Category: Women In Business

You_See_Arts, a company that specialises in handmade fabric design, weaving and pencil drawing, is making good its promise of taking textile art to the next level, in line with its tagline, ‘Textile beyond Clothing.’ The company’s Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director, Teslim Yusirat Adebusayo, says she uses fabrics and wool to create portraitures and by so doing, documents human history through arts. She shares her plans to groom You_See_Arts studio into an art hub with Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.

She knew what she wanted from the outset, and wasted no time in pursuing her dream of becoming a renowned textile artist. Despite being a science student in her secondary school days, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Creative Director, You_See_Arts, a company that specialises in handmade fabric design, weaving and pencil drawing, Teslim Yusirat Adebusayo, had always loved art.

To demonstrate her passion for art, Yusirat went for a one-year art training at Royal Draw Galleria, Oke Ado, Ogbomoso, in Oyo State.

“I trained there a year before I was admitted to study Fine Art at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUCTECH). I combined the training with academics. That was my first exposure to art. I was a science student. It was during the training that I decided and concluded I wanted to study Fine Art,” she narrated.

According to Yusirat, who eventually earned a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Fine and Applied Art in 2018, art was initially meant to be a vocational job to indulge in while she continued seeking for admission in the university.

“I have always loved art, but I never knew people do it professionally. So, I am glad I did art, graduating as the best student in my department during my set,” she told The Nation.

After undergoing art signage and prints training before admission, Yusirat, upon graduation, chose to carve a niche for herself in textile art when she set up the business.

“I love art generally. However, I concentrate more on textile art,” she declared. Rather than have her finger in every pie in the art business, she chose to carve a niche for herself in textile art and become an expert in the field.

The textile art enthusiast said, for instance, that her woven art, which she dubbed Asoism, a style she experimented with in school and developed afterwards, bridges the gap of textile arts as a perishable art. “Textiles are mostly utility arts, majorly for clothing. However, I use fabrics and wool, which are textile materials, to create portraitures and by so doing, document human history through arts,” she explained.

Yusirat’s decision to specialise paid-off handsomely. Today, You_See_Arts, which she started in 2019, a year after graduating from the university, has claimed the number one spot in the provision of quality, durable and cost-effective textile art pieces. The company has managed to warm itself into the hearts of customers from far and near, creating top-notch fashion sketches, pencil and charcoal drawings, Adire fabrics and bespoke wears, woven artworks, mini-artworks for interiors, and customised patch bed set.

Enthusiastic, but an introvert of sort, 31-year-old Yusirat, from Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, has in a remarkably short time positioned You_See_Arts as one to beat in the textile art space. Her thriving enterprise, located on 16, Okiki Street, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, has become the destination of choice for textile art lovers, both men and women. “I am sure my clients are satisfied. I get most of my orders from referrals,” she said, in response to the steady stream of customers coming her way.

Working with a team of three regular staff and a number of temporary workers, depending on the demand, the company has continued to churn out eye-popping textile art pieces.

“I am immensely grateful I can empower other people too,” she said, pointing out, however, that the level of patronage was sometimes low, compared to other businesses, as art is generally for the elite.

“Majority can simply not afford art,” she said.

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But how does the Fine and Applied Artist, who also teaches art, get along under the low patronage that has hit virtually all businesses in Nigeria, sometimes forcing some of them to either wind up or switch to other businesses?

“I create pieces that everyone can afford so this can make my business grow. I also source for good quality materials, both local and imported fabrics, for my designs and I simply give my best creating a top-notch art,” she told The Nation.

Noting that art is an expression of the innermost mind, which makes all art pieces unique in their own way, the budding entrepreneur, however, said the quality of her fabrics and her attention to details in designing them gives her an edge in the fashion industry particularly in the area of textile art. “I create designs myself. I solely do the weaving. I only work with people on fabric,” she explained.

Yusirat, however, said one of the challenges she faces as a textile designer is the way people perceive handmade fabric such as Batik and Adire.

“Batik and Adire are seen as local and less valuable fabrics. However, these fabrics are art on their own, several hours of planning, drawing and designing go into the production of a Batik, for instance,” the entrepreneur, who organises private classes for students, both online and physical, said.

Despite the challenge of wrong perception, unstable patronage, which she described as “a setback for small businesses like mine,” the business woman is undeterred; she has refused to give up, but instead, kept her eyes on the ball.

“Our target is to groom You_See_Arts studio into an art hub, where I can teach Nigerian youths art. I also hope to project our product internationally; more so, create more awareness until average Nigerians can afford and have a You_See_Arts in their wardrobe and living rooms,” she said.

In setting such ambitious goals, Yusirat is banking on her wealth of experience in arts to achieve them. For instance, while at Royal Draw Gallery, between February 2010 and March 2017, she started as trainee but ended up training other employees. Working part time whilst studying, she learned about the role of marketing in business and how the marketing mix is used.

At the gallery, she also crafted and designed awards, created and imprinted sketches, writings, and designs on clothing materials, papers etc. She also designed inspiring representative art that maintained accurate scale and quality standard; created pieces of rough sketches and successfully created custom paintings.

Yusirat was also an intern at Femtex Fashion Design and Fabrics, Ogbomoso, from July – December 2015. There, she learnt actively on the job and maintained a continuous learning process during breaks in her undergraduate years.

It was at Femtexs that she had an in-depth understandi8ng of different kind of fabric, styling, ironing etc. She also had the opportunity of repairing defecting garments and analysing customers’ complaints and ensured alterations were made accordingly

Before then, the textile art impresario was into art freelancing. That was around March 2014. And that was when she became a fine art professional in media such as charcoals, textile, ink, wool, twine and fabric.

She mastered the art of sketching and crafting portraitures, painting and crafting canvas paintings, designed logos using Corel Draw and Photoshop, regularly interacting with clients to obtain feedback on product quality and service level, and creating and developing new fabric designs, among others.

Yusirat was also a Fine Art teacher in Enugu State, where she did her compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2018. While on the job, she developed and implemented teaching strategies, evaluated the success of individual students through key evaluating metrics and identified insights to drive increased performances.

Her quality and creative teaching techniques, as well as the use of instructional materials employed while carrying out her duties earned her outstanding commendations. Although, she hopes to draw strength from her feats in the industry to achieve her targets, Yusirat also said “Consistency and resilience are my watchwords. God blessings crown it all.”

She, therefore, encouraged young and upcoming artists to imbibe the virtue of consistency and resilience if they want to succeed in their chosen career. “I have never sent my Curriculum Vitae (CV) out in search of employment, because I believe so much in my dream to train people in arts,” she said, in justification of her decision to follow her dream.

Mrs. Ono-Asi Bassey Akpanika is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Onart Concepts. The company, which is based in Calabar, Cross River State, has a cake-making arm trading under the brand name ‘Onart Cakes,’ and a hair business that goes by the brand name ‘Hair Growth Solutions.’ Registered in 2008, Onart Concepts has been growing in leads and bounds, with Mrs Akpanika projecting that by leveraging the quality and efficacy of its products and services, the company plans to corner over 70 per cent market share in the next couple of years. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

Tough and rewarding. That was how the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Onart Concepts, Mrs. Ono-Asi Bassey Akpanika, described her experience running one of Nigeria’s flourishing enterprises since 2008 when it was officially registered.

Admitting that nurturing the business, which originally sprang from her childhood hobby in baking to its current enviable position in the market, was “very tough,” Ono-Asi, with unmistakable triumphant tone, however, said it was “hugely rewarding.”

Indeed, Onart Concepts’ rise to prominence wasn’t tea party for Ono-Asi. Even though she started baking at the tender age of 9-10 years, the entrepreneur, who is also a professional artist, said it wasn’t entirely a jolly good ride.

“As an artist, I discovered along the way that talent wasn’t enough when venturing into business. As a startup, there were skills required to get your brand out there in the big market. And as a CEO, you have to constantly review and evaluate your progress, be dynamic or flexible about your approach to the demands of the market,” she told The Nation.

Some of the requisite skills Ono-Asi brought to bear on the brand to take it to new heights, according to her, included regular market research, aggressive marketing, building a community around the business and building a network of fellow businessmen and women that she admired and liked to work with.

