All we ever need to survive in this world is just one good head and two hands. It is all we can ever need to succeed and break new grounds.
It is God’s gift to man. People on the other hand, never get tired of requiring services; hence the need to possess relevant skills that will warrant one’s ability to survive in current day Nigeria where accumulation of degrees are never enough to guarantee a bright future.
In reality, true entrepreneurship is not inert; it is learnt and acquired overtime. This is the singular reason why everyone is not made for white collar jobs alone.
Some people have determined in their hearts never to work for anyone, rather, they resort to crafting a means of livelihood by the work of their hands.
Life took a new turn April this year when Ibukunoluwa Lana, Success Enyubala and Akunna Nwuke were posted to Plateau State in a dramatic new turn. Dogged, persistent, bold and fierce regardless, the trio accepted to journey down to the state. Their mission which has now translated into a future they chose is the clarion call they accepted in good faith. One that included a mix-match of three ladies from different ethnic groups, backgrounds and cultures coming together for a long period of 12 months.
Eight months down the line of their service year, their stories have indeed changed. So much that they have forged a community of empowered women with the view of taking up the world with not just a certificate, but a business skill that is adjudged lucrative. Service year is not over yet, but by the time it comes to an end, they will be going back with a skill that will feed them for life, whether they choose to hunt for jobs or not.
The Nation Newspaper caught up with them, and delved into the genesis of this glorious history. One that has driven young and passionate Nigerians into new worlds of Business, Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurship as they arm themselves with tools that will be useful for the future to come. Joseph Olaoluwa writes
Getting Nwuke Akunna to sit still is a herculean task. She is the eccentric hardworking type, busy closing deals with someone who is willing to sell her materials to make more bags, rugs and interior decorative materials or she is subtly plying her trade to an admirer of her works to make more deals. As a professional, her work reel speaks for itself, so she is very quick to point out some of her works being used by members of the RCCG Royal Priesthood Assembly Parish. This hot sunny afternoon, she just settled to speak with our correspondent after settling her new found fashion designer. She is looking forward to the dress and is willing to patronize her new found business woman. She is seated now and wiling to converse with me. I motion to her to come with me to one of the numerous boulevards that litter Crest Hotel, Jos South, Plateau State. We choose a shade which is a combination of well-arranged rocks and a tree shading us from the scorching sun. Success Enyubala is seated beside her, but my pestering is too much, so they both oblige me as her fashion designer watches us from a distance, eager to close the deal. Immediately, I started throwing questions. I start with the introductions, choosing to deal with Success first.
Success Enyubala says she is into interior decoration, making emphasis on household materials. Akunna Nwuke proudly interjects: “I am into interior decoration, hair fascinator and knitting.” Very assertive with what she does, Akunna says that she believes she could be a master of everything time will avail her to learn.
For the trio, the mastery of bag making, interior décor, and shoe covering was an opportunity that presented itself which they took without hesitation, having being introduced to the business beforehand at a certain time of their lives. So, when Akunna picked up interest, the goldmine the opportunity presented was too juicy to neither discard nor ignore.
For Akunna, the whole thing began eight months ago at the Mangu Orientation Camp, Plateau State during the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme. Corps members are usually advised to take a pick from the wide range of skills offered during their 21 days in camp and are mentored appropriately on the mastery of these skills all year long.
“It all began at Mangu Camp when I attended one of the SAED classes, the interior design and decoration class. I saw the throw pillows that there being made in the camp and I picked interest in it. I told myself I was going to pursue it.”
For Enyubala, it was more of fascination for the things her friends could do. Hence the motivation for her to try it out and convince herself that there is immense joy in creating things with one’s bare hands.
“Actually I was just fascinated by what I saw my friends doing. I thought about it, asides from the idea of getting to know, meet new people and know new places. I should gain new knowledge asides from the things I have always known before coming down to this state. I thought that since I have seen those things they are doing with their hands and it is not something that has started where I came from, maybe I could gain a skill in it and go onto develop it.
