job of an event planner. The way we work in England and the way we work here are totally different. So, once you are employed in England, you do your work, get an approval from clients and do the work. But in Nigeria, some clients want to do the job for you because they don’t understand. Again, we have a no-holds bar entry level in the industry, some people are not trained, they don’t know what it takes to be an events planner. Another issue is safety, how many people is safety conscious. That is why we are pressing on those things, we are setting standards. I don’t see them anymore as challenges. I see them as stages where we have to get to.
How do you monitor to avoid sub-standard things happening in the sector?
I run trainings and have planners that I mentor. I have people that have passed through TWC and are now standing on their own as event planners.
Looking back now, would you say that you have fulfilled your dreams or are you thinking of something new?
At 61? No. I love this job that I do and I find fulfillment in it. And as long as I continue to find fulfillment in it and I have energy to do it. But, more than necessary I am also looking at consulting in the events place.
Tell us about the people you admire in the sector?
I am under training with Fela Durotoye. I attend his leadership programs and all the trainings that he does. He is one of my mentors. I have other mentors like Yewande Zaccheus and I admire her path in life. She turned 60 and sort of stepped back from active event planning. I didn’t start early, so I can’t leave yet. But that is the sort of thing I want to do. She is not out of event planning but she stepped back and allowed other people to run her brand.
Let’s talk about one or two memorable moments in the sector?
My events. I love it when my clients say thank you, you’ve made our events memorable. You have outdone yourself.
A number of the materials used are sourced outside the country. How are you coping with inflation?
I don’t decorate, so I don’t need materials. But it affects us indirectly and we have to try to balance their own price increase with what we present to the client. In the last two years, the price of decoration has gone up astronomically and I don’t blame them. Even things as simple as the wood they use have more than tripled. Things as small as nails are expensive now. While I do not decorate, I work closely with decorators. I am very aware of all the parts that make up their billings. So, those offer a challenge, we let the clients know.
Even the caterers, if you go to the market you know what food cost. You won’t expect a caterer to still charge you what they charge 2 or 3 years ago. In fact, you should be worried if they are still charging the same amount, it means the quality of the food will be sub standard.
You said no to politics, yet Fela Durotoye is your mentor?
I am a believer of one thing; always make a difference in your environment. I am not into politics. I am into empowering young people. I want to leave the industry and know that I have contributed my own quota. That is what it takes to be a leader and those are part of the training that I go to, the leadership training. How to make a difference are the things that he always emphasizes. You must make a difference in your environment.
What advice do you have for the younger generation?
The Gen Z generation, I have them in my house. I have four children. The last one is 26 and we have these arguments. Even in normal daily life and they think that they are the only ones that knows things. Put your head down, you learn from others. Another thing is that I listen because they have their own ideas and you try to do a mix and match. Their own ideas are the things that rule the world now. You cannot be using ideas of ten years ago because it won’t work. But then, they must know that wisdom is profitable. You need to have that wisdom and experience is another thing. If I have an event now, if something is wrong I don’t panic. It didn’t come naturally, it came by training. I would advise young people doing business to learn from the people that have gone ahead of you; they have something that you must learn.
A Lagos-based businessman, Asiwaju Martins Agwunobi, born on October 1 speaks on sharing his birthday with the country’s independence anniversary.
How are you planning to celebrate your birthday?
I am not celebrating my birthday for reasons bordering on the mood of the country.
Why are you not celebrating?
There is no joy on the faces of people if you look around you. So, what’s the essence of celebrating when you are not happy? A birthday celebration is not for me this year.
Which joy are you talking about?
Everything. There is economic imbalance and many don’t have money and food to eat, and that is why I said there is nothing to celebrate one’s birthday that coincided with Nigeria’s independence anniversary.
Do you think these issues are really enough for you not to be happy on your birthday?
I thank God for everything, and for sharing my birthday with the country’s annual independence celebration. But there is this saying in Igboland that it is better if you have not tasted good things before than tasting and lacking later. Assuming that I have the means to celebrate my birthday and roll out the drums, how do you think that people without children, a house of their own, and jobs would feel given the prevailing economic circumstances of this country? That is why I said that the mood of the county would not allow me to celebrate my birthday this time around.
First Class monarch, Oba Fatai Akorede Akamo, the Olunla of Itoriland, Ewekoro Local Government Area, Ogun State, was born on October 1, 1960, the very day Nigeria got independence from British rule. He shares his thoughts with Kunle Akinrinade about Nigeria’s social, economic and political conditions on the occasion of his 62nd birthday and the country’s 62nd independence anniversary.
What does sharing your birthday with the country’s independence anniversary mean to you?
Well, in everything, let us give thanks to God. I didn’t design my birth to coincide with Nigeria’s independence anniversary, but by way of Providence, I was born on October 1, 1960, which was the same day our dear country got its independence from Britain. I came into the world on that particular day because God designed it that way. However, we should all learn to appreciate God, humanity and one another, because October 1 might be distinct by human nature. Still, there is no day that God created that is not special or distinct because God (at the beginning of the world) said that whatever he created is good except that man started creating all kinds of things after that.
However, the country has not taken care of itself, not to talk of it caring for those of us who were born on October 1, the very day the country got its independence.
What are your memories of early life in the independence era?
I thank God that I was born when Nigeria got freedom from the colonialists. Significantly, I recall that I had also been independent in my teenage days. It is not that I didn’t have parents while growing up, but God designed it that way, and I cannot query God for being independent in my boyhood days.
Do you have any reservations about the turn of events in the country today?
It is a pity that Nigeria got its independence from Britain on October 1, 1960, which is about 62 years ago. It is a pity that the country had a kind of leadership that refused to plan for tomorrow shortly after the country secured its independence from Britain. The greatest problem confronting the country is that it didn’t plan for its tomorrow and we always live for today. On a good day, I don’t think that we can compare our country with the Western world. The United States of America (USA) is celebrating over 350 years of its independence. Can we then compare it to Nigeria? The answer is capital NO.
Can you shed light on your being independent as a teenager?
In our time, we enjoyed the comfort of our mothers more than our fathers. My mother was selling foodstuffs including rice and beans, and I was hawking sugar and salt for her. Also, at a point in my life, my grandmother, who was a trader at Itoku Market, took care of me and I practically spent my teenage years with her at Itoku Market in Abeokuta, where one Chief Omoyinmi took me up and handed me over to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who in turn handed me over to another person for care, and that was where God intervened in my life.
The lesson here is that if we hand over our lives to God, our problems will be fixed spiritually, and when He fixes your problems, the effect would no doubt manifest in the physical realm. Therefore, what I experienced in the formative years of my life is not by accident but by Providence, because if I didn’t go through what I went through while growing up, I may not be where I am today.
Can you recall funny experiences you had while growing up?
My beginning was so rough that while I was growing up, we would have to travel a very long distance from Itori to Obada Oko just to watch television (laughs). I tasted what they call poverty; that is why when I see a poor person, I can easily understand what the person is going through.
What are the good things that made the Nigeria of old better than the one of today?
In the Nigeria of old, there was adherence to values and culture in our society. In our time, you dare not dress weirdly by wearing hairstyles that devalue you around. In fact, our mothers would have started crying the moment you are sighted with the appearance that gives you away as a bad child or a nuisance. When a child wakes up in the morning he or she knows what to do without being prompted. But today, all those values are gone.
Also, the then society lauded fortune made from legitimate means, but not anymore. Just three days ago, someone showed me a video of a 36-years old man arrested for alleged kidnapping activities, and he was flaunting ill-gotten American dollars on the social media, bragging that he had worked for his money and urging people to go work for their money. At the end of the day, he turned out to be a kidnapper and he confessed funnily that he had only taken part in two kidnappings. So, the absence of value system is one of the greatest reasons we are in a sorry state in this country.
Where do you think we missed it as a country?