These, coupled with her dynamism paid off. Today, Onart Concepts has managed to diversify into two successful businesses. While its cake-making arm trades under the brand name ‘Onart Cakes,’ her hair business goes by the brand name ‘Hair Growth Solutions.’

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It all started when Ono-Asi, as an artist, discovered she is multi-talented, especially when it comes to vocational skills that deal with the use of one’s hands and creativity. “I started baking as a little girl of about 9-10 years old.

“Of all my siblings, I took it and made a hobby out of it. By secondary school, I was baking birthday cakes for my classmates. Then I started having friends of my parents who ate my cakes and paid to have me bake for them,” she narrated.

Since 2008 when she officially registered Onart Concepts and also went ahead to start the hair growth business, sometime in 2019, The Nation learnt that both arms of the business, which is located in Ekorinim Layout, Calabar, Cross River State, have become destinations of choice for various categories of customers who are desirous of quality, top-notch products and services.

“Our customers have no complaint about our products except for the price. Our major customers are individuals who are deliberate about quality. They are willing to pay to get what is comfortable for their standard,” Ono-Asi said.

She listed some of her customers to include brides about to wed, family members, professionals in various field, private companies, students, civil servants and fellow businessmen and women. The seasoned entrepreneur and artist said she has been able to stay ahead of the competition, encouraged by Onart Concepts’ emphasis on quality and efficacy of its products and services.

“Our customer services and experience are impeccable,” she said, pointing out however, that appropriate pricing of her products and services has been a challenge. “Some customers are ignorant about quality; they expect you to sell like everyone else. While some customers are aware of the value I bring to the table, they are unable to afford it,” she said.

The situation, according to Ono-Asi, appears to have been made worse by the fact that some customers are now more discerning. Her words: “Now, we have smart customers. Before meeting you, they must have been to two or more businesses that sell the same type of products.” This, she said, makes it difficult to find customers and by extension, records consistent sales and profit.

Appropriate pricing of her products and services is not the only challenge Ono-Asi and indeed, others operators in the business face. Inadequate finance, or lack of it, is also an issue. “Yes indeed, finance helps you solve areas in the business that you may not be very skilled at such as marketing.

“Also, there isn’t any policy that protects startups. As soon as you set up a physical structure, the tax levied from different sectors is enough to fold up the business within a year,” she complained.

Prices of raw materials like sugar and flour for baking and hair growth products have also been skyrocketing in recent times, with Ono-Asi attributing the situation to government’s policy of banning importation of goods, insecurity around farmers who cultivate wheat and sugarcane (raw materials), as well as COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. “Also, the rate at which the local currency, the Naira, is losing value has brought us to this point,” she added.

The business woman said under the high cost operating environment induced by high cost of critical inputs, “The price of baked goods will of course be on the high side and the volume of demand will also decreases. Bakers now try to come together to purchase ingredients in bulk, to try and reduce cost in some way.”

Ono-Asi, therefore, appealed to government to urgently come up and execute policies that help support operators in the business of processing and also standardize their products. “Create business hubs for startups that that can’t afford physical structure yet. This can be rented at a subsidized amount. Government should also help subsidize tax for new startups for a certain period of time,” she added.

However, which the nation’s entrepreneurial landscape is currently littered with challenges, Ono-Asi is not discouraged. She has continued to charge on, drawing sufficient strength from the “rewarding” nature of the business.  Although, she said most often, she does the work alone, but when she has high demands and little time to meet up demands, “I employ the services of ad-hoc staff who can handle specific areas of the business.”

Working with her dedicated and motivated staff, she said her ultimate goal was to increase Onart Concepts’ market share within Cross River State to over 70 per cent in about five years’ time.

Blessed with a husband and beautiful children, Ono-Asi has managed to keep the delicate balance between her work and family. Explaining how she does it, she said: “I purposely permitted my business to stay at the cottage level because I place value on relationships, especially with my immediate family.

“This has helped me stay involved with my family while growing my business bit by bit. I also take advantage of major local and international holidays and celebrations to bring in more sales to my business. Those two key areas have helped give some sort of balance for me.”

Having come this far, the business woman has some success nuggets for young and up-coming entrepreneurs. “Put God first, develop yourself via training and retraining, build relationships and network, be so good at what you do that you can’t be replaced,” Ono-Asi counseled.

Ace photographer and pencil portrait artist Akapo Elizabeth Oluwafisayo is the Creative Director for Akapo Fisayo Photography. Despite being a relatively new entrant into photography, Oluwafisayo said her target is to push the business, which started in 2020, to be amongst the top 10 biggest art and media brands in Africa in five years. And to achieve the ambitious target, she is leveraging her competitive edge in adding a mix of art with photography and creating unique setups. She shares her exciting entrepreneurial story with Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.

For seasoned photographer and Creative Director, Akapo Fisayo Photography, a photo studio that specialises in creatively adding a mix of art with photography, Akapo Elizabeth Oluwafisayo, nothing perhaps, can be more fulfilling than feeding one’s passion for a particular career or vocation.

This was why despite earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Literary Studies (Education), from Kogi State University, Oluwafisayo, 35, did not hesitate to pursue her childhood passion for photography.

“Since my teenage years, I’ve seen mind-blowing works of photographers, especially those ones that go creative with pictures. I decided to go into photography when I had the opportunity during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year,” the budding entrepreneur, who graduated in 2019, told The Nation, pointing out that “The opportunity to share in people’s special moments and the artistic value was what motivated me into photography.”

Before Oluwafisayo ventured into photography, she was teaching art and craft in a school, and also drawing portraits. She was subject teacher (English Language, physical and health education, cultural and creative art) at JITA Covenant College, Jafa, Ogun State. That was last year. And it was the year she ventured into photography. “I took up photography as a business in 2020. The exciting moments motivate me. Making people happy and having a good time are the exciting moments I’m talking about. It’s fun for both the client and I,” she said.

Indeed it has been fun and a win-win for  Oluwafisayo and her clients. For the Kogi State-born photographer and artist, the business provided the much-needed platform or opportunity to build her confidence. “In the past, I had sometimes struggled with confidence. But over time, I started having a better understanding of why I should be confident about the skills and unique talents I bring to the table. Photography has helped built my confidence, especially when I need to educate my clients on the kind of concept they want,” she said.

Reiterating that “It wasn’t easy at first, I was a bit shy when engaging with people,” my experience so far in photography has helped boost my confidence. I remember when I started learning the skill, it was a bit difficult. So, I had to confide in myself, I told myself I could do it too. Photography has helped me explore. And travelling to states I haven’t been to before is fun, too.”

She also said on the strength of the business, her interaction with people has developed greatly. “Relationship building is vital, and photography has helped me in that aspect. I’ve been able to connect with other passionate photographers and artists too,” Oluwafisayo told The Nation.

Perhaps, more importantly, Oluwafisayo also admitted that photography is one of the most lucrative businesses. “Yes, it (photography) is lucrative. A photographer gets paid for services rendered. Various occasions take place every day and celebrants do want to keep memories in form of photos,” she said.

While Oluwafisayo and indeed, others photographers are smiling to the bank with proceed from the burgeoning photography business, their clients are also catching their own fun, encouraged by the quality and cost-effective products and services they get. This is so particular for Oluwafisayo, who, despite being a relatively new entrant in the business, has managed to build a reputation around quality and bespoke products and services.

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The entrepreneur, who also earned a diploma in catering and hotel management in 2013, said, for instance, that her competitive edge is her ability to add a mix of art with photography and creating unique set-up. “I add floral arrangements, paper craft, fabric arrangements as props and costume to spice the perspective and expressions,” she explained, adding that this has guaranteed her a steady stream of customers.

At Akapo Fisayo Photography, customers can’t resist its creative director’s attention to details. She has since prioritized the provision of stunning and creative portraits for couples, kids, individuals and families. With state-of-the-art photo studio equipped with ultra-modern photography equipment and manned with skillful and experienced photographers, she has continued to dominate the space.

With photography services that cut across many industries and age group Oluwafisayo has become the toast of customers from far and near who are mostly drawn by her creativity and professionalism earned over the years by building on her network, constantly improving on her skills and acquiring more knowledge necessary and investing in gadgets and collaborating with other professionals.

