Category: Sunday Interview

NEW York based-Nigerian beauty entrepreneur, Aminah Sagoe, took the beauty industry by storm last March when she launched her luxury skin care brand. Of mixed blood, the mother of three who has a degree in Business Administration was recently nominated by Virgin Atlantic in their latest campaign as one of the premium people on the rise. She shares her success story with ADETUTU AUDU

What has your journey to becoming a beauty entrepreneur been like?

Emmaus is just a year old, and as a new small business, it’s expected to have various challenges, but there are also so many highlights. I’m very proud of how far the business has come in our short existence. What started off as a dream is now a reality. Emmaus was created as a solution to my own skin problems (keratosis pilaris, aka “chicken skin”), and it gives me so much joy to know that I’m helping myself as well as other sufferers out there.

Before your luxury skincare brand, Emmaus, what were you doing?

I worked as a financial analyst at a brokerage firm in New York and also co-own an upscale hair and beauty supply boutique in Lagos.

Where do you draw your strength from?

I would have to say God, and my family.

What were some of the challenges you went through trying to produce Emmaus?

There were quite a few challenges with the formulation process. It was a difficult feat trying to fuse natural active ingredients with natural preservatives, but with hard work, determination, persistence, and of course with God’s help, we were able to make it all happen.

What informed your decision to create a luxury skincare brand?

I’m a big believer in the saying “you get what you pay for”, and I’m the type of person that is cautious about what I put in, and on my body. I pay attention to ingredient listings on products, and I’ve discovered that many products on the market today are filled with diluted ingredients, and cheap toxic preservatives. Emmaus products all contain natural ingredients and preservatives using plant stem cell technology. Unfortunately, good things usually don’t come cheap.  I believe my skin deserves only the best, and being the best is what Emmaus is about. The fact of the matter is, I will only sell to others what I will confidently use on my own skin.

Emmaus products do not bleach. In a society like ours where skin-lightening products are big sellers, how do you intend to break even?

Many African women are of the mindset that they have to lighten their skin. It is a dangerous practice, but at the end of the day people will always do what they feel is best for them, and that is totally okay. My wish is for people to pay closer attention to the ingredients in their products and research them so they’re aware of what their skin is ingesting.

Could you highlight some of the common mistakes that women make with their skin?

The biggest one is bleaching, followed by not washing your face twice a day, not exfoliating regularly, and wearing heavy makeup on a daily basis.

How do you create a balance between being a mother, a wife, and a businesswoman?

I’m always on work mode, but since I love what I do, I don’t really consider it as work. You’ll find me responding to emails at midnight and 5 am, but I will take a few hours off each day to focus on my family and their needs.

My husband is extremely supportive and always ready to jump in whenever I need help with anything. This helps me to keep my sanity when the going gets tough! I try to relax on weekends as much as possible and spend time with my family as well as friends. I know it’s a cliché, but I believe that “laughter is the best medicine,” so I surround myself with laughter because it works for me!

What was your growing up like and who are those who influenced you-the good, the bad and the ugly?

Entrepreneurship is in my genes. My parents owned a couple of supermarkets when I was younger and despite my young age, my mother made it her mission to show me the ropes with the business. I regularly went with her on her trips to meet with suppliers; I helped her with the monthly “stock-taking” (which was done manually back then) and I worked as a cashier during the holidays.

The business started to suffer after my father passed away. Two years later, my mother was involved in a car accident that left her paralysed, so she had no choice but to start shutting down the stores – ultimately leaving us with just one.

At the time, I was 15 years old and was glad to have all the training my mother had instilled in me earlier in life. I went to the store every day after school. I did my homework there and then helped out as much as I could. I wore many hats – buyer, cashier, manager, and of course, teenager.

I thoroughly enjoyed helping out with the business, and having that responsibility matured me beyond my years. Watching my mom overcome her difficulties and still keep a business running was inspiring, and the experience has helped me immeasurably now that I am a business owner myself.

I’m always intrigued and inspired by women that started from scratch and take philanthropy seriously. Estee Lauder and Oprah Winfrey at the top of my list.

Virgin Atlantic selected you as one of the fast-rising small businesses in their latest campaign titled Businesses On The Rise. What does this mean for you?

It’s truly an honour to be recognised as a fast-rising small business, especially from Virgin Atlantic. The publicity has had a very positive impact on the brand and I’m excited about it.

Tell us the most important lesson you’ve learned as an entrepreneur

Patience, patience, and more patience! I’ve also developed a thick skin to the word NO, because NO could simply mean “not now.” I’ve learned not to feel discouraged when I don’t receive replies to my emails. Learning not to take things personally has been a huge benefit to me. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and my company wasn’t either, but it’s important to recognise that in order to achieve success, you must continue pushing and striving for excellence.

What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?

I believe the biggest issue for women in the workplace is just that; being a woman. We strive to “have it all” with a great job, perfect family, flawless wardrobe, but I believe that to be truly successful, women cannot have it all….at once. To be a wife, mother, daughter, sibling, student and entrepreneur/career person all at the same time is a massive accomplishment. But in most cases, trying to do it all means that something or someone will suffer, and usually that person is you. We need to understand that women really don’t have to do it all at one time. It’s important to take things slow, focus on our priorities and enjoy ourselves while doing them. Eventually, we’ll be able to say we’ve done it all!

How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?

From basic life lessons like manners and the importance of being grounded with gratitude to the art of hospitality, my mother has always been my mentor. In addition to learning business skills from her, her guidance in everything from manners to the importance of being grounded with gratitude, valuing and nurturing relationships to the art of hospitality has always stayed with me and contributed to my success in so many ways.

When I was growing up, she would say that it doesn’t matter if you’re married to a billionaire, you still have to make your own money, no matter how much or little. Without a doubt, my drive for developing a successful career comes from her too.