“My friends introduced it to me- Akunna. We were staying at the same lodge and every time she came home, she came with something new. Sometimes, it could be a new bag and all of that and some other girl, Cynthia joined her and came home with her own things. I thought to myself, this is really awesome. If they could do that thing they were doing, I could do it also.” With the level of comfort and gesticulation oozing from Success, one could tell she was proud of her work, so when she was asked why she decided to keep her degree aside and face a business in the world of bags, and fanciful carpets, Success laid a bold claim.
“I think this is a plus actually. It is going to give me something more prestigious asides the whole certificate thing.”
How it all began
Continuing her story, Akunna met her SAED trainer the very first day the course was introduced.
“I met her during one of the SAED classes, the very first day the class was introduced to us. When they were calling classes to attend, I heard interior design and decoration and I picked interest in it. So, I walked up to her stand.” One thing that stood out in Akunna’s first meeting with her SAED trainer was the arm of friendship initially offered to a newcomer.
“She was really friendly. I saw the throw pillows that were made in camp. The aprons were also made in camp. I told her I wanted to continue with the post camp training and she said it wasn’t a bad idea.”
Ibukunoluwa story isn’t any different. Her journey into the business began way back in her undergraduate days in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho. IBK, as she is fondly called admitted that it would have been an opportunity that would have wasted away as she was in the same hostel with a lady who used to make bags as well. She only realised how lucky she was when a friend outside of her hostel became an apprentice to the lady that made bags in her own hostel. That was the turning point for her.
IBK who exclaimed loudly while talking to The Nation said: “It was like I was taking an opportunity for granted. How can someone I don’t know from another hostel take interest in a business opportunity that was transacted in my own home?” Ibukun made a promise to join the training herewith and before her undergraduate days were over, she had picked a few techniques. Between then and now, those techniques have obviously improved.
On arriving Jos, Ibukunoluwa had completely put the business of bag making and shoe making behind her. That episode was closed and suspended until the day of the great reckoning, 4th August 2018. The date was so significant that it wouldn’t skip her memory. As an occupant of the Redeemed Family House situated in Abattoir, Plateau State, buying ingredients in the Abattoir market was a given. Unbeknownst to her, she had passed by her bag trainer severally before she realised that the skill she once gained was being lost daily to other worries and struggles.
“It was on the 4th of August 2018 I began my training. I usually passed by her shop without noticing the work she was into. I agreed to start working with her that day and took on a three month intensive training that gulped #30,000.”
Since the money wasn’t available to just give out like that, she chose to pay in instalments by remitting a sum of #10,000 every month.
According to Akunna, the training is throughout service year and it will expire March 2019 at the cost of N30,000.
Professionals or not?
Akunna is of the school of thought that perfection is a moving target. Despite introducing Success to the business and picking up interest right from camp, plus the dexterity she has used in gathering customers and delivering outstanding jobs, she refused to accept that she had become a Pro in the business. She also went further to describe her foray into the business as a training period, not another apprenticeship episode.
“It is a training period; there is no housemanship or apprenticeship. We are still undergoing training. Every day we have new things to do that are in the course outline. I won’t say I am a professional now because I am still undergoing classes with her (referring to her SAED trainer).” For Akunna, achievement of professional status is at the end of service year in March 2019. This fact she continually stressed modestly.
Success called herself a professional in the stages she has passed. “Professionalism has to do with certification. Since I haven’t gotten certification which will come at the end of the training and training is at the end of service year, then you can be taken as a professional in the aspects passed. We have course outlines, so at a particular period of time, we have tasks in the course outlines to carry out. For each one you have successfully done, you are regarded as a professional in those aspects. For those ones I passed, I consider myself a professional because if someone tells me to do it just now or much later, I can make it.”
“I love doing things with my hands”
Going to school to bag a degree and learning a trade right after is sometime frowned on in Nigeria where a white collar job is usually fancied by friends and family, due to unemployment currently on the rise. Akunna, Success and IBK have refused to see things that way as they are truly proud of how the SAED program of the NYSC has truly liberated them.
Even with her Mass Communication degree and wealth of experience in journalism, Akunna seems to have her path already laid for her beyond the system.
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“It depends on individual perspective,” Akunna stated. “For me, I have always been an entrepreneur because I love doing things with my hands. Back then in school, I would bake and sell to my course mates on their birthdays. I have always been an entrepreneur. I have always had interest in it with or without a Bsc or a Master’s degree. I have always had interest in doing something with my hands and impacting the knowledge to people.”