It is not the coming generation that caused the problems. Before independence and shortly after independence, a lot of money was made from the export of cocoa; many industries and infrastructural projects such as the Cocoa House in Ibadan were carried out with the income generated from selling cocoa (to western nations). But that template of economic development has been jettisoned or destroyed. However, our generation is the only one that can fix it not the coming generation who can barely lean on themselves or stand on their own, much less fixing the country’s problems.
How do we resolve some of these problems for Nigeria to become a better country?
What I believe is that there should be rule of law in whatever we are doing. I believe that rule of law and order should be institutionalised in the country. There is no country that is as blessed as Nigeria in the world but we lack rule of law and believe in cutting corners. No one wants to sweat to achieve something. Prayers alone don’t solve problems; they will only make you get closer to God. Hence, we should learn to do things right and put in place the rule of law for a better society to emerge. We can only pray that Nigeria’s problems get fixed, but without a doubt, our problems didn’t start today and I don’t believe it was caused by our leaders alone.
I believe it’s a collective problem; we all contributed to the problems confronting our country. The reason is that we all chew more than we can bite. In Western countries, once you are 18 years old, you already know what you want to do. But in Nigeria, at 18, you don’t even know which way you want to take. Then people would start blaming their problems on spiritual attacks to the extent that some would descend to the level of ascribing cobwebs around their homes and environment to be the source of their problemsor inability to excel in life. Let me tell you, strands of cobwebs are used to produce pure silk fabric in China while we destroy them here in Nigeria.
Also, we live an ostentatious lifestyle that comes with huge financial implications because we compare ourselves with others and try to live above our means. I am the monarch of Itoriland, but can I compare myself with the Alake of Egbaland? No. That you are close to the Alake doesn’t mean that you should compare yourself to the Alake. You will just rubbish yourself. So, Nigerians also contribute to the maladies facing the country.
How are you planning to celebrate your birthday today?
I wasn’t even planning to celebrate the day. But recently, a non-governmental organisation from Saudi Arabia suddenly approached me with a proposal to build a mosque in my kingdom to mark my birthday on October 1. And before I knew it, they had almost finished it. It then occurred to me that God really wants me to do something for people on my birthday.
As I said, initially, I didn’t plan to celebrate my birthday this year, but the mosque being donated by the NGO has challenged me that God wants me to be closer to Him. Hence we started planning how to celebrate my birthday. The mosque is an all-encompassing religious centre as it would also house an Islamic centre with outstanding pupils given scholarships to pursue higher studies in Saudi Arabia on a yearly basis. So, I give all thanks and adoration to Allah for his guidance and blessings.
Surprisingly, the road that passes through my kingdom in front of my palace is also being reconstructed courtesy of Governor Dapo Abiodun. And let me tell you, of all the past governors of Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun is the only governor that has spent just two years to record strides in developmental projects because COVID-19 pandemic, which was a global problem, took two years from his tenure when the countries, including Nigeria, were shut down. Hence, you can only evaluate his performance in the last two years after the shutdown trailing the pandemic.
His two years so far are better than the eight years spent by his predecessor and his projects including the cargo airport in Iperu, constructed within the last one year and the Sagamu-Epe highway are a testament to the governor’s performance.
What’s your philosophy about life?
Personally, I don’t pray to God to give me money; I only ask God to meet me at the point of my needs because if I have so much money I might misbehave and lose track of His guidance. That is why whenever I am experiencing challenges I just go to bed and sleep over the problems in order not to be consumed by them.
The general elections are just a few months away. What is your advice to Nigerians?
The only advice I have is for people to go out and vote for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu because he is the only person that can fix Nigeria’s problems out of all the presidential candidates. Trusts me, Nigeria will be better once Tinubu becomes President.
Tinubu is an astute and outstanding politician and administrator par excellence and our great country will be better for it when he emerges as President next year. Forget what Afenifere group is saying. It will be illogical and unreasonable for us to leave a Yoruba man like Tinubu and vote for a non-Yoruba candidate.
Olumide Oyetoyinbo is Founder and Managing Partner of Leaps and Bounds Partners Limited. He is a certified credit risk professional and a member of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management. Oyetoyinbo, who will be inducted as a Knight of John Wesley later this month by the Methodist Church of Nigeria, is a senior faculty member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria-CIBN and a distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA). The finance expert sits on the board of few companies whose interests span e-learning solutions, real estate and supply chain. In this interview with Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan, he went down memory lane and recalled how his plans to run out of the country reversed and made him a business owner. He also spoke about some other sundry issues.
Tell us about life in the banking sector as a player in the sector.
Well, I don’t own a bank. We are more into consulting. That for us is to look into finance; look into investments; look into capacity building. It is all encompassing but the bulk of our clients are in the
finance service industry, not only banking but also insurance, capital market, etc. of course my working in the bank prior to then motivated and inspired what I currently do. I was inspired to set up a consulting firm in terms of enhancing capacity for the work force. The idea is to look at how we can channel more awareness for those who are already in the system and those who want to come in as much as possible.
What has it been like working in this section of the industry?
We also try to support the SMEs, that’s the small scale entrepreneurs. How can they access loan opportunities from commercial, micro finance banks etc. It has been interesting. The nature of our business is cyclical. That is, if the economy is not doing well, we are also affected. But it has been a worthwhile experience. We’ve been able to balance things all the same. We have passed through phases and we are still here. We’ve witnessed several ups and downs nationally and globally. We’ve been here for about 15years. But for us, we have been impacted on a lot of people, and that is what is most important.
What are the memorable moment you want to recall these past fifteen years of being in business?
Memorable moments? Well I will classify memorable moments with some characters. Number one is resilience. COVID19 made us to understand more about this. We had to be as resilient as we could ever be to pull through that global pandemic. Then, when the banking crisis happened, we learnt a lot about resourcefulness. Opportunities closed and we all had to find other ways of doing things. The other one is pro-activeness. Four years before COVID happened, we have been promoting the e-learning system, the virtual training, hoping that people will grab it. But it was slow.
However, by the time COVID happened, everybody embraced it. We were ready on our part. That was memorable. It was as if we were thinking ahead of the market. That was because for us, our benchmark is not the local market. It is best practice, which is the global market. It is from there we can decide to do what we want to do. We are a local outfit with global expertise. We give to you what exist globally because our clients spread across different countries, West Africa, East Africa and other parts of the world, we find ourselves doing one thing or the other there. Our clients, especially the banks, have branches outside Nigeria.
COVID 19 is memorable. It happened and we didn’t do training anywhere for six months. That was a period we realized we needed to be more proactive, more resilient and more focused as much as possible. There were a whole lot of challenges. I wasn’t thirty yet when we started so, convincing people I can deliver was tough. Getting competent hands to work with you was also not easy as a new business. When you find them, can you pay them? If you pay them, are they willing to stay with you for long? These were challenges. Competence and loyalty still affect businesses till date. Some even want to take your idea and start their own businesses. But I had informal mentors and it helped. To be candid, there were days I cried and doubted if I took the right decision to start a business.
You worked in a number of banks before leaving to set up Leaps and Bounds? Why did you take the plunge from certainty to uncertainty as it were? Let me use a common cliché – it is God. I never saw myself running my own business. All I wanted to do was be a Director in Finance. Or be Head of investment banking. That was all for me then. I didn’t even want to be an MD, just the ED of a bank. That was all. I have done treasury; I have done corporate banking. But at a time, I wanted to just pursue some level of expertise in finance. So I went to school.
I went for my MBA in the US. While there, something just occurred to me that I should do something else with my life. I had the thought of bringing something back to Africa. Actually, while I was trying to get scholarships abroad, so I wrote a palatable proposal on how to support businesses in Africa. Believe me, everything I wrote then is what we are doing at Leaps and Bounds now. My plan was once I get the scholarship and school in America, I will stay there and never come back to Nigeria. It was my own Japa plan. But it was as if God was telling me something different while I was writing the proposal. God said No, you’ll come back and work in Nigeria. I started seeing loopholes where I can intervene in the sector in Africa. Then the bond market came up again and people didn’t understand how it was operating. How do you interprete it? How do you calculate it? And these were not taught in school.