She was also a skincare product junkie. I remember going into her bathroom when I was younger and applying every single cream she had onto my face. I also enjoyed reading the labels on the products. While most kids played with dolls, I was playing with my mother’s skincare products. I never thought at the time that that one of my childhood hobbies would materialise into an actual business!

What has been the most fulfilling point of business since you started out?

Getting positive feedback from customers who have used and loved Emmaus makes me fulfilled.

What would you say is the keys to your success?

I believe in planning and working towards your goal, but at the end of the day you need God to bless it because He’s the only one that can bring everything to fruition.

Which fashion items are hot for you now?

Jumpsuits. I love how comfortable and stylish they are.

How would you describe your style?

I’m very casual, and all about comfort.

Having been half Egyptian and Nigerian, does this affect you in any way?

Not at all. I love the diversity in the culture and food. I would say it makes my life more interesting.

Who exactly is Aminah Sagoe?

 I am a mother, a wife, business woman and a firm believer in God. I was born and raised in Nigeria but schooled in the United Kingdom, Cairo and the United States of America. I have a degree in Business Administration. My late father was an Egyptian and a staff of Egypt Air when he met my mother during one of his trips. I had a close relationship with him and I lived in Cairo for a while. I speak the language fluently. I enjoyed being spoilt as the last child.

Architect Abdul Rauf Olorunyomi Lawal is the Principal Partner of Y-EL Associates, a firm of architects that has handled major projects across Nigeria. In this interview with Fredrick Adegboye, he says the joy he derives from the job “can actually be the satisfaction that you derive in even a small project that you are able to solve a peculiar problem.” He also discloses his love for lawn tennis, why he would not encourage anyone close to him to take up chess as a hobby, as well as his growing up years. 

WHO is an Architect, and what is architecture?  Well, architecture is an art of building, and it is also the science of building. Architecture has existed right from creation; God is the first architect, if he did not create this world, if He did not create a man and he did not create everything, there won’t be life; so for us, architecture actually envision life, so, every architect takes his inspiration from the creator himself. Architecture is an act of creating an abode where people can live.

For how long have you been practising, and how many major projects would you say you have handled all those years?

I will say I have been practicing right from when I left school or even before I left school; all the programmes of industrial attachments, also a programme of gaining practicing experience, so when we left school, in 1987, we went straight to the practice. I worked briefly with a firm of architects in Lagos from 1989 to 1994 before I ventured out and set up my own business. I have handled quite a number of projects I cannot list them all. The ones I have handled as an employee and the ones I have handled as employer. I have been part of major projects; I was involved in Bristol helicopter Housing Estate in Elelenwo under A.T. Onajide Architect. I was also part of Shell Housing Estate in Abuja under A.T. Onajide; quite a lot of notable projects. But on my own as a private architect, I have handled both official and residential buildings. I handled the second phase of administrative building in UICH, Ilorin. I also designed their Cardio-therapy Centre, Ilorin, and I have also handled projects under CBN intervention. For instance, I did the Auditorium Complex in the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru,which is a major landmark. I also handled projects in Keffi,that’s the Nasarawa State University; I also designed the library complex called IBB Complex in Yola, that’s in Mudibbo Adamawa University of Technology,Yola, which has also been completed and is already in use, amongst many other projects.

Which one of the projects would you say it drew something out of your creative mind, especially when you look at it again and again?

It is actually very difficult to pinpoint at a particular project that has been my most outstanding, sometimes it is not really the size. It can actually be the satisfaction that you derive in even a small project that you are able to solve a peculiar problem; it could excite you more than a grandiose structure. But I will not ignore the Auditorium Complex in Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies of the Iko road because it actually encompassed a lot of challenges. Apart from it functioning as an auditorium, it also has spaces that are used as crises ammunition centre, conflict resolution, and you have offices all within one structure and we have to use lefts to provide those spaces. That, within the budget that we had, was a fantastic project and we see we were able to resolve a lot of issues within one complex and within a very reasonable budget. It was a project that was meant to be three or four different structures, but we were able to combine everything in one. Then one of the Deputy Directors of Central Bank at the time also happened to be an architect and was fascinated by the idea right from the start and was like he could not believe what he was seeing. He was just ready to see the end of it. So, I think that was one that I can say really excited me.

How are Architects contributing to the housing deficit in the country, and the economy at large?

Architects have always been available when it comes to providing the expertise for housing project; but one of the problems that I see we have in our country is government being the driving force behind provision of housing; that has its own problem, some of this things should be private sectors in the country, but we have a situation where private sector is not well endowedto undertake a lot of these developmental projects unless government releases fund and that’s not how it supposed to be. If it were the private sectors that are actually driving housing, it is going to be very easy, all governments needs to do is just to put in regulation and enforce the rules. Provision of housing will be there just as it’s obtained in other developed nations in the world; it is not government that does everything. Government will probably have its own council being used for people that require special need. But the main basic housing there, private sector will get funding from different sources and they will be there, available. You will just obtain houses through mortgage. But a situation where you have to go and look for heavy money to buy a house, and you do not have a mortgage system, it’s not going to work!

Who would you say is your greatest mentor amongst all the architects you have studied or worked under?

I have read quiet widely about great architects of the world.I have studied even local architecture practitioners and have been influenced by their thoughts. I will not fail to mention the late Olayiwola Balogun, he use to have a firm.I have also been influenced by the designs of Architect M.B. Ojo who I worked with briefly as a student. And, largely, the one that gave me my breakthrough, that gave me the real breakthrough, that really made me cut my teeth as an architect, Architect Ayoola Tokunbo Onajide; A.T. Onajide Architects, based in Lagos. That is one person I will say actually gave me the direction and gave me the space and time to operate, and actually allowed me to operate myself; so, my story can never be complete without mentioning him as a driving force. Till date, I still see him as my number one inspiration; managing staff, managing architects, managing projects, initiating, pursuing and all of that. He actually gave me a lot of room to operate. What I derived from there is limitless.