Hard working, young, smart, and effortlessly beautiful, Oluwafisayo’s unique professional attributes are responsible for why she has continued to soar in a remarkably short time despite operating in an industry largely dominated my men. She said she does not feel intimidated by her male counterparts. “What a man can do, a woman can do better,” she said, insisting: “I don’t feel any intimidated at all. Rather, I feel I am at an advantage too being a lady photographer. I’m very free with my male counterparts. Being a lady photographer that is smart, beautiful, result-driven, and commercially aware gives me an upper hand.”

She has also never shied away from honing her skills. “To boost my photography skills, I’ve attended seminars and trainings,” she said. And she justified it thus: “Whether a pro or an amateur, one needs to constantly improve on skills and give room for improvement.” And to underscore her belief in improvement, Oluwafisayo said despite getting positive feedback from her clients, “I’ll not be disappointed if I get any negative review because it will give room for improvement and allow me to solve the problem too.”

According to her, she is an open minded-person who enjoys rendering services. “I understand that for a business to be successful, I need to carry out my duties on time and to a very high standard,” she stated, noting: “Photography is not a single man’s job; there are times I work alone and there are times I collaborate with other photographers too. It depends on the work load.”

On the strength of her achievements so far, Oluwafisayo has her eyes set on positioning Akapo Fisayo Photography among the top 10 biggest art and media brands in Africa in the next five years. She said the aggressive building of her network, constant improvement on her skills as well as investment in gadgets and even collaboration with other professionals were all geared towards achieving this ambitious target.

Sunchitex Nigeria Enterprises Limited offers bespoke sewing, customisation and branding on T-shirts and other textile materials. From a humble beginning in 2008 with N45,000 seed capital raised from her savings, its Chief Executive Officer/Creative Director, Joy Kounasso, says she’s eyeing a turnover of between N150 million and N200 million yearly in the next two years. The accountant-turned textile merchant also shares her plans to take the company to the top five fashion and branding companies with Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.

She had the flair for good and smart dresses. But it took a chance visit to her husband’s office at Yaba, Lagos, where he sells textile materials for Joy Kounasso, who is the chief executive officer/creative director, Sunchitex Nigeria Enterprises Limited, a company that offers bespoke sewing, customisation and branding on T-shirts and other textile materials, to turn her flair and passion for good and smart dresses into a flourishing business in textile branding and merchandising.

Narrating how it all started, the Abia State-born entrepreneur said: “One day, I came to my husband’s office at Yaba where he sells textile materials. While sitting, I saw some youths from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) who came in to buy various materials. Out of curiosity I asked what they use the materials for. They told me that the money their parents gave them for feeding is not enough for them, so they decided to get materials, sew them into various designs, pack them and sell to their mates and make extra cash.”

However, Joy’s entrepreneurial instinct came alive when the youth complained to her that they were having issues with finishing; that the tailors don’t do a good job. “When I got back to the office (Guinness Nigeria Plc), I began to ponder over what I heard and that led to my decision to get machines and good tailors that can bridge that gap. I already had a knowledge of sewing and design. That was how I started. While still working, I got lots of customers and before you knew it, people started coming,” Joy said.

The Guinness office she referred to was where she worked between 2008 and 2011. At Guinness, she was at some point the company’s finance analyst, payment executive; she also worked in the multinational’s business audit unit as well as banking manager/reconciliation in treasury department. Before Guinness, Joy was also Senior Account/Internal Auditor for G-Zed Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd/Kingtie International Co. Ltd. That was between 2003-2008.

Perhaps, to underscore the seriousness she attached to her new-found love for fashion, Joy, who is a accountant, had to ditch her well-paid jobs. Sunchitex Nigeria Enterprises Limited, which she started in 2008 while still working at Guinness but  registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2013, has carved a niche for itself in the business of textile branding and merchandising.

It was learnt that she was able to do so by leveraging technology and the use of sophisticated machines and equipment in carrying out production to reduce cost, increase production capacity and, ultimately, meet demands of her clientele. Some of her clients, according to her, include multinational companies like Guinness (Diageo). Coca-Cola, Glo, MTN, Airtel, 7up Bottling Company, government parastatals, academic institutions, both primary, secondary and higher institutions.

Others are churches, youths and sports organisations, financial institutions, hospitality industries, advertising companies, and individuals that may want to advertise events or launch new products. They are drawn mostly by Sunchitex’s attention to details and ability to provide product and services that are outstanding and meet international standards through unique product design and mix.

“What makes us unique and different from our competitors is that we have various materials for production of different designs so, we solve the problem of textile sourcing, texture, colour, size and quality branding.” Joy said, adding that apart from its emphasis on good quality and affordable price, her company’s monogram and sublimation machine gives it an edge in the use of state-of-the-art technology. Sunchitex, she said, also works with customers from concept to design.

Nestled on Olajuwon Street, Yaba, Lagos, Sunchitex Nigeria Enterprises, The Nation learnt, has, by leveraging cutting-edge technology, evolved into a one-stop shop for textile merchandising, bespoke fashion and branding. It sells textile materials like Royal Queen, Jersey, Lacoste, Polyester, Cotton, Colar and Band. It produces T-shirts, sport wears, sweat shirt, joggers and customises them. The company also has a new line for children and female Ready-to-Wear (RTW).

The company, which works with a team of 11 well-trained and motivated workforce to deliver top-notch services, uses local and imported materials for its production, depending on customers’ preferences. Its big brake, according to Joy, was an order from a multinational company to produce 4,500 T-shirts for advert of their new product. That was between 2018 and 2019. “We also got huge orders from some big schools like Deeper Life High School. We produced sport wear for their Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan and Akure Campuses,” Joy added.

Apparently encouraged by the avalanche of customer order coming her way, Joy, who earned a Masters in Business Administration from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, in 2007, said her target is to put Sunchitex among the top five big fashion and branding companies in Nigeria in the next five years. An Associate Chartered Economist (ACE), Joy also said she targets a turnover of between N150 million andN200 million per annum in the next two years.

Ambitious targets, no doubt, but Joy, who described herself as a self-starter, appears determined to achieve the targets. Performance driven, focussed and organised, she said apart from being “passionate about what I do,” she appreciates the synergy of team work, and these are attributes she hopes to bring to bear in hitting the targets. She also hopes to draw strength from her ability to prioritize the provision of quality products and services that meet international standards through unique product design and mix.

That is not all. Joy also expressed confidence in scaling her business to large-scale and achieving the targets based on its access to skilled manpower to handle the technicality of production. Apart from access to available technology to improve creativity and production, the company, she said, also has access to various raw materials directly from multiple manufacturers. These targets will be achieved by improving out contract delivery performance and making our customers happy by introducing new designs and products, she added.

Besides, Joy has over the years horned her skills in the business, having attended and participated in many training, seminars, courses and workshops. For instance, she participated in the Road-to-Growth (R2G) programme of the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Lagos Business School (LBS). The R2G was designed for women entrepreneurs who desire to not only grow their business, but also are seeking financial services.

The EDC is the Entrepreneurship Centre of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU). Set up in 2003, the Centre emerged as a direct response to the dearth of available professional business development and support services to small and growing businesses in Nigeria. Joy also benefited from the German Agency for International Cooperation. Otherwise known as GIZ, which offers demand-driven, tailor-made and effective services for sustainable development.

Though largely self-funded, at least, at the onset, Joy admitted that at some point, she was one of the beneficiaries of the Growth and Employment (GEM) World Bank grant. Under the GEM project being supervised by the Ministry of Finance and implemented by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, grants are given to deserving Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) to support growth and employment.

Joy also said she got loans from banks to fund her business. She, however, said access to funding has been the major challenge in her line of business, including of course, harsh government policies and inadequate power supply. She also said the crashing value of the local currency, the Naira, was affecting operators in the business.

“Prices of materials keep increasing and we can’t even give a constant/fix price to customers because we may go to our suppliers and discover that price has increased thereby affecting production capacity. Also, customers are not making much order as they are supposed to due to the increase in price,” she lamented.

Despite the challenges, the seasoned entrepreneur has continued to charge on; she has gained sufficient strength that she is in a position to offer few success nuggets to up and coming entrepreneurs.

“My advice to young and upcoming entrepreneurs is that they should be focused, chase their dream with all seriousness, learn a vocation or trade apart from the normal academic qualification, so they can have something to fall back to when the chips are down,” she counselled.