So it was that I decided to come back and see what I can do. I gathered a couple of friends but they were too pessimistic. So, I told myself that we will start a company that will grow in Leaps and Bounds. That was the origin of the name we bear today. I didn’t know anyone. It was just God. I operated from a small place in Surulere. My wife was he driver, secretary, she was everything. We started together.
We started getting one brief or the other. Funny enough, I got a job as an Assistant Manager with one of the banks same year I started. So tempting that I took the offer. But I wasn’t happy. I resumed work and
resigned same day. I went back to my company convinced I have idea and impact I wanted to explore. I soon got an offer to do a job for two weeks. I couldn’t tell my dad I was on my own for about one year. Many people were wondering if I was normal to leave salary for entrepreneurship at such a time in Nigeria. My in-laws wanted to know if their daughter was safe with my decision. I just said, keep praying for me. Someone even told me “who goes to America and come back to Nigeria and work? Are you daft? But God was on my side and I had no regret. That was how my Japa plan tuned out to be in reverse.
While in America, I was not comfortable. It was as if a force was pulling me to return to Africa and do what I had to do. And maybe it has to do with my surname – Oyetoyinbo which connotes that my great-grandparents believed that their chieftaincy title back home is as good as the white man’s. So why would I covet the white man?
Who were your mentors while you were struggling as a start up?
I’m not sure they want me to mention their names. I had good people with genuine intentions who nurtured and hand-held me as I walked through the paths of my career. There is Dema. I met him years ago. He showed me so much love. There is Olu. He has been on my case for long. They all do the same thing I do and there were not beef or anger.
There are two very supportive women outside my family. Aunty Mo, she used to be the chairperson for Access bank. She did so much for me and she is still very supportive. The other person gave me the audacity to focus on this business. She’s Nneka Udezue. She is like a mother, colleague and friend. There were days I cried to her and she encouraged me. These people have not left me in the last fifteen years.
Nigeria’s economy today, how will you describe what it is like?
Whatever our country is going through is not in isolation. Other countries are also going through same. Our major problems for now is dwindling revenue and low export. These are issues that has nothing to do with political parties. We all face the challenges together because it is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. We need to cut down on expenditure. We need to be prudent and put in place some austerity measures. During COVID period, I insisted only one AC will work at a time in the house. So, we all started sleeping in one room. We also stopped DSTV and changed to Netflix. We must also encourage exports.
Our musicians and other local contents creators, we must encourage them. Sports too and airlines. As they earn these monies, it helps our revenue too. With airlines going outside the country, we get more revenues. The pressure on our import is now high.
Why are you involved in charities and mentoring?
My faith and upbringing is responsible for that. There is need to extend the same kind gestures we’ve benefited from to others so as to give them some springboard to leverage on. And if you know my parents, you will understand better why I do these things. I’ve always been involved in church work and charities growing up. I was involved in church cleaning from my primary school till I went to the university.
Today, the church is honouring me as a Knight of John Wesley. Which is the highest position any lay person can get in the Methodist church. I am humbled by that and the ultimate is to make heaven.
I feel really good being honoured. It is an emotional one for me. I’ve been involved in church work for the last thirty years. I’ve been in Sunday School, youths and as steward, treasure etc and I have found myself as the Lay President of the Diocese. I am the youngest Lay President ever in my Diocese. Those before me, one is over 70; on is 85 and the other is 105 and they are all alive. It is a kind of humbling honour to be in such a position. My father is alive and could have been. For me I cannot afford to fail my generation, so I work hard to grow the church. I thank my wife who bore it all. So when the issue of Knighthood came, I was shocked as I was not expecting it. I will be addressed as Sir Oyetoyinbo by October 24th.It is humbling to be part of the 180 people that will be honoured on that day.
I’m involved in alumni activities of my old schools. We give back to the schools and students regularly. I do other charity works that I don’t want to mention. But it is my belief that if we all do our bits of charities here and there, good things will go round. I get huge satisfaction when I impact on people. I got that from my parents like I said.
For many Nigerians, Canada is the new world of opportunities. It is the land of milk and honey, especially as the North American country has in recent years adopted migrant –friendly policy, opening its doors for skilled foreigners willing to come over for a new life. But is it such a fairy tale of sweet everything? Gboyega Alaka sought answers in this interaction with two Nigerian-Canadian settlers.
Traditionally, a barber’s shop is one place where gist – rumour and facts, get thrown up. It is the hot-bed of open discussion, while guys get their haircut or play local games such as Ayo, drought, even cards. Little wonder Kenyan novelist, Ngugi Wathiongo, made it a rallying point while weaving the plot of his famous novel, ‘Weep not Child’. Coincidentally, it is from a barber’s mouth this reporter first got answers to his enquiries.
According to KB, a barber by profession who is owner/Head Barber Stylist at Royal Touch Barbering Services INC located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, who relocated to Canada 21 years ago, Canada is now home for him and he even had to get a visa to visit Nigeria the last time he came. What’s more! Winnipeg, a city in Manitoba Province, where he has lived ever since is to him, ‘my city.’ There he ekes his living and has a lot of good memories to share. His clients, he says, cut across all classes and races- black people, Caucasians, Asians. Recently, he is also beginning to get more Nigerian clients, due to the migration drive of that country.
But he also has some not too pleasant ones, such as working three jobs a day in his earlier days in the country; two of which were carrying ‘poupoun’ at a construction site and delivering medicines to a pharmacy, in addition to his fun job of barbering.
“I would leave home in the morning to do poupoun job; and then I got another job where I delivered medicine for a pharmacy from 3pm to 10 pm; and when I close, I’d go cut people’s hair. But you know what, one day, while driving, I was so tired and I ran into a store. And how much was I making on these jobs that I was almost killing myself over? I couldn’t even pay my bills. I lost those two jobs. And the only job I was left with became a bit tough for me meet up with, because I couldn’t drive. They wanted to make sure I was okay before I could drive again. I had to go through tests with six doctors. That was when I decided to go to hair school, and that was how everything about my life changed.”
KB’s migration story is a bit peculiar. For some reasons, his relatives who had been visiting Canada right from when he was a kid, had got him that country’s citizenship card but kept it away from him, pending when he would be through with school and ready for adulthood.
“I’ve been a Canadian citizen since around 1991, but I didn’t come over until March 2001. So my own story of migration is different. My relatives had been coming in and out of Canada since the ’70s; I remember how at a younger age, I just saw my Canadian citizenship card, but I didn’t know what it meant. I guess my mum thereafter kept it away from me until two days before I was to travel to Canada.”
Then of course, he had completed his secondary school education and even had stints at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Lagos and the Lagos State University (LASU). He actually left for Canada a few days before his matriculation. He had also learnt how to cut hair, auto mechanic work at his dad’s workshop in Lagos, Nigeria, and radio repair.
“Dad always wanted me to learn a trade in addition to good education, which he didn’t get. He didn’t go to much school but valued good education. Mum was a hairdresser too, so that also played a part in my barbering journey. For some reasons, the barber part stuck,” he recalled.
Not easy settling down
“One of the things I first realised on getting here was that for everything you want to do, you have to be certified. And that is because they want you to have an idea of how things are done here. First I went back to school; I did something they called adult education. I’d met with a counsellor at a university, who after interviewing me, advised me to go to the adult school to integrate myself into the Canadian system. Eventually, I was able to get to the university, and even though I wasn’t so book inclined, I still gave it my one hundred percent. Twice, I got into university, twice I didn’t finish. It wasn’t just working, although finance was an issue as well. Their system is such that you can drop off and still go back and pick up where you left off, when you have money. Of course I was cutting people’s hair on the side. Actually, one of the things dad used to trick me into learning how to cut hair was that I could use the skill to make money on the side as a student. It turned out he was right.