Can you briefly describe for us your growing up years?

I will say I grew up like every normal person. I was born in Ghana. I started my early education in Ghana, in Accra to be precise, until the early 70s. By 1969 when there was exodus of foreigners from Ghana to Nigeria and other locations, my parents and family we had to also relocate back to Offa, we used to read and hear about the story of Offa, but we never been to Offa until then. But we were happy to be one of those that stayed back in Ghana for a longer time, after everybody had left, because my sister’s husband was working with the United Nations and we were protected under the United Nations and we were still going to school. But I came back to Nigeria in 1970 by which time schools were no longer taking people, so it was the moment I had to go to seek Islamic education. We went to ”Ile kewu” (Quranic school) and it was a great opportunity for us to learn so much about Islam. By 1971, we had to re-join the school calendar system. It was a big step back for someone like me who was going to be in primary three in 1970, to go and start all over again in primary one in 1971; within the period, I got double promotion  from one to three, and from there, I went to Ansarudeen Primary School. From there, I entered Offa Grammar School in 1975, and it was very nice. My years in Offa Grammar School, I would say, were the best I ever experienced in my school life; we had the best of education, we had Ghanaian teachers, we had a lot of facilities. Few schools could boast of having a lot of facilities, we had sports and great teachers, some I can never forget like Mr. Sam, amongst others. So, I graduated from Offa Grammar School with distinction, and got straight admission to the University of Ife. I had to choose between being a medical doctor and being an architect, so I chose architecture because I felt it was a course that included so many backgrounds both science and art, and I was good in all of it. So, I went to the University of Ife in 1980, and it was a seven-year programme. I finished in 1987, did my Youth Service in Enugu, and by 1989, I joined the practice of A.T Onajide. In 1994, I left Onajide and started my own firm in Lagos.In 1999 I relocated to Abuja when the government handed over to civilian administration. I had a few friends in government by that time, so we relocated, and here we are in Abuja; so that’s how it is in brief.

How do you relax, considering your tight schedule as an Architect?

I am happy you are asking that question because architecture itself is very tough, it drains the brain; lots of thought process. You can finish a design today and tear everything down again the next morning and start all over again, and it could be that challenging. But, however, how do I relax? I am a sportsman, so I play lawn tennis. It is a game that I enjoy and I happen to be the chairman of Mambilla lawn tennis club at Mambilla Barracks here in Abuja. I am also a die-hard chess player, in fact to a fault and I know anyone who is a chess player and listening to me will know what I am talking about. It could be addictive, I never want any of my children to learn how to play chess because it could destroy your time. My children try to, but I make sure they never got to learn chess. If they get to play chess and they enjoy it, it can take them away from real work. So, indoor sports, I do a lot of chess. I am also very active on social media.

LET’S talk about your talent in music, where did it come from? I have always been a singer. My uncle whom I lived with would say I never shut my mouth. Interestingly, I never thought of it as a career initially. In the choir in the university, it always came up. So, after school, when I got married things changed and one began to see the reality. When I came out of NYSC, there was no job for a pregnant woman. So, I had to look inwards to see what I could do. Luckily, I had always had a band in the university. I had to think about what to do while I was also trying to step up with my education. I then went to the Pan African University where I got a certificate course in Advanced Writing and Reporting skills, yet nobody was willing to give me a job. Hoping that I was upgrading and waiting till when the baby comes.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way I planned. Then I started doing MCee and the Alaga Ijoko thing for traditional weddings. Suddenly, I changed location from Ogun to Lagos State after marriage. Then no one knew me and it was really tough. Asides from money, the band is great and I love singing Christian music, which is what we do with the band and gradually we got noticed. The band is called The Praise and depending on the event, we have between 10 and 12 people on the band. Along the line, I lost interest in getting a job and the timing is flexible.

What role does your husband play in the band?

He plays the piano but we cannot pay him. Jokingly, he tells me, “I am not your keyboardist, get that straight.” He has been a great pillar of support; he has been part of every vision like my going back to school. Right now, I am doing my PHD in Christian Leadership Studies.  My husband told me that even though I am not looking for a formal job, I should still have a vision of being relevant. I moved from Mass Communication and saw the passion for community development.

I am a mother of two boys and I have a first degree in Mass Communication from the Olabisi Onabanjo University. I have a vision and passion for nation building for the past three years. I have been into community development and I run an NGO called Rural Development Initiative (RUDI). We started in 2013 and we have sponsored children in schools. The project reaches out to the rural areas and the less privileged and we are rural based. We go to schools to talk to the children and sponsor them through secondary education. The education is supposed to be free but they still pay PTA, but some are so challenged that they can’t even pay and we pay for this.

How do you reach out to your targets?

I look out for intelligent and children from poor backgrounds. I have always wanted to do something as a young girl, reach out to neighbours that were less privileged. Interestingly, I went to school thinking it was all about going to school. After this, the whole idea changed from first degree, work, marriage, in that order. It was not until around 2012 that the thing started coming back again. The focus is not just on children but also on the community and people. We also do community health outreach. We took medical doctors to the community and other free medical services.

What are some of the cases that make you happy?

Our first outreach was one of the interesting moments for us. We never thought it was going to be anything huge. We had over 300 people to attend to and we ran out of medication. That year, we did not prepare food for them. That really challenged us to go back because we could only attend to a hundred plus, the community in question is Yewa North Local Government Area in Ogun state.

What are some of the challenges encountered?

Acceptance is not an issue for me because I started from my hometown, convincing the people that it is actually free. Some suspect that there is a motive for doing this and they would ask if there is a political agenda and so on. I don’t have a political agenda, it is a mission.