Entrepreneur and proprietress of Patella Model School, Lagos, has managed to position the facility as the preferred choice for quality nursery/primary education. The French Language graduate from College of Education, Ekiadolor, Edo State, says the quality of education the school renders publicises it and attracts other kids. She shares the inspiring story of how she started the school with four kids from a room in her apartment in 2014, and grew it to about 120 pupils, with TOFUNMI SANUSI.

All she ever wanted was to go to a college of education, become an educated teacher and impact knowledge and discipline into young ones.

Proprietress of Patella Model School, Lagos, Nkechi Obu, had the passion for teaching. Her dream eventually came to fruition, as she worked as a teacher for about 15 years. All along, owning and running a private school never crossed her mind.

But it took prodding by some friends and family members who noticed her diligence, dedication and rare business management skills to encourage her to own a school. “I was a teacher for few years and trust me I enjoyed my job. Along the line, I began to get remarks from some family and friends that they see that I have what it takes to run a school. I wondered what they were seeing that I wasn’t at that point,” Nkechi recalled.

Continuing, she said: “Although I had the passion for teaching, owning a school never crossed my mind. Years after, I’d say God started ministering to me because, at that time, no one was telling me to open a school again. My family stopped talking about it when they saw that I was not thinking in that line. It now became a burden in my heart to own a school. I started getting directions from God and that is why I am sure that he is involved in Patella School.”

Nkechi stated that once the burden was laid in her heart, she pursued it. “As soon as I quit my job as a teacher, I went straight into my school business and since then I’ve not had any regret whatsoever,” she said, pointing out that Patella Model School, which she started in 2014 with only four pupils in her apartment now has 120 pupils. The school, which is a nursery/primary school, for now, focuses only on basic education.

The educationist, from Agbor, Delta State, said basic education, which consists of foundational classes that can make or mar a child, was what she was called to do, and that is why her school is dedicated to it alone.

She rationalised it thus: “Kindergarten and basic classes are foundational classes. That phase of children’s lives can either be made or marred, depending on the efficiency of the school and that has exactly been what I’ve been pursuing – efficiency and effectiveness.”

Located in Olagoke Allen Avenue, Ijegun Egba, Satellite Town, Lagos, Patella Model School is actually a foundational school for now; it has kindergarten, nursery and basic classes. “As I said earlier, I started with just four kids who were still toddlers and now I have about 120 pupils. I sincerely see it as a great growth. Almost all the pupils you see  came here because certain parents referred us to others because of the impact we have had on their wards and I consider it as God’s grace,” Nkechi said.

She said she was motivated into owning and running a private school.

Her words: “I will always say I was called to do this. It is what I’ve been sent to do and I love every bit of it. It was something that came along the line. I believe that every child needs and deserves access to quality education and I have since by God’s grace not gone below quality. Whenever I think of this, I get more motivated. It makes me go the extra mile to do things that will make the wards stand out among their peers.”

Indeed, quality tutorials have been Nkechi’s competitive edge in the private school business. In fact, it was partly in a bid to maintain standard and quality that she is not so keen on huge enrolment figures. “I’m not particular about crowd. If we get them that’s fine, there are enough facilities to take care of that, but above all, I really want to keep with the quality of the education even 20 to 30 years down the line. If, in the nearest future, I feel the need for a secondary school, I’ll sure expand in that line,” she said.

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Regular referrals and positive feedbacks from parents attest to the school’s towering status. “Feedbacks have been encouraging and that is why from time to time we keep getting referrals. Anyone that you see talking ill of the school is likely to be a debtor. We try as much as possible to listen to the parents concerning complaints about their wards, and come in where necessary. We also try to give advice to the parents on how to go about certain things.

“During Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, which we hold once a session, we rub minds and see how we better the lives of these children. I’m always open to ideas from them as long as it is beneficial to the children,” Nkechi said. She, however, admitted that getting teachers for her school has not been easy.

“Getting qualified teachers has not really been easy. I have a few, but more importantly, I have experienced teachers. Some of the qualified teachers do not even have the experience and that’s what I try to check whenever I want to employ,” she said, adding that a situation where almost everyone wants to go into teaching not out of passion or love for it, but because of the harsh economy, hasn’t helped matters, as many of them, after a long time, get tired and want to quit.

Does the situation lower the standard and quality of what is being churned out by private schools? “Not exactly,” Nkechi said. According to her, there are layers of regulation in place to ensure that private schools stick to stipulated standards and quality. She said, instance, that there is a forum called Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) that sees to it that private schools conform to standards and rules.

“There’s also quality assurance and the Ministry of Education, through the local government, which also interfaces with us. Their officials come from time to time to inspect and see how things are done. The school’s curriculum is also from the government. We adhere strictly to all these things,” she added.

However, recruiting qualified teachers is not the only challenge. According to Nkechi, finance also poses a great challenge. “To run a school with high standard and equipment, you need money. Money is also needed to fund and pay dues. So, generally it is important. A lot of schools that started alongside ours have closed because the money to run the school wasn’t sufficient to the point that members of staff couldn’t be paid,” she lamented.

Perhaps, to underscore the challenge of lack of finance to run a private school, Obu said at the start of her school, she didn’t get any sort of help from any firm, family or the government. Much of the support that came her way, according to her, was courtesy of her supportive husband. “My husband has been a great support and I really thank God for that. I started small and look at the school today, as you can see, it is no longer a room and no longer four kids,” she said.

Nkechi also said working with a team of highly motivated and dedicated staff who share her vision and mission has made the job easier. “Staff commitment is quite commendable; it’s pleasing to see that you work with certain people that want the same as you education wise,” she told The Nation, adding that her husband’s robust support system and her dedicated members of staff are response for her ability to hold down the school and the home front at the same time.

“I have a grown daughter who doesn’t stay with me anymore so, it’s just me and my husband. I still cook and do every other thing. It’s not so easy, at the same time not difficult. I balance work and family quite well. At the school front, the head of teachers supervises things when I’m not there so, that makes it easier,” Nkechi said.

In all, the educationist expressed contentment with the growth of the school, prompt payment of fees, as well as staff commitment. She also expressed optimism that enrolment would continue to soar, encouraged by the the quality of education rendered, which, according to her, publicises the school and attracts other kids.

 

Through its development and accelerator programmes, and networking events, pan-African non-profit organisation Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has been nurturing and promoting women’s innovation and entrepreneurship. Its founder/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Irene Ochem, is leveraging the forum to unleash the huge potential in women entrepreneurs across Africa. She shares the story of her push to foster the economic inclusion, advancement and empowerment of women through entrepreneurship with DANIEL ESSIET.

Her desire is to force gender inclusion in Africa’s economic narrative through female entrepreneurship and innovation. Accordingly, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), a pan-African non-profit organisation that nurtures and promotes women’s innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mrs. Irene Ochem, has prioritised the mobilisation and empowerment of women across Africa.

Describing her preoccupation to mainstream gender inclusion as “imperative,” Irene, who is a South Africa-based Nigerian social entrepreneur and innovation specialist, said: “I truly believe that for Africa to attain sustainable economic transformation and growth, it is imperative to mobilise, empower and include women in the economic narrative, and the easiest and quickest way to do so is through female entrepreneurship.”

Consequently, Irene, who has over 30 years’experience working in international development, research administration management, enterprise development and private sector growth, has been channeling her energy and resources into designing, developing and implementing women-focused business and entrepreneurship support programmes across many African countries, including Nigeria. She has also been providing knowledge, skills and the AWIEF platform for women to become more empowered socially and economically.

The social entrepreneur gave more details: “At AWIEF, we lead the voice and seek to influence policy on gender and women entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa. We promote and showcase women as powerful economic actors, as business owners and business leaders creating jobs and opportunities, and lifting their families and communities out of poverty. We identify needs and demands and provide support for young women entrepreneurs to thrive and scale business solutions.”

Expectedly, the benefits of Irene’s interventions are too glaring to ignore. “One of the most critical benefits which society gains from the work that AWIEF does is that more job opportunities are created for the unemployed and underemployed, there is higher gender equity in the labour market, and more businesses are being scaled up. Therefore, more innovative solutions are being created to tackle and resolve the biggest challenges facing the African communities, and the world as a whole,” she told The Nation.