“I also went the route of the street life, but realised early enough that it was not worth it and had a rethink. I asked myself, ‘what would I be eating when I grow up?’ And that was when I decided to go back to school. So, I had my own little troubles as a young person, which I now use to counsel new immigrants.
“Talking about how Nigerians coming into Canada are settling down to life, I would say it is two ways. What I’m going to tell you, I get from questions I ask people when they are seated in my barber chair for their haircut sessions. I have a gentleman who lived in Festac Town, Lagos and worked in the bank before coming over. I heard him advising another Nigerian that, ‘Listen, it’s a three-year system. Once you get here, you need to forget about Nigeria.’
That surprised me and I had to literally interrupt him: “Ah Baba, forget Nigeria, how?”
“And then he said, ‘No,’ and that what he meant was that you cannot expect to assume the same level you were at in Nigeria right away when you get here. He said it’s a new life and you need to study their system. He said it was not so easy when he got here three years ago, but after three years of just doing just any kind of job, he began to find his footing. In this country, you would see doctors who come in and first had to make do with security jobs or take up volunteer work in nursing homes for about a year or two. This of course, is while they are going about their professional exams and awaiting qualification to practise.
“In the same way, I have spoken to some people, who, for some reasons, applied and got their kind of job within three months of arriving. Those are the kind of people who would tell you, ‘Oh Canada! Things are easy here; you just find your way here, and in no time you’ll get a good job.’ There are also those who go through the system of doing tests, exams; and things still didn’t turn out right. For those kind of people, it’s a different story.
“I know somebody who had to give up what he was doing in Nigeria completely and start something different just to survive. Out of frustration, some would tell you ‘I’m only doing this for my children. I really don’t have to be here.’ I once had an elderly man who was crying while getting a haircut, and I had to ask him, ‘Kilo seyin sir? (What happened to you, sir?) And he said he wasn’t happy the way he was being spoken to at work. He said back in Nigeria, he was already a boss of his own, with a driver and everything in place.’ So I had to play the role of a comforter by telling him, ‘Daddy, you don’t need to see it like that….
“That, of course, reminded me of the same way I struggled to settle here as a younger person back then. And yet, I didn’t have much bills to pay; just the challenges of transiting to a different environment. Compare that to those who come in and immediately have to pay rent, put their kids in private schools or public schools, and generally have to pay bills from the word ‘go’. So you see some people who are suddenly upset that they came here at all, because things didn’t turn out the way they expected. And I’m talking of people who sold everything to come here and cannot just go back.
“You also find some who would tell you: ‘I’m just here to settle wife and kids, I didn’t resign from my job. This place is not what I thought it would be, I’m going back.’ The truth is that coming here is not really all that fairy tale people think it is, but it’s not as if with some perseverance one cannot settle in well.”
No room for lazy youth
“You may want to know why I had to work so hard even when I didn’t have so much bills to pay as a new immigrant. Truth is once you’re 18 here, you can always get a job, like working at MacDonalds, KFC; and the reason is that they have developed a system which gives young people some kind of independence and makes them start being responsible. So they don’t have to be asking for money for little stuff like buying ice cream. Do you know you can actually charge your 18-year-old living with you rent; and if he is not cooperating, you can kick him out. This is not strange, it happens amongst Caucasians and even the blacks. Here, old people, while they were working, their pensions were being kept for them; so once they retire at 65, it is that money they would be spending. Nobody is going to say ‘come live with me, grandma’, like we do in Nigeria. So in the midst of all that challenges of transiting into life in Canada, going to playing field to cut people’s hair was like my fun job and escape route. It helped keep my sanity.
“Incidentally, when I first got here, I remember my aunty telling me, ‘Hey, you’re already a barber, you need to go to school to get a certification.’ I didn’t give much thought to it then, but eventually I had to take the decision and take my art to the next level – go through their educational system. I went to hair school, and then began to own a brand and a business; it’s like the technical schools back in Nigeria, like the one we have in Abule Osun, along Badagry Expressway. I remember some Nigerians advising me: why do you want to register your business? Just keep cutting hair on the side and keeping your money to yourself. But I decided against that and thought if I really want to succeed, the better way was to go through that educational system, get that certification; which means the government recognises me, knows 90 percent of what I’m doing; and there are benefits to that.
“Why am I going this route? If you are in Rome, you do like the Romans. Besides, even as Nigerians in Nigeria, if we decide to do things right, eventually things would work out. Looking back now, I see myself as a product of grace and gratitude.
“Some retired people even go to work here to make additional money to their pension. And that is why you cannot just leave your kids with grandma like we do in Nigeria, because grandma too, though retired, is going to work. Literally, the only thing that is free here is sleeping and waking. And of course security. Here, you can leave your house at 12 am and drive six hours through the country; no bandit is going to worry you. I hear Nigerians say regularly that if only light could just work perfectly in Nigeria, half of them would relocate back home; because it would help their creativity. I mean, Nigeria is in such a bad state, yet people still create fun for themselves. Interestingly, Nigerians are one of the few African countries who don’t claim refugee status when they come here; and that makes us proud. There are Nigerians who come in with money; a family of four has to bring in at least 25,000/30,000 Canadian dollars. Our dollar is only slightly lower than America’s in exchange rate. So some people come here and immediately acquire assets, and others want to copy them, not knowing how they came about those assets. So they take up three jobs, with little or no time to rest. There are people who have overworked themselves that way and died. Even the house they took on mortgage and were working so hard to pay for, they hardly find time to sleep in them.”
Racism?
“Truth is there is racism everywhere; even amongst fellow Nigerians, we have our problems; not to talk of when you relate with Caucasians and other races. But I would not say it’s so bad here. Personally, I had to emancipate myself mentally. Even the ones I experienced, I had to overlook them and keep my focus. I understand that I’m in a foreign land and I have to adjust. Canada is a land of opportunities like they say, so I feel like we can ignore a lot of those things and just focus on our target. Besides, it’s not obvious until people start talking about it. My son for instance attends a private school where they have more Caucasians and very few blacks. And I tell him when I drop him off: always nod to them as a sign of greeting. And then he said to me, ‘they don’t nod back’; but I told him ‘don’t stop nodding at them, one day one of those kids is going to nod back.’ And then one day, two months after, he came back and told me, ‘ You know what dad? A black kid nodded to me.’ So I told him, you see what I told you?’ We can be the change that we desire. So racism is always going to be there; it’s not born, it is taught; but we can overlook it and build what we need to build.”
protest in canada
You never get used to the cold weather
“Oh, it’s very cold here. As funny as it sounds, you’ll hear Nigerians say, ‘Oh it’s too cold here, I want to go back to Nigeria,’ and 15 years after, they’re still here. So we make jokes about that a lot. But even the Caucasians would tell you that you can never get used to the cold. Every part of Canada has a different kind of weather. In some provinces, their cold is the wet cold, while in some, it is the dry cold. In my city, once it is November, we have to plug-in our vehicles to keep the block engine warm; meanwhile for somebody coming from Toronto, it is strange and then you have to start explaining to them – because over there, it’s not as cold as it is in Winnipeg. The good thing, however, is if it is a sunny day, you have that energy to go about your work even though it’s still cold, and you’re not depressed. But if it is a day that is cold and there is no sun, you may be depressed and not feel like doing anything, but really, you have to. Because the bills doesn’t stop. Here, if for any reason, you’re not able to meet up with your bills in one month, it might take you six months or close to a year to catch up.”
‘There are cracked roads here too’
“The difference here is that health infrastructure is available, but there are not enough health workers. Three days ago, they were talking on the radio about how the government wants to invest money to bring in 20 doctors with speed, and the head doctor of my province was saying, why not make it 40. So you can be in the hospital and not see a doctor in six hours; and then you can go now and see a doctor right away.