Is this your first album?

No, it is my second album. The first album came as an inspiration and it is titled, Forever Grateful. It is about being grateful to God for all that he has done for me. I would say that marriage took me, not just by surprise, but the events were not what I thought or imagined. In spite of the odds, I would say that God sustained me, not losing my mind, not losing my personality, my ideals and focus. I was grateful for that and I was encouraging others to be thankful to God. The second album was like a comeback. God told me he would give me songs. At this point I was married. I had dropped from choir and moved to the children’s church because I was nursing babies. Then the songs started coming and we formed an album. This particular song, ilu yi atura, meaning this country will be better and okay came as a surprise.  I went to the studio to do an eight track album. About a month later, we were wondering about the state of the economy and how things had become so expensive,  when I exclaimed, “ilu yi atura ko ni lekoko mo mi.” My husband quickly asked where I got it and I said nowhere. He said it was a good one and that it was someone’s original song. He then advised me to pursue it, go for copyright and that was how it all began. It is a song for the moment. It is a song of encouragement and song of hope. It is a prophecy and a declaration of a better future for Nigeria. In addition, it is about honesty, charging our leaders to be honest. We also prayed for a flourishing economy.

Is your husband also in the same field with you?

No. He is a business analyst, a problem solver. We met at a choir rehearsal and we went to the same secondary school. At school, he was our keyboardist. He didn’t know me then but I knew him from a distance. Music finally brought us together.

How do you merge your music with the other things that you do?

The PhD programme is on and the NGO has a structure. We know the programmes that we have per quarter. I know when I am going to each community and I know when I am to do what. I have a number of people who work with me voluntarily. The report that we have is great and we have reached some students and schools with scholarships, we want to do more. Seeing some of them interacting better and sometimes we wish we could take them through the university. This is because it is not even the secondary school that is the major challenge, it is going into the university. However, if we do not start from the secondary schools, we won’t know this. They would have fallen out of our hands and be riding okada and all that.

At what point did you meet Mrs. D.A. Fasoyin, the lead vocalist of the Good women’s choir, who sang the original song, “Odun nlo sopin”?

I knew I couldn’t go ahead with someone else’s song. So meeting her was the first thing to do, to tell her my vision and how I wanted to work with her. Her reaction was good and pleasant. My fear was would she want someone to change the message, would she buy into the vision and the new message which has a lot to do with the mood of the nation right now? She has been quite supportive and her voice is in it. We took the first verse together, then I did the second and she did the third leading us into the chorus. It is actually a dream come true. I felt very good and Mrs. Fasoyin was happy to be part of it.

Kevin Chuwang Pam was the first Nigerian to win television reality show, Big Brother Africa, dubbed Revolution in 2009. With his millions he became the Chief Executive Officer, Down2Earth Entertainment. The Jos Plateau State born graduate of University of Jos also married his fellow Tanzania’s housemate, Elizabeth Gupta, five years ago. He speaks with ADETUTU AUDU

HOW will you describe your marital journey so far? Interesting. All of a sudden, my priorities have changed, my movement has changed.  I have a family now. I have to put them into consideration in everything I do.

What have been the challenges?

Trying to balance the life of a family man and career.  It has been quite tasking.

What will you say has sustained your marriage?

God, the grace of God.  He gives us the patience and every other quality you need to succeed in it.

How will you describe your wife?

She is the smartest woman I have ever seen. She has been through a lot, yet she is standing. She is a pillar of support, a great helper. Despite the fact that our culture differs, she has adapted to our culture. She can cook any traditional soup. She is really trying.

How has the cultural differences affected your marriage?

Yes, there are definitely some challenges. Some things came as a shock. At first, the food, soup and some other things. There were some adaptive features we had to discuss and sort out but things are fine, she is doing quite okay.

Why did you relocate to Jos?

I started doing a lot about youth development tagged, Jos Bring It On.  I came to Jos to seek talent. I want to give the youth a chance to express themselves and pursue a career in entertainment. We also opened a restaurant. Politics is another reason for relocating.  Politically, we are creating awareness for the youth to change their outlook to life and political matters. My wife runs the restaurant. We call it Gupsy Delight. We sell intercontinental and African dishes. We have Tanzanian dishes at Gupsy Delight. The reception was good though, it may take time before we take it to the place of our dream.

You went into the BBA house and made Nigerians proud, not only that you got a wife. How would describe the experience?

Wonderful. I would say I am the most favoured housemate that BBA ever produced. I did not only win, I found fame, fortune and life partner. What more can I ask for?

So what stood Elizabeth out among the housemates?

Well you see qualities. When you are living with people you get to understand them and see who can fit into your own life. I just found a perfect pair for my kind of person.

What kept you pressing on even after being rejected several times?

I want to be famous, so Big Brother was the Show for me. I was determined and bent on going there. It was like ‘get rich or die trying’. I knew that a show like Big Brother will put me on the list. I couldn’t see myself working in an office. It was not a good option for me. It’s boring for me and I don’t like sitting in one place for too long.

What is your view on reality shows?

Reality show is a good platform, but I think there should be more mentorship for people who are going into the show. Most people go into the show and they don’t understand what life means after the show. They fall back and find it difficult. Reality shows generally is a great platform for people with great talents.

If you have opportunity to go into the Big Brother again, will you honour the call?

It all depends. If what is at stake is worth it, why not? Then, if I am chanced to go, I will weigh everything first.

It’s a Friday evening and you are with Enitan Oshibodu, enterpreneur, communication and outsourcing practitioner at the Civic Centre in Lagos. It’s the venue for her golden birthday, time to roll out the drums and celebrate. But it was also a day that brought tears to the eyes, tears because of the many odds faced during the vicissitudes of life. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, Oshibodu talks about losing a plum job to capital meltdown, the challenges of longevity in her family, losing her elder sister to cancer and more.