According to the innovation specialist, the lack of women’s economic empowerment affects children and perpetuates poverty and unemployment. She said bridging the gender gap in entrepreneurship is of utmost importance and critical for achieving growth and sustainable development in Africa. “Our work contributes to bringing down the systemic barriers to women achieving their economic potential and contributing to growing Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP,” she stated.

Within the women empowerment and entrepreneurship space, The Nation learnt that the Forum’s networking events and accelerator programmes have literarily worked magic. For instance, one of its first and biggest products is the yearly AWIEF Conference and Exhibition Event.

Under the event, the organisation convenes the largest international gathering of entrepreneurs, startups, thought leaders, policymakers, regional and international development partners, investors, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), academia, and media for dialogue and discussions on issues of women empowerment, entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation in Africa.

Since its launch in 2015, over 16,000 people and more than 500 global speakers have attended the annual event. And with the AWIEF Accelerator Programmes, Irene has also been building capacity for increased competitiveness and investment readiness, with the number of women-led/owned startups that have been directly supported with AWIEF business development and scaling programmes surpassing 2, 000.

Interestingly, this intervention, according to Irene, led to thousands of direct jobs being created by these AWIEF beneficiaries spread across different African countries. She also said with the annual AWIEF Awards, the organisation recognises and celebrates success stories. “We launched the AWIEF Community, an online and digital platform to connect women business owners across the continent and leverage technology to expand our support,” she added.

As she explained, AWIEF understood the importance and necessity of acquiring digital skills for the successful management of a business. This awareness, according to her, was clearly evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic when the world had to rely on technology and innovation to survive and thrive through the uncertain times.

“Following this realisation, AWIEF has developed programmes such as digital skills training for unemployed young women. We also have E-Commerce Capacity Development and Executive E-Marketing programmes, in partnership with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), to support women entrepreneurs, enhance market access through building knowledge, capacity and skills in digital channels and online retailing,” she said.

The expert observed that gender inequality in the technology and entrepreneurship fields is widespread across the world, but most especially within the continent. She attributed this mainly to the old African patriarchal societal norms and the acceptance of the woman’s role in society.

However, AWIEF seems to have found a way round this challenge. “The work that AWIEF conducts is tailor-made to disintegrate these societal standards and bias, and create the belief and evidence that women are capable to be empowered to do whatever their heart calls them to. Women in Africa can and do own businesses that go far beyond the market stalls, the road-side trading and hawking,” Irene said.

Despite this, Irene said to facilitate more women involvement in entrepreneurship, there is the urgent need to create a shift in societal beliefs and patterns where men and women are to be viewed as equals in all aspects of life and work. “This must be supported with mainstreaming gender and gender-related policies aimed to facilitate equal economic opportunities and female participation in business, finance, and entrepreneurship,” she added.

Irene holds various university qualifications, including Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in International Management (University of London, UK), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Translation (Universita’ degli Studi di Trieste, Italy), Bachelor of Arts Honours (University of Nigeria, Nsukka), and a Certificate in Project Management (University of Cape Town).

Her interests are on gender economic equity, economic growth and social inclusion, and she is passionate about empowering African women to fulfill their maximum potential and achieve their life and career goals. Explaining the choice of her focus areas, she said: “I came to a point in my life when I felt a strong desire and need to be part of a positive change and impact.

“My transition to work on social economy stemmed from this intense desire to reinvent myself at the time.  Armed with my long experience in international development working with a UN Agency and a great life lived at the international space, I embarked on a journey of championing and advocating the economic empowerment of women in Africa through entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Naturally, Irene’s interventions haven’t gone without notice. For instance, AWIEF under her watch and direction recently won the Associations Advance Africa Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion (particularly for Women and Youth). This prestigious award established by African Society of Association Executives (AfSAE) recognises association programmes and activities that are advancing society and improving economy (at all levels).

The Nation learnt that it is the highest recognition an association can receive for any impactful programme it conducts together with its members. “I believe what makes me an innovator is the fact that my work is focused on identifying a need within an industry and spot an opportunity to resolve a problem.

“In my case, realising the need to close the gender gaps in the labour market in Africa and designing women-centered solutions. The idea of innovation is not only about doing new things from the scratch. It also encompasses improvements on existing practices or expanding the scope to create larger impact and have more far-reaching effects,” Irene said.

The AWIEF founder, however, shared her thoughts on what she considered as major barriers facing women entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Africa, she listed some to include the systemic lack of equal opportunities for access to knowledge, skills development, business education, financial and investment support, and access to markets and networks.

Irene was, however, quick to point out that “The most critical challenge that women first face is the lack of self-belief and confidence in their capabilities. This is one of the significant aspects that AWIEF devotes its work in, to empower women and the youth and give them the belief that they are capable of achieving whatever they set their minds to, in this case, founding startups and scaling businesses.”

Intelligent and focused, Irene has managed to get round the many challenges and battles she has had to face every day as a woman driving women empowerment across the continent. One of the key lessons she learned, she said, was the importance of finding the right balance between ones professional and personal life.

“You cannot afford to lose sight of either one, and it is never an easy task. But as you learn and grow and go through different life experiences, you tend to pick up the pace and when big challenges present themselves, having a trusted family support system is key to the successful attainment of your goals,” she said.

Fashion designer and entrepreneur Omololu Joda is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gbogbo-Oge, a Lagos-based fashion brand. After stamping her feet on the burgeoning market for women’s fashion, including Ready-To-Wear (RTW), the 1999 graduate of Secretarial Administration from Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, shares her plans to position the brand outside Nigeria’s shores with Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.

She was at the right place at the right time. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gbogbo-Oge (all fashion), a Lagos-based fashion brand, Omololu Taiwo Joda, had, by her own admission, always loved fashion, but it took her presence and participation at a Women Breakfast Fellowship (WBF) organised in her church at Ajah, Lagos, for her to launch a successful career in fashion designing. That was 12 years ago.

The Nation learnt that it all started when Omololu and other attendees at the WBF were asked to write their likes and dislikes in respect of their prospective line of business or vocation.

The Coordinator of the programme then, Pastor Peju Babasina, was said to have done that in order to bring out the best in the women, make them know themselves and, ultimately, get the best in them in terms of business.

“So, out of my like and dislike, which we had to read out individually, the women were able to pick out what they should be doing for a living. But because I love fashion and also always dress well, I opted for fashion designing. Then, I was into hat and bead making. It was after the programme I considered going into fashion industry with the help of my late husband, Mr. Femi Joda,” Omololu narrated.

Twelve years on, Omololu has never looked back; she has never regretted choosing fashion as her preferred career path, encouraged of course, by the game-changing outcome of the WBF. Within and around Shogotedo, Ajah area of Lagos, where Gbogbo-Oge is located, Omololu has, within seven years of her professional career, become one of the most sought-after fashion designers. “I sew for women and do a bite of Ready-To-Wear (RTW) for targeted customers, mostly those in the middle class,” she told The Nation.

Omololu, a 1999 graduate of Secretarial Administration, from Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), added that she also sells tailoring accessories to compliment the fashion designing business. The Ijebu, Ogun State-borne entrepreneur stated that her target is to expand the reach of her business beyond Nigeria. “In the next five years, Gbogbo-Oge should have expanded beyond Nigeria. At present, we have customers all over Nigeria, but our ultimate plan is to cement the brand outside Nigeria,” she said.

She added that as a professional fashion designer, her dream is to become one of the topmost fashion designers in Africa. And to achieve this, Omololu said she is drawing strength from her steady stream of customers and the constant positive feedback and referrals she gets from them. She attributed her enviable position in the fashion industry to her creativity and sound customer relations.

“If one is good at the job and doesn’t have good customer relations, it won’t work. I have a personal relationship with my customers and have a listening hear. That has helped in making them come back. If you’re good at what you do, your customers will always come back,” she said, exuding the confidence of a thoroughbred professional.

Interestingly, before Omololu ventured into fashion, she was a Secretary/Personal Assistant (PA) in three companies, among which were Triple E Engineering; Oyewole Adebero & Co, an auditing firm; and TBWA Concept, an advertising company. TBWA Concept was actually her last place of work before she switched career and delved into fashion designing.

It wasn’t that the afore-mentioned jobs were not well-paying though. Rather, it was, for Omololu, a matter of where one gets job satisfaction, which in this case, was fashion. Besides, “Fashion designing,” she asserted, “Is more lucrative.”