“Interestingly there are cracked roads here too, especially inside the cities; but not as bad as we have in Nigeria. The highways are, however, always in top shape. What they do is every summer, they are fixing roads. They could fix, say, from Badagry to Agbara; and when snow starts, they stop and continue from where they stopped the next summer. Before you know it, all the roads are in good condition. I actually feel it’s a way of creating jobs by the government.
kb at work
“Lest I forget, there is corruption here too. Every day, we’d read in the newspaper that this happened and that happened; sometimes, they’re just writing checks for themselves and you’d be like, if this was Naija, we’ll have been making so much noise. The only difference is that you can’t complain because the jobs get done, you see the hospital, you see the police headquarters and roads, but so much money would have been spent.”
‘I got a job in less than a week’
Almost like KB pointed out, Atinuke’s story is that fairy one that makes people think that once you land in Canada, everything falls in place.
In just one week that she and her hubby landed in South Winnipeg, she got a job in customer service. It also didn’t take her husband long to get a job in government service.
So for her, “Settling down to life in Canada was great. They have some kind of support system which they call Manitoba Start, where they hold seminars and try to integrate new migrants into the system. I got a job in less than one week, so settling in was okay for me. At the moment though, I and studying, so I’m not working, but hubby is.”
Their success at settling down may also have been aided by the fact that she and her hubby had spent five years in New Zealand, where one can assume they had learnt a bit of how things are done outside Nigeria.
“Before Canada, we had been away in New Zealand, where husband was studying. We were there for five years and actually started processing Canada from there. Then we came back to Nigeria for a year, but Nigeria just wasn’t it for us. The experience wasn’t palatable, and then I couldn’t get a job. We had to look for a place that would be suitable for the kind of life we were already used. And then Canada worked out,” she said.
She would also ascribe that success to the fact that she had family who guided her on the right place to go. “A lot of people come here and they do not think that going to Manitoba Start is necessary. Maybe because I’d also stayed in New Zealand for five years and already had an idea of the system and their expectations.”
Aside their case, how easy has it been for other Nigerian migrants she has related with or knows?
To be sincere, it depends on your profession back home. If you’re coming in as a nurse, a lawyer; all those professions that are highly regulated, it might not be easy because you have to go through all the exams and all of that to be certified, which might take a couple of years and be expensive. But if you were for example working in business admin or stuff, I don’t think it will be much of an issue for you to settle in. If you’re someone coming with knowledge in IT and the knowledge you’re bringing in is at par with what they are using here, then it may not be so difficult and there would not be any discrimination against you. I know of someone who is an accountant who had CPA, who got a job as soon as he landed here. So what I do is that when I see people coming here and I know their area of specialty, I tell then this and this and this are what are expected of you. And this reduces the number of time they have to spend to settle into the system. For the doctors and nurses, as long as they are able to pass their exams, they get jobs. And to be fair, you really can’t blame them. Everybody should have a standard. You can’t just come in from Botswana, for instance and walk into the medical field in Nigeria.
“However, I think it is much easier for artisans. If that job has a body, you still need to register and be certified, but by and large, they find it easier. If a plumber comes to your house just to come and take a look at your problem, it is 60 dollars. It doesn’t matter if all he has to do is to turn on a switch; you still pay him his 60 dollars. People who make hair here get paid 200 dollars, so they make more money and find it more easier here.”
Somebody said no matter how much you make, it’s never enough
“That may be because tax is very high. Depending on the kind of job you do, sometimes they can even tax you up to 40 percent. But I really would not say it’s never enough. Maybe in the Nigerian context, because we have responsibility to send money back home to this and that person. But if you are a Canadian, you have your children, you are working, everybody is okay. Worst case, you have a family member who is not working but is on benefit from government. So nobody really put 100 percent responsibility on you here. So if you’re a Canadian doctor, for instance, and you are earning good money, you are okay.”
Aisha Ime James has garnered experiences spanning over two decades across industries as CEO of Ample Foods, as business coach, manufacturer, alternative medicine practitioner and the broadcast media. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her world, memorable moments and more.
What are some of the things you are passionate about?
That’s a tricky question because I have to count all I do. I am a volunteer, a natural volunteer, a naturopath, a minister of God, a coach, trainer, consultant and facilitator. I do that for GIZ, a German corporation. I also have my own initiative, Ample Foods, where I mentor people; and I am a start-up strategist. I help gain clarity in terms of business entry – how to start, where and when to start. I am also a mother and I do housekeeping. I am the publicity secretary for NECAs Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW). And all this is borne out of my passion to help develop women, because they seem to be the vulnerable set. I am also the vice chairman of my institute. I studied marketing before going into naturopathy. I am also a manufacturer.
Which came first?
Media, marketing; and then I went into manufacturing, catering, event and now naturopathy. All in all, I grew up to be a volunteer because I was born into an Anglican church. My mum was a superintendent for the children’s church. By extension, we were her first set of staff in the children’s church. So, I learnt to mentor, support and teach younger classes.
Let’s talk about your experience in the media?
I started my media work immediately after secondary school. Then my uncle, Bishop George Bako was the DG of FRCN (Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria). I started as a clerk before I got myself into media proper. I didn’t like the clerical work I was given. There is a belief in our family that you have to do something. You can’t just say you are waiting for admission and just sit at home. That led me to work; then I applied without the consent of my uncle to be a continuity announcer. I went through the interview process without his influence. I wanted to do it by myself and later they told him and he was shocked. I got there and I transferred myself from FRCN to Voice of Nigeria by applying formally and going through the rigours of interview. I was there from 1980 to 1982.
Tell us about your experience in broadcasting?
It is a family culture, a tradition. Most people in the family, not the younger generation, went through the media. My aunties, uncles, cousins were all excited about the media. Late Momoh Kubanji was my cousin. We all started together; his voice was the voice of the family on air. We were age-mates before he passed away.
How did you get into nature?
Nature is something I have always loved. It is borne out of being sincere, being in touch with reality and in touch with yourself. I love plants. They used to call me Green Fingers. It is something that just comes naturally, something that I connect with easily. My sisters and I always love to work with herbs. We experiment with herbs, especially my sister who is a physical coach. She used to work in a gym and she had issues with some of her clients who were looking for quick fix. They were not so disciplined with using exercise alone and wanted a combination therapy. So we were always looking out for what can make people lose weight, fat and support with exercise routine. Gradually, I found myself going deeper and deeper into it. Let’s talk about your moin-moin business?
Moin-moin is a meal that I like because of my size. It is one food that is easy to watch your weight with. I do protein diet with it and can eat it three times a day and every week. I love moin-moin in leaves not in bags or plastic. When I was told by SuperScreen Television that they could no longer pay my salary, I sat back to think of what to do next. I had invested in a shop and wanted to do a food hub. It wasn’t moving and I kept wondering if it was a wrong location. I also had an egg depot. Then, I started posting a lot of things on my status. We had ofada rice and ewa aganyin stew refrigerated and I was delivering them with my husband’s car. I renovated the store but it still wasn’t bringing sales. Then one day I was at a business fellowship and the message had to do with procrastinating on something you want to do. Then I got an alert from Oriflamme, and right there I made up my mind to start the business. I went straight to the market and bought all that was needed, including a garden umbrella. I had two locations which I alternated with my daughter and my maid. People fell in love with what we were doing and we started delivering the moin-moin in different places. We went as far as Epe doing this and getting different orders. We had standards. I would mix it in a particular way, measuring water, oil; then went in variety with meat, hot dog, fish and chicken fillets. It was an amazing experience. We kept evolving and it got better. I later gave my books to an auditor to see if it was viable. At the end of the day, they gave me my score card. I was a giver; gave out to a lot of people. They gave me great counsel; as women we must push the boundaries. I like to see beyond the money. Many women see the inflow of money but are not paying attention to details. So, I put it on hold and concentrated on manufacturing.