You plan it this way or it just happened? I grew up in Ibadan, practically lived my life there. I studied Communication and Language Arts at the University of Ibadan. After university, I felt I had had enough of Ibadan so I carried my stuff and went to Lagos. I did my NYSC at the Nigerian Television Authority, and then I also had a stint with Daily Times. Interestingly, those were the days when people were checking out of Nigeria and I also travelled out. I was in the United Kingdom in 1990 and I didn’t come back until I had my kids and I relocated to Nigeria with my children about thirteen years after.

When I got back to Nigeria, I bumped into Otunba Gbenga Daniel the former governor of Ogun State and I became his Personal Assistant. I was his P.A for two years and I had some issues which are in my book. I left the government and moved to the Stock Exchange and worked there for five years. Then there was crisis and the capital melt down, that was during Professor Ndidi Okereke’s time. So during that time, I was part of the people that got swept out. As usual, I moved around a bit and used that time to settle down.

Then I gave Alhaji Aliko Dangote a call and as soon as he heard what happened to my job, he said ‘come on’ and that was how I joined the Dangote Group. I worked in the president’s office with Alhaji Aliko Dangote as the Head of Facilities Management. I am in charge of making sure that the factory is looking good at all times. I also monitor the group’s contractors on different things, even up to as simple as landscape because in Nigeria people don’t understand that your environment means a lot. You can spend millions to build a house or a factory, but if you do not pay attention to your environment, it actually brings the value down and at the end of the day you may be losing money.

My boss is very particular about improving and sustaining the way the surroundings look. So the factories are not only operating in full capacity but they are environmentally friendly as well, to the workers and the community.

So how does it feel to be 50?

It is awesome. We were three girls in my family, and my older sister didn’t see 50, by the time she was 48years they had told her to get ready because she had cancer. So I live with that kind of experience, because I was with my sister and we were counting down for her to die. Ever since, I have been very mindful of my time, so I know it is a privilege to be alive. For me, it’s like I’m living two lives – my sister’s and mine. When she died, she left her two kids who I took as mine.

So going to 50years, I remember that my sister wasn’t able to get there. So I am grateful. It’s very great and for the fact that people think I am younger than my age, it is a good time to let people know I am 50years.

You wrote a book about your life, what inspired it?

50 years means a lot to me. I have had a pretty rough life and coming close to 50years, I decided I wanted to do something, to put something on record. I have worked with important people and a lot of things have happened to me and that was why I decided to use the 50 picture as a step up to another level. I decided to take notes down and it was flowing as I wrote. Interestingly, I didn’t have a title for the book when I started, I just knew I wanted to write about myself; who I am, my parents, background, why I am who I am and how I got to where I am today.

I also talked about the people that influenced me, helped me around my journey and who have upset me because I believe I have upset a lot of people too. I had to stop at a point to ask myself if I was writing a fiction or real life, because if I was writing a fiction, I can pluck names (fake names) but that won’t do what I wanted because I have always been a bold person.

 So what I put in the book are facts. There are some things that are controversial, so I expressed them in an objective way, not my opinion. I wrote even the bad things and challenges that happened to me, because everybody has their ups and downs.

If you ask anybody that knows me, I have never been unhappy or sad. A number of sad things happened to me but I am not sad, I don’t know how to be sad and I am too hyperactive, so I am always laughing and messing around.

And I thought to myself, having gone through this, if you have a desiring spirit you will know that there is more in between the lines.

I have gone through a lot of ups and down. And like they say, it has something to do with my name. The name Enitan in Yoruba means a person of story, which I am. There is a reason why I was given that name. For the Yorubas, when they have a child, they look at the circumstances surrounding their birth and name the child. But when you are given the name Enitan, it means there was a death surrounding the child birth.

My life has been a story. I always have one saga following me, never run short of things that happen to me. So wondering what to call my book, I gave it my name, which was good because there are lots of stories in the book even though people never knew I was going through all these.

Where did the 50 pictures idea come from?

The idea was to have a picture for a year. I have been counting down since when I was 45years. Each anniversary of my birthday I take pictures, because people say I don’t look my age and I can’t hear it enough. So I decided to make a mother picture; that was how I got into the 50 shots for 50 years.

What plans do you have for the next phase of your life?

Recently, I was asking myself, now that am 50years, do I want to slow down a bit? This was because I was looking up to 50years. Maybe because of my sister, I couldn’t think of anything but 50years.

I have certainly crossed the bridge because I have raised all my children, so it’s going to be a different ball game. No more worries, or making demands on me. This is because two of them are graduates and working, the third one is in the University of Kent and the baby is going to his first year A levels. So I am now free. Now, I am looking forward to doing something tangible with my time. I want to even know when I will start ageing.

What do you intend to do with your time now?

I have written a book, but that is not the only plan I have for my after 50. I have another plan which I will unveil later. I want to be known for something good. I am working a foundation that will bring solar power into the country. I know a company in the UK that does solar light and it is crazy that in this country where there is sun 24/7, we still have issues with light. Meanwhile we have free light solar. I believe it will work in Nigeria.

We have started slightly by installing some specimen. We used our own money. The first one we did was in my church. We put one there for everybody to see. Once it is dark, it will switch itself, once the light comes, it will go off and so for the next ten years you don’t have to do anything. It is automatic and it has been on for almost a year now, and the lights are still as bright as ever.

What is the secret of your good looks and smart shape?

I definitely change some things I used to do before. I am a little more conscious now. I used to be a coke addict. I could drink a carton in a day. I had to stop because it was showing on me, my tummy. Now I have reduced my intake of coke. I do not eat late at night because of my tummy. If I think I am stretching my cloth I reduce my carbohydrate, like not eating rice in a week.

What are the things that we are likely to find in your wardrobe?