Although she couldn’t give more insights into the lucrativeness of the business, the opportunity of being her own boss, employing a number of workers, and being in total control of her own time and schedule are no doubt, enough incentives to trigger a career switch.

However, Omololu’s dominant position in the competitive fashion industry as well as her push to expand her footprint beyond Nigeria’s shores is not without some surmountable challenges. Like any other entrepreneur, it has not been entirely rosy, as she has had her fair share of challenges in her journey to fame and fortune in the fashion industry.

On an industry-wide level, she said, for instance, that she has had to contend with designers who are in the habit of copying others in terms of one person designing and the other merely doing ‘copy and paste.’ “There are too many mediocres or run-of-the-mill designers in the business. Although, this doesn’t actually affect me, so to say, but when charging the customers, it becomes a problem,” she said, adding that epileptic electricity supply is also a pain in the neck.

Omololu’s quest to further horn her skill through training and also stay ahead of the competition, according to her, did not quite enjoy a smooth ride. “I wanted to do an online course from one of the fashion institutions abroad last year before I lost my hubby, and that shattered the dream,” she said.

Not one to give up without a fight, the death of Omololu’s husband did not break her. She refused to be discouraged, drawing sufficient strength from regular prayers as a Christian. Working with two tailors on regular salary, four apprentices and plans to engage more, Omololu has continued to charge on. She appears determined to leverage her creativity and robust customer relations to reshape the fashion industry.

Also, at the onset of her career in fashion, Omololu said she had to fight to shake off her earlier stereotype about fashion and its practitioners. “Before, I actually didn’t like the name tailor because I believed it was meant for the illiterate. But now, elites are more in the fashion industry,” she said.

Hardworking and God-fearing, Omololu admitted that she has never benefited from any support, be it financial or material, from the government or any private sector organisation. “Any help or support government gives businesses comes in form of loan and I really don’t have liver for a loan,” she said.

Indeed, an avalanche of funding windows exists for businesses, small and big, including those in the fashion space where Omololu operates. For instance, to create affordable access to funding for small businesses to grow, expand, create wealth and put people to work, the Lagos State Government, through Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), put in place a loan scheme that attracts only five per cent interest rate yearly. The facility is available to business owners who are registered residents of Lagos State.

Apart from making soft loans available, the Lagos State Government, in recognition of the important role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially as a springboard for economic recovery, established the Eko MSMEs Fashion Hub, in collaboration with the Federal Government to boost the fashion and apparel industry; the e-Commerce digital platform created to showcase MSMEs products and services to the world and also established the Lagos State Export Promotion Committee to promote the marketability of locally made products.

The Bank of Industry (BoI) is also not left out. Having stamped its feet among Africa’s top leading development financial institutions, BoI has continued to provide financial and business services to businesses and enterprises. The bank’s various loan services cover startup funds for large, medium, small businesses and expansion loans for enterprises’ modernisation.

BoI, which is controlled by the Federal Government, focuses on providing loans to entrepreneurial and industrial enterprises involved in agro-processing, information technology, and lots more. It also provides loans for small-scale businesses with startup and sustenance funds as long as they can provide collateral in equivalent value.

Besides funding enterprises with startup funds, the bank also provides working capital, asset materials, and equipment that are essential for business and production. It also plays a significant role in youth development by organising empowerment and funding programs to provide mentorship and funding for their startup.

Despite the availability of these fundings, a common thread that runs through most of the feedbacks from business owners, particularly small businesses is the difficulty in accessing them. Some small business owners complained that the conditions attached to such facilities are rather too harsh for business survival.

This may be the reason Omololu and indeed, other business owners are wary of approaching BoI or any of the other funding agencies for help. Many of them, including Omololu, prefer to look inward to raise the necessary capital to run their businesses. And the success of this creative and resourceful fashion entrepreneur appears to justify such fears.

But how does Omololu manage to balance work and family given the huge customer order that comes her way and her knack for details and finishing in fashion designing? “Firstly, my children are grown. The last baby of the house is 14. So, it’s very easy to run the business and home properly without any issue(s). Secondly, I have tailors working for me,” she said.

She caught her entrepreneurial teeth in her teenage years and threw her hat in the baking and food industry ring. Today, Cake and Food Domain Limited, which Temidayo Aderogba floated in 2012 and incorporated in 2014, to feed her passion for baking, has grown into a one-stop-shop for cake and bread production, pastries, catering services, consultancy and training. She shares her inspiring story and plans for expansion with Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.

 

In and around Paul Odulaja Crescent, Ifako Gbagada, Lagos, where Cake and Food Domain Limited is located, the indigenous company, which is into baking & food, is the toast of customers from far and near in search of quality oven fresh bread, cakes, snacks, small chops, and other indoor and outdoor catering services for diverse needs and occasions.

But, it is not so much the huge clientele Cake and Food Domain Limited enjoys that makes it the rave of the moment in the burgeoning food industry; rather, it is the compelling and inspiring story of how the business gradually metamorphosed from a humble beginning with a little capital in a living room into a thriving enterprise with eight workers on its payroll.

With just N45, 0000 seed capital, the company started out in 2012, from the living room of Temidayo Comfort Aderogba, its Chief Executive Officer (CEO); she incorporated the business in 2014. Since then, the business, under Temidayo’s watch, has continued to grow in leaps and bounds, dwarfing its peers in the food industry.

Although Temidayo from Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, confirmed that she started the business with N45, 000, she, however, pleaded with The Nation to keep the company’s current value under wraps. However, that the company targets to “Increase our capacity to N100 million in the next two years,” is evidence of a business that has grown into a multi-million naira enterprise.

But how did Temidayo, a graduate of Banking & Finance, from University of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, manage to carve a niche for herself in the food industry that has no bearing with her original discipline? “Passion,” she told The Nation, adding, “Passion is the impetus for any remarkable change and it can be very compelling. Once you have the vision, just run with it.”

Indeed, the remarkable change this budding industrialist has brought to bear on the food industry is not something out of the blues; rather, it is the result of Temidayo’s desire to feed her teenage passion for baking. “I had known while in school that I was fashioned for the entrepreneurship life. Hence, there was no hesitation with the switch from a background in Banking & Finance to the food industry,” she explained.

Reiterating that she developed interest in baking during her teenager years, Temidayo narrated thus: “I was privileged to occupy the position of welfare officer for the youth in the church. I managed events and special programmes where I got cooks, monitored them and ensured they delivered excellently hence the passion for the food industry.”

Since then, Temidayo has never looked back. She has continued to rely on her passion for the business as well her creativity and trainings to call the shot in the industry. “We are into bread production, cakes for all occasions, pastries, catering services, consultancy & training,” she declared, adding that she services clients for weddings, birthdays and all types of events.

Encouraged by the deluge of customers who daily throng Cake and Food Domain Limited and determined to serve them better, Temidayo said she proceeded to U & I Training Institute, Lagos, where she got certification in cake making and advanced cake decoration. She also went a notch higher, acquiring a professional diploma from PME (UK) school of Cake Decoration & Confectionery Arts.

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Armed with such training and certifications, as well as her single-minded resolve to build a flourishing business empire, the budding industrialist has her eyes set on expanding her business frontier within and outside Nigeria. “Targeted expansion within and outside Nigeria, including looking at strategic global partnerships for new markets and growing capital base are some of our next steps,” she told The Nation.

While Temidayo’s current drive to increase the company’s capacity to over N100 million in the next two years is no doubt, an ambitious target, her capacity to achieve same is certainly not in doubt. Her remarkable grit and resourcefulness in turning a business that started with as little as N45, 000, in a living room, into an enviable brand in the food industry attest to an entrepreneur that came prepared and determined to succeed.

Perhaps, to confirm her readiness to take the company to greater heights, Temidayo alluded to the saying: “The battle is not won at the battlefront, but at the preparation. It appears life prepared me, as my roles and responsibilities were towards taking care of everything as a teenager, a youth and now, an adult.’’

But in climbing up the entrepreneurial ladder,Temidayo admitted that she had benefited from the Federal Government/World Bank grant under the Growth and Employment (GEM) project, an employment project supported by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and funded by the World Bank and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The GEM project is aimed at job creation and increased non-oil growth in specific high potential value chain sectors. A key target is the creation of at least 100, 000 jobs directly in the selected sectors. The program targets at least six economic sectors and aims to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

While admitting that banks like Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), which, among others, seeks to address the causes of low funding levels in the agriculture sector, have been supportive, Temidayo, however, noted: “There is a huge difference between access to funds and the cost of such funds to any business.”