How did you earn the sobriquet Mamalawo?
I grew up in the North, Lokoja. The Middle Belt and Hausa generally do not believe in orthodox medicine. They would go to the herbalist before the hospital; they believe in herbs and spices. So, it has always been a practice between me and my sister; it’s like a family hobby. When I left the media, I incorporated it into my catering job. My step-mum brought me up and she was a caterer. I collaborated with her and later decided to rebrand. They kept calling me Mamalawo because I always had different alternatives. I met a few professionals who were herbalist and renowned members of the Natural Agency for Natural Medicine. One day, I went to the agency; they had schools and I wanted to be certified. I went there and found that it was moribund. Years later, I was somewhere at Kofo Abayomi and I found that the place had been refurbished. There I met them signing MOU with different people. I met Dr Bankole, the first Osteopath. He died recently. I was so excited and met all the distinguished practitioners in Nigeria. Then I was a manufacturer and was curious. I had a telegram group and they encouraged me to develop any product. Then I was still with SuperScreen and Dr Gilbert advised me to formalise my training, going through the different stages. I was posted to Harvey Road hospital for internship. Most of my colleagues are learning, growing and imbibing new ways of doing things. We went there as natural medicine students; by the way, Lagos State is really working out ways to improve healthcare. They have about 5000 orthodox practitioners but we are over 10,000. So, I earned my Mamalawo by certification. Now, I am a proud Babalawo. I was privileged to have Nigeria Commonwealth Certification backed by the Ministry promoting access to healthcare, using our natural health. I am now a certified Mamalawo and can practise anywhere in the Commonwealth.
You were given some awards recently, what do they mean to you?
They mean a lot to me. Even hearing someone who was in one of my free classes on Adeniyi Jones testifying meant a lot to me. It shows that people are seeing what I am doing in my own corner. The individual awards are good but the one that shook me was when I was recognised as one of the 21 notable people. When I got the award from US, some people were asking how much, but it’s a volunteer thing. Three months of mentorship and I am happy with what I am doing. I always like to go the extra mile, which is my nature.
Juliet Ezenwa Maja Pearce is a visual artist, convener of art arising Arts festival and CEO Yemoja Arts gallery. In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, she takes you into her world, running the arts festival, inspiration as well as life as a feminist.
Tell us about the festival?
The festival is bi-annual\triennial. It takes places once every two or three years. The first one we had was in 2018, the second in September 2021 and we have another one coming up next year. It’s an arts festival in the sense that it is not only about visual artists.
It’s an all round creative kind of event. It was a 14 day event at the National Museum and we featured visual artists, performance artists, poets, writers, editors, publishers and everybody was involved. It was 14 days of exhibitions, discussions as well and it was really an interesting time.
What were some of the takeaways from the event?
There were many in the sense that the way we had presented it was export friendly, people were willing and ready, all of us, participants and host were ready to take any part of the festival to any part of the world. It was authentic Nigeria creative festival with many contemporary elements visible in it.
How many years have you been in the sector?
30 years as a full time studio artist, practiced as a visual artist.
Let’s scroll down memory lane. What inspired you to go into the arts?
Apart from being a creative individual as a child. I already had it in me and I took it up as a career and as a business. I would also put that blame on Nigeria because at the time I graduated in 1990 there were no jobs; Federal Government had an embargo on employment that lasted for about 5 or 6 years. And for those of us that came out at about that period we had to find other means of making a living and being a creative person, a talented it wasn’t hard to begin to practice art.
Was there something else that you had in mind then?
Like every young graduate I was thinking I would work in a commercial bank that was a period you had micro finance banks, mortgage banks before the first consolidation of bank. It was one of those jobs that brought me to Lagos to work in a Mortgage bank but as I was undergoing the interview for the bank some people asked what you do. I said, I studied Fine Arts and I have been practicing painting stuffs and selling arts. They said why don’t you practice this art rather than coming to work in the banking industry and they gave me a job to test me, to see if I could deliver.
They asked me to bring some paintings to the bank, it was a new bank, our walls are empty, come with some paintings. And that was how my life as an art dealer and an art business person begun. I was able to deliver that and make some money that I used to pay my rent in Lagos. It was a turning point for me.
Tell us about some of the memorable moments as an artist?
After that experience, I now saw that there was some money to be made in art business. I had a friend who was starting an arts gallery on Allen Avenue, Ikeja and I teamed up with her and began the Tropical Arts and craft Gallery. We began to organize exhibitions and were exposed to the full arts business world and there was no looking back from then on. I was just selling arts as a dealer, selling other people’s works and it helped me to develop mine by the side, until I became confident enough to become a solo artist.
How would you describe life as a Solo artist?
Like every aspect of life in Nigeria, it has been very difficult and challenging. But then, it is a growth period, a process of developing in the field. I was lucky in many ways and things worked for me.
Also, I was patient enough, tolerant enough and probably surrounded myself with people who encouraged me to keep going and that the skies would be bluer ahead and of course they are indeed bluer. It’s been a tough one, but it has been rewarding, there are no disappointments.
What about the people that have influenced your work, mentors and role models?
Many. I want to say a big thank you to all the Art Galleries, all the art collectors who have kept the industry alive. Many did not live to see today but when they lived the kept us going. People like Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, Sam Olagbaju, Bruce Onabrakpeya, Nike Okudaye and so many people who are keeping the industry going. Many who played a key role in the movement of the visual industry, many who are playing bigger roles today. We hope that in the nearest future we would have a tourist product.
Tell us about the challenges. Were there moments when you felt like quitting?
Many moments. Most challenges are related to Nigeria’s economy. In recent times security is an issues, if we do not have tourists who are confident, feel safe enough to come to Nigeria to patronize the art, of course it is going to impact on the business. That is the bottom line and we need to create the kind of safe environment that would enable our products to be exported and enable tourists to come and see it and patronize us. It a private sector driven industry and Government is just to support.
Let talk about your works and why you are referred to as the masquerade?
That is because some curator recently described me as a female masquerade, technically calling me that after some of my works. In recent times, I have been strongly supporting women’s rights. I am a feminist and I support women’s development and empowerment. I have chosen to always stand in a position where I can view things from a gender lens. I have also begun to interrogate our culture and cultures in Nigeria that oppose women’s emancipation, equity and equality. I believe that it is rooted from our culture, our everyday interpretation of life, gender relations and we have to deal with some salient elements and we have to become conscious of it. We have to kick it out of our life, make life more balance. The title as female masquerade is because there is a conscious effort in the not so distant past to suppress women’s strength, position and power in society. Perhaps, because we are in a patriarchal society. So, it has spiraled and manifests itself in some forms of hatred towards women, and the different kinds of violence that we have been encountering.
Wouldn’t it be right and just to say that perhaps the justifications are from our culture?
If the justifications are coming from there, then we need to interrogate our culture. The culture we choose to live by today, should be determined by us not by ancestors who lived so many centuries ago. That world has wound up and we are in a different technological world today. It is no longer like the systems in the past where the male was the superior individual in the family dynamics that made decisions because he had the sheer strength to do that. We are not living by sheer strengths, we are living by intelligence and anybody can be the intelligent pattern, in the gender dynamics and rearrange how we are going to deal with each other in the present day Nigeria. So, we have to rethink and rearrange how we are going to deal with each other in present day Nigeria.
Let’s do a flashback to COVID, how did you spend your time?
For a creative it was a pleasant time to be stuck in my studio busy with my artwork. I didn’t miss anything. I was also glad that the earth rested and breathed. Some of us are agitators of a peaceful earth. I wish and I would like to advocate and join those advocating that once a year or two years, we should have a period when every machinery shuts down.
Your husband is a writer, what role has he played in all that you do?
Yes, Adewale Maja Pearce has had a great influence on my life. He is a writer of reputation, with many years of experience. He has that international impression of how things work in the publishing and creative industry. In many ways, he is a resource person to us, establishing the art alliance artist collective. He is our go to place for direction, exposing us to international platforms for art fairs, book fairs.