I love clothes and fashion in general, I love jeans and shirt. I love true religion jean. If I want to dress casual I wear short dresses, but I also love to tie my gele as well. I make a statement with whatever I wear.

What would you say life has taught you?

Life is tough, that is what it has taught me, and that it’s not for the faint hearted. It has also taught me never to give up. So, at 50, I feel bolder and more confident and I believe the saying that time will set things straight.

Funke Susan Medun is the executive Director of LEAPworld, a leadership, empowerment and performance assessment outfit. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde the former banker and  native of Okitipupa Local government area of Ondo state talks about her projects on rebranding local snacks for export, working with women entrepreneurs, farmers and artisans.

WHAT is unique about your organization? I started as a banker and worked with banks like Zenith bank and Guarantee Trust Bank. I am grateful that I had those experiences that were where my teeth were sharpened. As a young banker then I got to understand business finance well. As a banker, you go through people’s business and you understand the problems that they were faced with. Then I moved on to start a Management consulting firm called Leapworld and we are into Human Resources and consulting firm. We provide business services support services for businesses owned by women. We help them to put proper structure to the business to make it sustainable. Then we help them to access finance. We have been helping the women to do this for about four years but I have been doing business for more than this. Basically in the area of access to Finance, we work with the Bank of Industry to help them access finance. We are also on the GEMS project and a business development employment project. We also work with USAID.Apart from that I also have my own local snack production outfit.

How has it been working with BOI, USAID and other donor agencies to help women access funding?

I would say that the experience has been very enlightening, I won’t say it has been easy but very challenging. From my experience in Nigeria, a lot of SME’s start business with brilliant ideas but usually they not have a long term plan or focus on what they are doing. However, I must say that there is a whole lot that needs to be done when it comes to putting structure in place for their business to grow and be sustainable.

That is where we come in to provide business support, help them gain access to new markets as well as how they can create good communication for the brand. Packaging is one other area that is very important and you find that some people do not take adequate care of this aspect of their business as well as be competitive in the sector that they are in.

Can you tell us about one or two cases that you have handled that are memorable?

We have quite a number of them and the fact that businesses that were not so viable in the past have been turned around. There is a particular case that readily comes to mind. What they wanted to do initially was to put structure in place; even though they had been running for a while they wanted to move to the next level. They had just one person running it and we had to put a holistic view to the business, look at the physical and Human Resources structure and put enough finance in place to enhance the organizations growth. Twenty years down the line, there has been a lot of improvement and you can see everything boiling down to the sustainability of the country.

What are some of the challenges encountered while doing all this?

First, I would say that the major challenge doing this boils down to information, not getting the required information to do what you have to do at the right time. When you go to some companies, you find that they do not want to open up with the information that you need, if you want to take your business to the next level, you have to be open with information. Sometimes, you also find a number of business owners not wanting to open up especially to their employers and this makes getting the right statistics for planning. Yes, I understand some of their challenges but again you have to be ready to take risk and there are different levels of risks.

We adapt a number of the things we see on the international scene with our local recipes, foods and snacks.

We are also interested in seeing how we can leverage on packaging Nigerian snacks, well produced and packaged for export. We can do it, if we import their snacks they we can export our own. The idea started with a lot of my friends, we grew together and got to love our local snacks like dankwa, kulikuli and others. Interestingly, a lot of us cannot just park our cars on the road and start looking for those who hawk these things. Sometimes, when you even see them, the packaging and unhygienic way it is presented puts you off. So, I said to myself, is it possible to present them in a modern and hygienic way. That was the first question that came to my mind and then things began to move from one point or the other. So we packaged them in a way that people can have them in supermarkets. Then we also began to ask more questions like, can I shop for them online, can I present them as a gift to someone and who says that we cannot have them like small chops that we usually have at events. That is what we are looking at, even with our drinks like zobo and kunu, we are working at it. There is a whole lot that we can do here and I believe that this is the time to put our thinking cap on.

What we started doing since last year was to do a market pilot and since then the response has been overwhelmingly successful. Then we started with supermarkets and shops, we also engaged the locals. There is an empowerment part to our vision and this locals, we trained them and started doing the pilot with them to encourage the quality control process and hygienic production that they hardly covered. This included things like measurements and standards and we created more jobs for them doing that and their eyes were opened to new opportunities. They were amazed at the outcome and it became another level of consistency.

We started with dankwa, went on to handle kulikuli ,Kookoro, dodo ikire and coconut cake. We also have our drinks scientifically made and packaged. We are also positioning them for accessibility and they would be found in different neighbourhood.

How has the experience been?

Oh my God. It is not easy at all. Coming from a corporate background and the banking sector, I am used to structure; I am used to processes, so it was another level entirely. Working with locals who are used to no structure and so many flexible things but I made up my mind that it was something that I wanted to do and do very well. As times went on, I got to know them better and they also began to understand and do things the way we wanted it done. Interestingly, I realized that it is now something that everybody wants to do and it shows that we are making an impact. Some people already started to do related things but we are not worried because we have a long term vision and we know what we want. That interestingly has been our motivation.

What is the driving force for you in all of this?

It started with another of my friend that we were both in the bank. She was defended a research at that point and we wanted to be different , test the market and that was how the whole idea started and we went into the pilot. Look at the way the economy is at the moment, manufacturing is the way to go. My uncle once said that if all of us are learned, who is going to go to the farm. So, if we say we want to create employment, this is the way to go. If we say we want to promote our local brands, this is the way to go. Interestingly, these things are very effective and people are watching their weight. The fiber content, the nutritional value and there is so much in it. The driving force for me is adding value locally and empowering people to create employment. Of course, the bottom line is that we would make money and improve the business.

What are some of the challenges facing the women you work with?