She, therefore, specifically said: “High cost of funds must be considered when making funds available to businesses. I acknowledge the improvement in access to funds. However, we need to strengthen the framework that will guarantee business survival while accessing these funds.”

Apart from high cost of funds, the entrepreneur also lamented the astronomical increase in the cost of raw materials, blaming the situation on fall in the value of the Naira against the Dollar, rising import duties and inflation. “The impact of these is low sales caused by low purchasing power,” Temidayo said.

Noting that despite the odds, Cake and Food Domain Limited has continued to reinvent itself for survival, she said: “Our policy makers must understand the business environment and drive the economy strategically so that businesses can survive, create jobs and contribute to economic growth and development.”

She also said human resource has been a challenge. “The dearth of skilled manpower and the poor attitude of the available human resource to upscale to the minimum requirement for optimal delivery are issues,” Temidayo told The Nation.

For entrepreneur and founder, Blessed GUMPAT Foundation (BGF), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mrs. Prisca Tim Paul, lifting the living standard of people, including women and youths, through skills acquisition and empowerment is a task that must be accomplished. She believes it is one way to curb unemployment and guarantee financial independence and, ultimately, push back poverty. She shares the vision and mission of the NGO, which she started in 2005, with AMBROSE NNAJI.

Her goal resonates with the local and global campaign to push back poverty and hunger through skills acquisition. Indeed, with her goal of training and empowering women and the youth to become self-reliant, entrepreneur and Ffounder, Blessed GumPat Foundation (BGF), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mrs. Prisca Tim Paul, may have, through her works over the years, positioned herself as the rallying point for the global battle against hunger and poverty.

GUMPAT is an acronym for Gifted Unique Minds Partnering Together, and it was established in 2005, but registered as an NGO in 2011.

The vision started earlier than 2005. She said: “This is our 18 years in this business.” In other words, Mrs. Tim Paul, who is a minister of God by calling, has been riding on BGF’s platform in the past 18 years to impact lives, targeting mostly women and the youth with various vocational trainings and skills acquisition programmes.

The Blessed GUMPAT founder said the foundation churns out between 200 to 300 beneficiaries yearly. “This is our 18 years in this business and by God’s grace, every year; we turn out about 200 to 300. If you calculate it by 18 years, you can imagine how many they will be. These are people that we have trained; they are now on their own,” she said.

Indeed, using the 300 yearly beneficiaries’ benchmark, it means that the Foundation has pulled 5,400 people out of poverty in the past 18 years.

It does this through empowerment programmes for the less-privileged and the down-trodden. Some of the vocational skills include bread making, small chops, cake making, make up, tie and dye, head wear/hat making, bead making, snacks services (pastries); cosmetology, which includes production of liquid soap, bleach, hair/body cream, air freshener, shampoo, cocoa beverages, disinfectants such as izal and dettol, toilet cleaner, and insecticide, among others.

Other vocational skills that have warmed the hearts of prospective trainees to the Foundation include event decoration/management, chips making, chin-chin making, sowing, hair dressing, interlocking, shawama, small chops, shoe and bar making, and Ankara bags making. In all, about 310 skills, according to Prisca, are available for would-be trainees.

“We impart skills based on the needs of the people at a particular time. They say this is what we want and we package it and empower them based on the people around. It might be young men, it might be only women, it might be association. It might be church. It might be anybody. So, based on what they want, we package and go there and teach them. This is what we do,” she said.

Reiterating that the foundation has trained many, including people about to retire from service such as police officers and public office holders, she emphasised that the foundation’s vision was to be number one in the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal (MDG), which seeks to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger through skill acquisition programmes for wealth creation.

Mrs. Tim Paul said by building, equipping, empowering and training participants through skill acquisitions for financial independence and self-sufficiency, the Foundation’s mission of building a more viable economy as well as creating a comfort zone for orphans, old people and the downtrodden generally is on course. She added that the Foundation remained committed to training and educating all its participants until they become acquainted and gain satisfaction in their respective areas of training.

Essentially, BGF’s strategy of lifting people out of poverty involves educating them on how to use available chemicals and raw materials to manufacture products and to advance from small to medium and then, large- scale production. That way, they become self-employed and budding entrepreneurs armed with the financial resources and skills to employ others and, ultimately, fight the unemployment scourge.

The foundation is driven by its philosophy of ‘starting small and growing big,’ which is why the little capital, Mrs. Tim Paul said,  has been helping her beneficiaries to become producers of goods and services and have thriving companies of their own. “For some of the beneficiaries, we give assistance, some we give money, some we buy the major things they need and some we just give encouragement,” she said.

Explaining the kind of encouragement the foundation gives, Mrs. Tim Paul said: “After empowering them (beneficiaries) with a skills, we print a large number of invitation cards, they are not accountable to us, we tell them whatever they collect let them use it and start off their own businesses. This is one major thing we have done for all of them that have passed through our Foundation.

“But there are some, may be on the day of graduation, some philanthropists will talk to, based on the kind of set of people that are coming, if they are so poor and handicapped, we try to look for a philanthropist and when they officially announce it to the people or whether they even meet us and say how much will it take to establish them, we will do that and also there will be physical items to hand over to them. The philanthropists are within our church (Assemblies of God Church)”

Mrs. Tim Paul said the foundation under her watch was believing God to send more philanthropists who share its passion, mission and mandate to lift as many Nigerians as possible from poverty.

“If we can have such philanthropists that partner with us, the foundation will do more and be glad,” she said.

Pointing out that the trainings are done weekly, monthly or less than six months, depending on the choice of skill, “because there are skills you can learn within one week,” she said getting more philanthropists on board was necessary in view of the need for the foundation to acquire shawama machine, for instance, for its trainees.

Her words: “Our next target right now is machine, getting an imported shawama machine so that by the time we empower these people, machine will not be a problem for them. When they locate where they will stay, we will come and build the joint for them, get the machine, empower them and then set up a supervisor who will monitor them so that some of the boys will not vandalise the equipment.

“But the essence is that they should be empowered, use the machine to make money, get their own house apartment, live there and be useful to themselves.”

 

Her challenges

However, it hasn’t been a walk in the park for Mrs. Tim Paul. Her work hasn’t been without challenges, one of which, according to her, is sponsorship/funding. “We don’t have help from the government because we are at the grassroots, we are the people doing the real work, but a lot of masquerading NGOs will not permit those in the interiors to get help,” she pointed out.

The other is the inability to get a permanent site for the foundation. “We need a permanent site, if anybody can offer us, because of the things we do, it will go a long way,” she said.

The Blessed GUMPAT founder divulged that when the foundation was being registered as a private organisation, government gave it approval to establish in the whole states across the country.

She, however, regretted that because of paucity of fund, it hasn’t been able to establish its presence in other states outside Lagos. “So, if we can have people that will partner with us and say they want to be at the helm of affairs in this particular state, I think it will help to ease off the financial burden and also enable us fulfill our passion  in reaching out to these people at the grassroots,” Mrs. Tim Paul said.

Appreciating God “Who has not failed us, we are calling on philanthropists and Nigerians, men and women, who have the heart to empower the youth to come on board.

“You can pass through an NGO like us to reach out to them, we will be obliged to accept you as one of our philanthropists, as one of our organisers so that at the end of the day, they will be well nurtured through God’s words and at the same time be established. It’s not just teaching them skills, but also getting them established.”

According to her, this was what brought about the next level of her ministry called Rebranders, an organisation under the NGO. Registered last year, the Rebrander programme, she said, runs once in three months, but there are some that run twice a year, and it has to do with total praise, which is one of its mandates.

There is also one called Singles and Married couples. “We also have other things like marriage and music, all of which are under the agenda of the GUMPAT Foundation because we want to give room to people who may have the vision in that areas to partner with us,” she said.

Mrs. Tim Paul sqid Rebranders was different from the foundation, which is focused on entrepreneurship. She, however, said somebody who is in entrepreneurship can be part of the Rebranders at the same time. “All of these were born out of passion,” she enthused.

But how does Mrs. Tim Paul balance the demanding nature of trainings and empowerment programmes with family?