When you are not doing all the arts stuff, what occupies your time?
Sleeping, advocating for gender equality. The art is both the work that I do and my play. It is where I relax, my play. I am one of those who took the advice of the wise people who said turn your play to your work and find a way to make it feed you. That way, you would never have to work any day of your life. As a matter of fact, I have to say when dealing with gender I am at work.
Muyiwa Ayojimi is a legal practitioner and Chief Executive Officer of Consumertrics. Over the years, he and some of his colleagues have helped customers who are victims of adulterated and sub standard goods to get justice and value for their money. He spoke with Yetunde Oladeinde.
Let’s talk about the things you have done and the inspiration behind what you do?
Consumetrics was inspired by the center for Consumer Concerns, the NGO arm. First and foremost, we are legal practitioners and we have taken up a number of public interest issues on behalf of consumers which inspired us to see how to make things better. We got judgments against some of these manufacturers, like a double door fridge which was repaired 2nd, 3rd and 4th time.
A brand new bridge and at the end of the day they said they could not repair in the house, they to take it to Apapa. At the consumers cost and by the time they brought it back, that part of the fridge was defaced and then the client said enough is enough, a fridge which cost half a million naira. He then asked for another one and they went on and one, you know the Nigerian factor too. By the time we finished that there were other models and he just wanted his money back. So, all of that has gave birth to this, plus the fact that, nobody was playing the link between the mitigation space of consumer protection. It was berth to play in the key areas of consumer protection. There is something about customer loyalty; you don’t build it in a day.
What are some of the challenges?
We do have a very unhealthy mortgage system in Nigeria and it is working elsewhere. People get of age, they start a job and they are able to get a mortgage confident that they would be able to meet up whichever way. In other parts of the world if they have a stop gap, there is always a discussion. Nobody blames and shames them. Nobody gets a contact on their phones and broadcast to say this person owes us and at the end of the day it brings depression to such a person. People who didn’t know what they were doing in the private, it is now in the open with a lot of spiral effect. It is also boils down to the terms and conditions which today are rigid. Whether we like it or not, there are a whole lot of issues in that space. They cannot pay, they are bleeding and they are still heaping more and more issues. Today, there is something that says that for every salaried person from N50, 000, they would always borrow 6 times within a year for one thing or the other. Within the survey taken shows that they are not borrowing for key things, they are borrowing to augment. So, we are saying to borrowers as well, can you not be churning out products that can be borrower friendly, have replacement systems that may not be money related
Tell us about your organisation and what inspired the idea?
Consumetrics is a platform that represents the consumer on one hand as well as service and manufacturing providers on the other hand. This is about what the regulatory agencies in terms of Consumers would do and get players in the industry together, to be responsible for consumer sensitive issues and we create a balance. There is a thin line between the consumers’ expectations of goods and services as well as an understanding required on the part of service providers and manufacturers. We do this through trainings, ratings and advisory services. We had the maiden edition of our advisory series and importantly, it is going to be showcasing one of the burning issues within the financial space today, which is borrowing and lending. You have quite a number of issues within the borrowing and lending space. We want both borrowers and lenders to be responsible within that space. We are going to be doing that primarily to get in the respective practitioners, the appropriate regulatory agencies with a view to having a robust discussion that can bring out best practices within that space. Today, we have within the financial space, loan sharks, lenders who are largely unorganized, who are depraved consumers within their space. Lenders who have redesigned their own rules and regulations and in doing legitimate , businesses we should have responsibilities around lending and bringing out all the rules upfront, not changing the post midway and letting the terms and conditions be very visible. Consumers also have a critical role to play within the space. The purpose is to put the two sides before the public to see how well each has fared.
Are Cooperative societies part of the people that you are looking at?
Yes, they are. Incidentally, unlike the loan sharks cooperatives are quite organised, well managed under the respective states cooperatives. Like the formal lending process also do appropriate due diligence and most times are tied to establishments, companies and they do a lot of profiling. Consumetrics is about advocacy. We are not on either sides but we are monitors to see how both sides are working. What we are doing is to ensure that either side is playing the role according to the game.
We have a feature called ratings. So, we are going to be the go to hub for consumer ratings in Nigeria. And we have technical partners already in that space. We would issue out reports periodically to say that for this 5 brands, this first two earned a consumer AA rating for their products. That way Consumers are guided upfront on where to put their money. Most times, you buy things and it doesn’t meet your expectations, you just leave it and you move on. You have that happening a lot. So, we are going to play very strongly within the rating area to drive consumer value.
What about situations where a middleman has tampered with the product, how should be held responsible?
That is a space for both service providers and manufactures to play. We are going to have training for them in short regard. There is a value chain, wholesalers, retailers and there are best practices within that value chain, which is not adhered to at all. For example if I know that a manufacturer has already screened all of us as wholesalers for Nigerian markets. All of the parameters, they used to bring us on board are there and so you would also dispense to the retailer. In the process of dispensing to the retailer something happens within that value chain, we can take it back. This is not the standard or there is a factory issue around it. But these days, people would just tell you that is how we bought it. It is lack of education because as a wholesaler, you have invested a lot and you don’t want anything to taint your business. Also, you must also be educated to know that. WE also want to advise consumers that there are certain phones that came out in 2021, immediately after COVID because they weren’t able to sell it out, we also went home and couldn’t finish our survey and report. Trust us; we would come back to it. Those phones were already in the warehouse for a number of time and their battery life is not going to be what they should be if it was churned out directly. Unfortunately, it got to our market, a manufacturer must be able to own up and recall this number of phones because of the battery issue and if you get an advisory, you should be able to advise government that they mustn’t get into the hands of consumers.
Bring low quality products to the country are also in the advisory space because SON and the other agencies have some responsibilities that they have to play in all this. But guess what they are always too particular about products and manufacturers in Nigeria. It is only recently that they started to have units and departments that look at the import space. They already have a frequency of the products that come in and they can do a testing .That is what we want to leverage on and be the voice for our consumers.
Larmmy Ogidan Odeseye is a software analyst, business strategist, fitness coach and real estate investor. In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, Odeseye who trained as a zoologist, talks about life as a serial entrepreneur and more.
Tell us why you trained as a Zoologist and the experience so far?
You know that African parent’s dream of their child being either a doctor, lawyer or engineer? That’s my story. I was a smart kid and everyone assumed I’d be a doctor. My first JAMB result was withheld so I got into OAU Pre-degree program in 2005. I didn’t meet the mark to study medicine, so I was admitted into Zoology. I honestly do not have any regrets because studying zoology gave me some time to dabble into other things and actually find my passion for creativity. I have not worked a day as a zoologist but I’m thankful for the foundation.
How did the experience affect the other things that you do?
While studying zoology, I was able to go to Campus Business School, there I learnt some web designing (We used Macromedia Dreamweaver then)and a bit of school politics.I was even in a Rap/ Hip Hop group at some point. I am very free spirit and I’m able to roam wherever life takes me.
What inspired you to become a software analyst?
When I got to the US, I got introduced to a healthcare software which enables me to work closely with doctors, nurses, and health providers. I got some certifications, so I build, customized and optimized a software brand used in health systems here in the US. Curiosity inspired me. I wanted to learn how things work on the backend and assist healthcare providers in getting their job done easier.
What are some of the achievements in the past few years?
I’ve won some awards during the yearly customer service week and I’m currently in the process of being published as a co-author on a medical manuscript for pediatric oncology patients. That is a proud moment, being recognized for my work in I.T.
What are the challenges you encountered?
No challenge comes higher than being a mom of three young kids and having a full-time job. I’m privileged to work with an organization and a team who encourage a good work-life balance. I face my challenges head-on each day as they come.
What are some of the memorable moments working as a serial entrepreneur who is into travels and real Estate?
