Agency Reporter
Every industry and business comes with its ups and downs as well as challenges that may be either transient or permanent. In Nigeria, running a business is never a picnic given the inconsistency in government policies and the debilitating ease of doing business in the polity. From the manufacturing sector to shipping, entertainment to oil and gas, real estate to import and export, unwholesome stories abound in getting things done and breaking even.
Speaking from her own space , Winifred Ifechukwuda Odibenuah, the Chief Executive Officer of Wodibenuah Diamond Lounge who operates in the upscale rung of the ladder in the fashion sector gives insights into what it takes to run a fashion outfit vis-a-vis the inherent challenges.
According to her, the challenges are quite numerous. “First is inconsistency in exchange rates and high rent fees. There are also the challenges of inconsistency in shipping and clearing fees. Another, is lack of constant electricity power which has now made one getting a store where service charges are applied in order to have uninterrupted power supply. These and many more are the challenges we face in this line of business. Challenges are bound to happen in business. First, I go back to the drawing board to think deeply from the root to see what has actually made challenges occur. Then, I try as much as possible not to allow it happen again by implementing a plan B,” she says
“There happens to be a lot of work to be done here in Nigeria. Abroad, the government has made things easy for them; hence, making basic necessities needed for them to have smooth sailing of their businesses. But in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. We citizens have got to provide everything all by ourselves. This happens to be a great challenge as compared to what is obtainable in the Western part of the world,” she adds.
On the question of whether the business is lucrative or not, the boss lady at Wodibenuah Diamond Lounge affirms that no business is lucrative, harping that it is passion that runs a business and not greed for reward.
She counsels, “First and foremost I tell anyone who wants to venture into any form of business never to look into the lucrative part first . Rather, loving it as a passion should be your first step because most times a business you assume would yield money may not . But what makes you keep going is the love and passion that you have for it . Trust me, in little or no time it would surely pay off.”
After graduating from the University of Abuja where she bagged a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry Winifred Ifechukwuda Odibenuah, cut her teeth in the entrepreneurial world by making her passion a reality.
“What stirred my passion for fashion? Basically, I will say fashion has always been my motivation. I have always been fascinated with every aspect of fashion which is why I turned it into my career. How I nourished it till my adult life wasn’t so easy for me because I was schooling in Abuja and most often than not, had to travel back to Lagos for business. It actually affected my studies but because I was so determined to continue with my fashion business I succeeded,” she said.
She established Wodibenuah Diamond Lounge in 2014, a mesmerizing plaza of sorts where she sells female wears, gym wear and cosmetics. In the last five years she has carved a niche for herself as a top notch brand that caters to the fashion and makeup needs of upwardly mobile and fashion-centric women using technology-driven marketing skills while being temperate about prices.
Winifred Ifechukwuda Odibenuah hails from Aniocha South local government area of Delta State. She’s Igbo by tribe but born and bred in Lagos.
She attended Gloryland Nursery and Primary School, then moved to Ishaga Primary School. She had her secondary education at Community Senior Grammar School and her tertiary education at University of Abuja
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