I really do not believe that there is any barrier for women. I am a feminist and that is why I like to put it that way. There are some general problems facing every business but we might have our own unique problems which we try to tackle. If a woman has to take care of the home, business and you do not have an understanding husband then there would be a problem. He may not understand why you have to work late or be at the office at a particular time; all he expects is that you must be in the kitchen at a particular time. However, I must say that overtime; women have overcome a lot of these gender barriers.

Kasope Ladipo Ajai, a Computer science graduate from Babcock University started OmoAlata, a peppermix brand instead of opting for the traditional office job. Her determination doggedness has paid off and it has brought a number of recognitions her way. Early this year, she emerged as one of the five Nigerians in FORBES 30 Most promising young  African entrepreneurs.  In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, she talked about how it all started, getting recognized for her efforts, challenges and plans for the future. 

WHAT motivated you to start this kind of business? I like cooking but somehow I hate doing the work that comes with it. I grew up in a home when my mum was cooking and you had to go through all the process all over. So, I started cooking and freezing it. However, when I go for holiday outside the country, I found pre prepared cook foods and salads. Yes, people eat salad here but it is not really our thing. I know that we do a lot of soups and we all need pepper on a daily basis. The first step was to do the everyday thing which has worked for us.

What has the experience been like?

It’s been a roller coaster. It’s been challenging but the experience has been really good.

What were the initial challenges?

The main challenge was that our first product, OmoAlata Pepper mix was then new. Most people at that time were used to using their blended pepper and putting it together was quite new to them. We did a test run, talking to people to find out if they would buy, making samples and giving to people. After crossing that hurdle, we had the second problem which was preservation and electricity was a big challenge.

Did you feel like quitting at any point?

Yes, everyday and that never stops. That happens to everyone, even with bigger companies. There are times I ask myself if it is worthwhile when you move from one challenge to the other. However, I must say that the passion and the goal keeps me goal has helped us to survive.

What really keeps you going?

The first thing that keeps me going is self determination, I always want  to believe that there is nothing inanimate that is smarter than me. Whenever, I get stuck, get to a bottleneck, I put on my big girl attitude, face it and look out for what is next. Honestly, it has worked but from the business side it can be bad. No point crying over split milk, all you need to do is forge ahead and salvage the situation. From every bad situation always think of a way out or an alternative for survival.

Where did you get this principle from?

In Yoruba there is a proverb that says, “What does not have mouth or cannot speak cannot be smarter than a person. That was one of the proverbs my parents used to sing to us and it stuck. Those wise saying are very useful and they help you understand life better and in a deeper way.

You were recently nominated by FORBES as one of the entrepreneurs to look out for in 2016. What does the recognition mean to you?

Honestly, it was such a shock to me. It was very humbling and motivating at the same time. It also reminds me of an article that I read today, which says that entrepreneurs are frauds. The summary here is that the Entrepreneur is like getting an idea in your head and you need to convince everyone else, sell yourself and that you have the resources and work at your dream. It was basically saying that Entrepreneurs are a fraud, until you get to that point where you are making people feel you have a great brand. Truly, that is what this journey has been and when FORBES put my name as Africa’s 30 under 35, I was happy. It is honestly motivating and a validation of the efforts that we have put in over the years.

Let’s talk about some of the other memorable moments in life and your business?

Most recently memorable is winning SheLeadsAfrica (SLA). The moment my name was announced was surreal. I smile anytime I remember it. Another is the day we got our NAFDAC number. I must say that SheLeadsAfrica was the first recognition that OmoAlata got. Just before this experience, we had entered into a number of competitions and programs and sometimes, we never went anywhere or just got nominations. So when the SheLeadsAfrica opportunity came, we kept scaling through and at some point, I kept asking myself if we would make it to the end. We finally made it and won and it was like whoa, we finally made it.

How has the recent pepper and tomato scarcity affected your business?

Every business has experienced this kind of experience from time to time. It is only those who ride through it that becomes successful. When the scarcity came, we said let’s make the best of it. We increased prices to the barest minimum just to make enough .You can avoid to make big increases, as a new product, it can backfire and not even allow people to buy. I would say let’s hear it for now. Now, when the scarcity is over, we would them returning. Besides, it is not over yet.

How do you balance the home front and business successfully? How would you describe the support from your husband?

Work can be very demanding. I try to ensure that I switch off from work 100 % from time to time and focus on family. Even if it is just for a few hours. Having a very understanding husband is also a plus. He is actually a cofounder of OmoAlata so the struggle is together.

How did you arrive at the name OmoAlata?

Long before the brand was registered, the name is something my husband had always used. It’s something indigenous and we had talked about it and how we can infuse it. We love our culture and believe that people would love and appreciate it. We wanted a name that was indigenous and something our people would relate with.

For many small businesses having the right team or personnel can be challenging. What has the experience been with you?

It is not just entrepreneurs that have challenges with personnel. Having good human resources is a big challenge for so many businesses all over country. It is not just in Nigeria and when you go to business trainings, one point raised  is that you should not have staff but have a team, members who feel that they are part and parcel of what you are doing. If you want to build a successful brand or business, it is better to build a team and a family. That way they won’t feel that whatever is going on does not concerned them.

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

I believe that a successful business is steered by a smart, focused, daring and determined person. Notice that I did not say man or woman. Young females should focus less on the fact that they are female. Being female is not a disability or disadvantage unless you allow it to be. Have a goal, be passionate about it, stay steadfast and surround yourself with a good support system. The journey is long and hard but dawn always breaks at the end of the night.