She said: “As a wife, I have four children. I take care of them and I don’t have a house help. Again, as a pastor’s wife, I do my work in the church as the women coordinator.

“Also, under the NGO, one of the things God has helped us do is that I allowed the centre to be within my premises so that I will be able to coordinate all of these,” Mrs. Tim Paul said.

Joy Akosa is the founder of Jacbell Media, which provides digital marketing services for businesses and training courses on social media marketing. She is also the founder of Legit Vendors Nigeria, an outfit that focuses on entrepreneurship development. With over seven years’ industry experience, building and implementing top-notch digital marketing strategies, she shares her plans to transform Jacbell Media into a formidable African brand with Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.

It would go down as, perhaps, the most seamless and result-driven career switch in corporate Nigeria. From her quest to find out how to promote her blog and articles, including promoting celebrities she came across in her initial job as an entertainment reporter, Joy Akosa effortlessly ventured into the digital marketing space, supported, of course, by several online trainings she underwent along the line.

Today, the journalist-turned digital marketer is the founder, Jacbell Media, an agency that provides digital marketing services for businesses and training courses. Joy, who once worked for The Source magazine as an entertainment reporter and also Nigeriafilms.com as an entertainment contributor, is also the founder of Legit Vendors Nigeria, that focuses on entrepreneurship development.

Legit Vendors Nigeria has about 10,500 members across Nigeria, offering digital marketing solution and an advertising platform to mostly small and medium businesses in Nigeria.

Joy, a graduate of Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos, is also the host of Know Your Legit Vendors, which showcases entrepreneurs and business owners in the Legit Vendors community, allowing them to talk about the kind of businesses they do, and how they operate.

Even before establishing Jacbell Media in 2017, where she oversees operations to ensure they produce the desired results and are consistent with the company’s  mission, Joy was an accomplished digital marketing expert with over seven years’ experience building and implementing top-notch digital marketing strategies for top brands and individuals across platforms.

Currently working with about 16 staff members, online and offline, Joy said she was poised to leverage her wealth of experience to build Jacbell Media into a formidable African brand with services that cater for businesses in Africa in the next few years.

“We already have a good audience in Ghana that is constantly growing; we hope to also have a branch office for trainings there,” she said.

Noting that many Ghanaians use her services and had registered for its digital marketing courses online, Joy also said since she started a mentorship programme this year called Jacbell 90 Days Push Group, the testimonies and feedbacks from clients have been overwhelming.

”This group teaches sales strategies, growth targets and mentorship. Over 3, 000 people have been on this group this year and the feedback has been awesome,” she said

She described her experience since transiting from journalism to digital marketing as “magical.” “Looking back in time, it’s been magical sort of. It has tremendously and consistently been a different ride,” Joy said, adding, “The experience I get every day is what makes me teach people. The experience is what has changed the lives of over 50, 000 businesses that have come across me. The experience from each business or entrepreneur I solve a problem for prepares me for the next challenge.”

Pointing out that there is no challenge she hasn’t faced in her entrepreneurial journey, she said it has been a hugely rewarding journey. She said the company has carved a niche for itself in the creation, management and delivery of top-performing social media campaigns.

“As a digital marketing agency, we deliver engaging content, increase followers, and guarantee sales. As a result, our approach always translates into more sales for our clients,” the Okija, Anambra State-born budding entrepreneur said, attributing her phenomenal rise to fame and fortune in the digital marketing space to her consistency, focus, knack for result, and ‘never-say-die-disposition.

She described herself as “one who is unapologetic about success and results, focused and a goal getter.” She said she is someone who believes everything can be done when one sets his or her mind to it. Accordingly, Joy has remained committed to her business philosophy or credo of ‘Go hard or go home. I cannot do it is not a good affirmation. Have a mindset to win.’

The success of Legit Vendors Nigeria demonstrates her winning streak and aversion for failure. Legit Vendors has over 30,000 members across Nigeria and still counting. Also, her flagship Jacbell Media bestrides Africa’s digital media space like a colossus, offering bespoke services to companies and individuals across Nigeria and beyond.

Some of the services that have warmed the company to the hearts of its growing clientele include target marketing, brand awareness, email marketing, page management, sponsored ads, and website development, among others. For instance, its websites are built to be not only visually beautiful, but also functionally effective, making its web design and development service the most sought-after by companies and individuals wishing to grow their businesses online.

The company’s brand awareness service is no less attractive to clients. “Our brand awareness campaigns are aimed at building a good relationship between your products and your target customers. We grow your brand through engagement and distribution of your content in various digital platforms,” Joy said, pointing out that brand awareness is aimed at increasing the measure of how well-known one’s brand is among a client’s target market.

Similarly, Jacbell Media’s target marketing service is top notch. “At Jacbell Media we have proven methods we utilize to ensure we market for our clients to their target market. Identifying the target market is one of the first steps to preparing an effective marketing plan. We take into note that consumers who make up the target market share the same characteristics. These could include interests, buying power, location, and income range,” Joy explained.

Under her management, Jacbell Media has become a force to reckon with in page management services, as the company helps build and manage clients’ social media pages like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc. Its email marketing is also sought-after by entities and individuals wishing to reach out to potential customers.

Ditto its sponsored ads services, which have continued to enjoy huge patronage. With Facebook said to be the leading social media platform and the platform of choice for many entrepreneurs and marketers alike, ads created on the platform are less expensive to project clients’ brand and build demand for their products and services. Jacbell Media is obviously aware of this huge market and has been exploiting it to the fullest.

It is easy to see why this is so. For instance, an average person is said to spend about 28 per cent of his or her time on social media daily. And Facebook advertising is believed to be the best option at growing one’s business.

There are several reasons why this is so. Regardless of whether a business is new to social media or it has an existing business and one is looking for alternative ways to grow, on Facebook, anyone can advertise; it is easy to set up; one can tailor ads to suit the aim of his or her business; set ad objectives; spend within his or her budget.

Also, one’s ads can be targeted at a certain location, interest, age group, gender, demography etc.; and one can measure the success of his or her campaign – the effectiveness of the ads and the creation that brings the desired result.

For those wishing to get started with Facebook ads, Jacbell Media has been walking them through it. “Facebook offers a do-it-yourself ad for every level of expertise which literally means your ad can either be straightforward or refined, depending on what you want and how you want your ad to appear.

“In addition, you can build and run a Facebook ad using easy-to-use tools as well as track its performance. No matter the category of audience you want to reach, they are on Facebook. It also allows you to run ads across Instagam and Messenger. With a single campaign, you can get to people on other apps and websites, the company said.

It emphasised that in today’s internet-driven society, it is very important that businesses have online presence; not only online presence, but very visible and easy to find and also presenting useful content so it can stand out in the over-crowded web. According to Joy, this can only be achieved by strategic and effective digital marketing plans and strategies especially at Jacbell Media, where digital marketing is planned and executed based on objectives.

She listed some of the objectives to include increased website traffic, increased brand awareness, enhanced sales drive and/or lead, increased social media followers and engagement; be the go-to source for one’s product/service/industry. Others are increased online visibility; establish one’s company in local search; and online reputation management.

Despite achieving so much in a career that has spanned over seven years, climbing the entrepreneurial ladder was no tea party for Joy; she had to face a number of challenges like any other businessman or woman. She said, for instance, that her social media page of 120, 000 followers got disabled by Instagram for no reason, forcing her to start all over again.

“I had to start all over,” she lamented, noting, however, that “I got 9,000 followers in a month and I made over N12 million even in the midst of starting all over again.”

”A week ago, they (Instagram) released the page.  Now I have two pages and it has been a blessing in disguise for me. I am overwhelmed with going from one page to the other,” she added.

Joy stated that competitive edge and staying power in the business remain her drivers. “My brand is personalised, people know the woman who doesn’t care about who you are, but cares about giving results. A woman who doesn’t take excuses, so my personality sells me,” she said, adding that she also draws strength from her supportive family, as well as her highly-trained and motivated team.

She shared her thoughts on the Federal Government’s plan to regulate the social media. According to her, the move will not work. Her reason: “You know it’s that kind of regulation that comes out and later fades away. Millions of people are using social media; it is a worldwide app or web not locally created. It will be difficult to regulate it. Look at twitter that was banned. People still use it even with the ban.”