When I succeed on a task, it’s always memorable. People only celebrate success without knowing the number of times you failed. Every milestone is memorable for me. Like when I sold out the first batch of the Gas Level Indicators to when I purchased the first set of land for JeLarmmy Homes.
What are some of the changes that you would like to see in Nigeria today?
I would love to see a more conducive environment for entrepreneurs to thrive. An economy for adequate business owners is a growing economy. Most entrepreneurs in Nigeria are being frustrated out of business due to lack of basic amenities and unfavorable logistics. I hope to see this change for the better.
What is the importance of Projecthope, empowering the needy with skills. How can we achieve this?
Every person counts. Everyone has a talent; every individual possesses a skill and sometimes just needs that one person who will take a chance on them and give them that little push to achieve success. ProjectHope is that “person”. If it’s a child who needs to get education, we will help. If it is an adult who has a passion for designing but has no means to harness that skill, we will take care of it. No man is left behind.
What are some of the other things that occupy your time?
You mean after being a wife, mom, working full time and part time in 2 jobs, running a business in Nigeria and supervising building constructions? I need more than 24 hours in a day. My time is fully booked. However, other things that occupy my time will be taking care of myself. I love going out with friends, weekend getaways with my husband once or twice in a while, and I am currently studying for a Travel and Tourism certificate. I want to add Travel consulting to my portfolio.
You are also a fitness coach. Tell us about this aspect of your life?
When I was pregnant with my son, I had a few health complications that required me to make healthier choices when it comes to my diet and lifestyle. I worked with a BeachBody Fitness coach, Ayanna Penn, who also happened to be a good friend of mine. I started this journey in 2021 and I stayed true to my goals even after I had my baby. I knew I had to pay it forward and be a coach as well,so I can inspire others with my story and my journey. I made a choice to make a health lifestyle my goal. It’s not just about dieting and exercising and weight loss. It’s about just being in a good place mentally and physically. Being a coach has made me to see women like me who have struggled with one thing or another and have overcome them. I love being around women who do not let their flaws define them but empower them. I aspire to be that inspiration to other women as well. That’s what being a fitness coach is about.
Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?
I have had some pivotal life changing moments at different points in my life that have influenced me greatly. Starting from losing my dad at 10 to moving to a different country to start all over, to meeting my husband who inspire me a lot as well through his hardwork, selflessness and integrity.
What are some of the principles that inspires the things you do?
You must keep going. You cannot stop. It’s ok to take a break but don’t stop. Failure is not the end. It’s just a pause in the journey. Keep trying, keep going till you succeed.
How would you assess the Nigerian families today?
I must say we are starting to see some change in dynamics. Things are starting to move away from how it used to be and that’s okay. Change is constant. Parenting will be different now and in years to come. We have parents who are now having conversation with their children and kids don’t have to run and hide because “daddy is home” anymore. Love to see it.
What message do you have for young people who want to become entrepreneurs?
If your dreams do not scare you, they’re not big enough. Outsiders may think you’re crazy but I’m here to let you know you’re not crazy. It’s okay to fail as long as you don’t dwell too long in your failure. Dust yourself up and try again till you succeed. I don’t mean to “aspire to maguire” you. Those are just the basic principles I apply to my life day by day. If you keep dreaming and you keep working, you will achieve your goals.
Victor Agidi is an entrepreneur and Managing Director of Agiville Industries. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, he talk about how he took over from his father a great industrialist, inspiration, challenges and how the factory tripled its revenue during COVID lockdown.
Tell us about some of the lessons you learnt from your father, who was a great entrepreneur and industrialists ?
H e was a Civil servant and was at Unilever in the 60s. That was a great inspiration and he later set up a factory that he handed over to his son.
We grew up on the Island, went to Kings College and then travelled abroad for further studies. I came back and went into the business that he set up after his retirement.
We have been producing consistently for the past seven years. We started with one product and now we have four products lines. Our very first product was a 240 liter waste bin.
How has been a manufacturer transformed your personality?
It’s been an interesting transition from being a director to the Managing Director. The market condition you have to navigate is tough especially now that there is inflation. We have had to navigate all of those and have learnt to put in our best. Of course, there are always the local peculiarities that you have to deal with. But nevertheless we have been dogged, we have carried on and we are pushing forward. No matter what happens we always find ourselves on the other side, strong and ready to move forward.
What was the experience at the beginning?
The experience matched the product because it is a big product. We invested quite a lot because this is a large factory, not a mini factory.
Where were you coming from?
I came from the industry of selling generators and machine tools that was Metal working equipments. But after a while, we decided that we wanted to go into producing goods locally and selling them nationally.
How did that experience help what you are doing now?
It helped us because we were able to adapt technically to a lot of the issues that we got, the new machines that we had, working with hydraulics, sales, electric motors.
What inspired the production of waste bins?
We started with the 240 liter waste bins. There was a need to start producing this waste bins locally; these are the waste bins to carry waste especially for households. Then, we had a situation where they were just open containers that were not healthy and easily in terms of logistics for state government or local authorities to evacuate waste. So, that informed our decision?
Were you supplying state governments?
When we started we were importing the waste bins in containers and then we decided to go into production. It is plastic material and the raw material is available here. Also, we don’t deal directly with state governments; we have guys that help us get contracts. We prefer that route instead of dealing directly with them but in some cases we have dealt directly.
What are some of the challenges doing this?
It was getting the right technical staff to manage the company. After employing the foreign manufacturers staff who were Chinese Nationals for a while, we were able to get seasoned Nigerians and they have performed very well.
Is the sector competitive?
We definitely do not have a monopoly; there are other producers in the market. The advantage that we have is that we are fully Nigerian company, based in Lagos, the largest economy in the country. Also very important is that we produce all the components of locally. Every single component is produced locally. The buckets, tyres, axles and wheels are all produced 100 per cent locally. We do not import any component of the waste bin. All our staffs are Nigerians. We have branches in Abuja and Port Harcourt and those are depots. But we are also looking at opening a branch at Kano. We also use recycled products, it is part of our inputs. We use virgin materials as well as recycled products. We add some components of recycled items into our products.
How would you describe the experience during COVID?
COVID was an interesting period for us. It was interesting because the previous year we had done a certain amount of revenue. I can tell you that over the period of COVID, we tripled our revenue. How did we do it? We did this by reacting swiftly to the circumstances around us. We didn’t wait or sit down. Immediately, the lockdown was over, that was after six weeks, things opened up. We didn’t sit at home and say that we were going to monitor the situation. No. Everybody got back to the office, there were curfews from 4pm and we structured our operations around those periods to makes sure that we were producing 24 hours a day.
Were you making sales during the period?
Yes. People came to buy and we were delivering trucks across the country. It was a blessing in disguise. They enacted a lot of laws around cleanliness which help our industry, people needed our products. There was no avenue to diversify but we kept at what we were good at. The products are durable for any weather and have a 10 year warranty. In fact, our products right now in the Nigerian market are the heaviest out of the people producing waste bins.
Are you saying that the standards would not be lowered with inflation?
Our major selling point is the quality of our product and we are sticking to that 10 per cent. At the moment there is very high inflation and the options opened to us are either to increase the price but we are not going to do that. We are tinkering on making slight adjustments to our model, cutting waste, looking inwards to allow the customers to keep on getting our products.
Tell us some of the things that you have done in terms of Corporate Social responsibility?
We have supplied waste bins to some primary and secondary schools in the community. We try to make our impact felt positively around here.
Let’s talk about your management style. What has been your guiding principle?
I like to get different types of opinion and then take a decision from there. It is not an authoritarian kind of thing. However, when there is need for decisive action I know what to do and the steps to take. The principles that I learnt from my father was also very useful. He was a very tough person, people quaked around him. So, I learnt to have that level of toughness too, otherwise sometimes, you would not get the result that you really want. I also learnt humility and not spending frivolously are some of the other things that I learnt from my father.