Kunle Anikulapo-Kuti, the late Fela’s fourth child and second son. He is quiet and the least talked about of Fela’s children. The graduate of Lexington College,United Kingdom is a music producer and the manager of the Kalakuta Museum. He speaks with Adetutu Audu

WHAT is the rationale behind the creation of the museum? Basically just like every other museum is meant to preserve history, the main reason for the creation of this museum is to preserve Fela’s works and all valuables he left behind. So that people who have heard about Fela but not opportune to meet him might come to see some of the greats things he left behind  his clothes, shoes, instrument, records, awards, pictures and general information actually Fela’s house in Ikeja popularly known as Kalakuta was renovated to the now kalakuta museum. There is also a relaxation corner of the museum where lovers of afro music can hear lovely tracks especially that of late Fela.

Are there other partnering bodies involved in the smooth running of the museum?

The Lagos state government and also the Lagos state ministry of Tourism. The aim is for the museum to be one of Lagos State Tourist Attractions.

Why the state government is interested and what role have they played?

Like I said first of the museum was endorsed by the Lagos state government. Fela,the pioneer of Afro beat in Nigeria is dead as a person but his name still happens to be mentioned as there is even a celebration that goes on every year in honour of the late legend,Felabration which take place at the African shrine. Fela in his own little way has added to the popularity of Lagos state perhaps that was the reason  why the governor supported the creation of the museum with a strong partnership with the Lagos state ministry of Tourism to help showcase Fela to the public just like the government of other countries also help to maintain the good names of some of their great men  a very good example his Mandela and South Africa , there is also a museum over there meant basically for the late Nelson Mandela and the government over there is playing g a very huge role in its maintenance.

What have been your challenges regarding the management of the museum and how are funds generated for its maintenance?

Well, it is a growing museum and we wish to expand along the line. The major challenge is funding the Lagos state government is trying, the family is trying, well I would not want to talk more on that.

How often do people visit?

 The museum is an open house. It is open to everybody regardless of tribe, personality or who are you.

What do you find important about preserving history?

What I actually find important in history is preservation. Life goes on and in the race of life people die some of which are great and historic legends, people, things, events etc that are significant are all history so therefore the only way you can appreciate all this is to preserve it especially for the coming generation. There are lots of historic items there at the national museum if we didn’t see them there we would have lost that opportunity as some of those events happened before we were given birth to. It is a very good thing to cultivate the habit of preserving history. Taking pictures and keeping them is also a way of preserving history.

How would you organize information about an upcoming event for your museum?

Social media basically, we have a fan page on face book,  twitter handle, instagram and we also have how we reach out to the public, we have our publicity department and they are doing good

How do you feel about interactive exhibition?

Well I feel interactive exhibition must be embraced all over the world because it gives one proper and factual knowledge of others culture. There should be an exchange of culture for there is no harm in doing this it would only result to cultural integration and helps to promote your cultural values to the world. There is no harm in learning other people’s culture; it is a kind of education that must not be ignored. For instance here we have tourist who visit from Kenya and United Kingdom to interact with us and our exhibitions. We have learnt from them and they have learnt from us.

Many people seem not to know you why have you decided to operate behind the cameras?

Well I have not operated behind the cameras but the truth is that I have decided to stay cool and quite , I am not really into the music thing like my brother Femi and Seun  perhaps that is the reason why must people don’t know me as you assume . Well doing music is part of my projections but I decide to lay low till further notice.

You  also do music, tell us about your musical career?

Well, I do classical music years back, but now I am solely into electronic music. I have a record label,called Afro fusions and what it is all about is to help discover develop and show case upcoming artiste that do any genre of music afro beat in particular. Equally along the line I also have clothing label, urban clothing’s.

What tools do you belief is most effective for your exhibition?

Well the tools effective for your exhibition depends on the nature of the museum itself , mine is to preserve Fela’s work so any historic items preferable for Fela’s reference can be found here, his musical instrument, clothes and shoes, awards, pictures, books he read, the bed he slept and pillow cases and also other necessary things both written and imagery .

Fela was a musician and activist. Femi and Seun obviously have those traits; must everyone sing?

The blood runs in all Fela’s kids. We grew up in Kalakuta and it was more like a music factory; music industry even. It’s really left to each of the kids if they choose to be performing artistes or otherwise. I love music; most especially Afrobeats. I believe it’s my thing as well because I grew up with it. I just chose not be a performing artiste for personal reasons, but seems I can’t really run away from it.

Talking about the new generation of Nigerian music, we find out that their lyrics are not as powerful and thought-provoking as those of people like Fela, Obey and KSA; what’s your take on that?

You know, you really can’t compare Fela’s messages with that of any other artiste. The kind of music they’re playing these days is just for you to enjoy yourself and forget about your sorrows.

What’s the fondest memory you have of Fela?

Going nightclubbing with him

At what age did you start club-hopping with him?

I basically grew up night-crawling with him. I think I was about 18 years when we really started going out together at nights.

Kalatuta always used to have lots of people around; how did you cope with the constant crowd while growing up?

Kalakuta was an open place, but I had my own privacy because I had my room. If I didn’t want to see anybody, I’d just lock myself in the room. It was that easy.

Fela is arguably the biggest legend to ever come out of Africa; those are extremely big shoes to fill. Are you ever under any sort of pressure to live up to the name?

I don’t have words to express how I feel being Fela’s son. Being Fela’s son has impacted on me positively and negatively. There are some bad minded people out there that don’t like the family for what they stand for; they try to tag us that Fela wasn’t a good person. But to me, Fela was a messiah. He was sent to this part of the world to deliver his message, and I think he did just that. It’s left to us to listen to him, or not. Sometimes, I get compliments. Some people like to associate with anything relating to the Kuti family.

What are your likes and dislikes?

My likes are money, music, fast cars, fashion and my dislikes are politics, authority stealing, lies and Lagos traffic.

Who really is Kunle Kuti?

I am the second child of the late Fela.  I had my primary education at Adrao International, Victoria Island, my secondary school was at Government College, Victoria Island and my University was at Lexington College United Kingdom. I am married with two sons.