Hence, learning the trade for Akunna has been truly impactful. “It has been really rewarding. Along the line here in Plateau state, I have met a few people who have asked me to do one or two things with this my skill and I have been able to execute it without difficulty. It has been really rewarding. You know, we don’t depend on the N19,800 alone,” Akunna gesticulated, shrugging her arms. “
With this skill, when you show someone a sample of the thing you made, the person will be like: Okay, can you make something like this for me and how much will it cost you
“And that is an added advantage to you and your pocket,” Akunna proudly stated.
Seeds for the future
Success feels it was beyond the now. “Yes it has been rewarding. At least for the time being. But I feel it is not really about now. It holds more meaning after now which is going to resonate in the future.”
Success said the business doesn’t just stop at giving the service to people that demand it but what it truly involves is empowering others and passing the knowledge.
“Nigeria is a country now that in order for you to strive to actually become something as a youth; you don’t have to rely on your degree alone because a lot of people have degrees. So what exactly do you want to use to stand out aside from those many degrees that exist in the country?” She asked.
“Everyone is clamouring for people to start becoming employers of labour not people that seek to be employed as labour. So, with that idea at hand and with this knowledge I am gaining, I believe I can be that employer of knowledge and the same people who I am going to impact the knowledge to, will become employers of knowledge. So the country will not just stop at birthing thousands of graduates that don’t have anything to show for being graduates or literates. It goes a long way to creating employment and putting money in my pocket.”
Ibukunoluwa’s motivation for learning was in line with Success’s idea, only that Ibukun reiterated the fact that she would love to learn for recreational purposes alone.
She set to learn the job to be able to help out in the home. “Like just design some bags for the kids, run some contracts for weddings and support the family on a small scale. Most of the bag packs being made are majorly try outs for recreational purposes.” When asked why she didn’t look forward to scaling it in full entrepreneurial mood, she replied modestly that she needed to do something about actively learning the handiwork as well as preparing for life after service.
Non- profit disclosure
One thing the ladies declined to speak on was how much they have made in the business so far. Even the business-like Akunna chose to laugh it off, Success and IBK chose not even to banter much on the aspect.
“How much have I made from this business?” Success exclaimed. “I can’t tell you that,” she maintained. “I don’t really know.” Even though The Nation suggested a million naira worth of jobs and contracts. Success replied hilariously: “by the grace of God. “Yes, by faith.”
Akunna was a solid rock all through. She didn’t even say word, maybe some few words would have betrayed the girls code. IBK herself would not say.
When asked about her challenges, Ibukunoluwa said she had never met any brick wall all through her three months of training in the business. She had never been owed nor run into any financial or personal altercations. Conflict in business is a common experience, but IBK seems to be enjoying it all.
SAED, NYSC is not a waste of time
As her final words, Akunna reiterated Success’s point. “This country does not need those who have certificates alone; it needs people who can create jobs for people. My final word for fellow corpers like me is don’t sit idly waiting for the next manna to come but to make good use of this opportunity.”
She continued: “When I first started, I told myself that this SAED skill is grab your copy now! And I really grabbed my copy. To all corpers out there who think SAED and NYSC is just a waste of time; truly SAED or NYSC is not a waste of time. There are things out there NYSC is really doing for us. Avail yourself of these opportunities.” Akunna also believed she would never work for anyone.
For Success, the world has become a global village. “People have so much fallen into the insight that asides your degree, or certification that indicates you went to school, you need to have something on the job. It doesn’t have to be in your current field of study, or thing of interest. You need to have something extra to back you up.”
“If that job you are looking at is taken away from you, what becomes of you? Nothing. What if you don’t even get the job? What are you going to be holding onto? Nothing. “
It goes a long way for youths, especially youths to get something doing with their hands,” Success said “People can never ever get tired of requiring services. Needs arise every single day. As long as human beings live and you have something to offer in the place of a service. There must be a need that arises for them to give that service. Having that in mind, youths should identify themselves with one particular skill to keep them going,” Success concluded.
Ibukunoluwa Lana, Success Enyubala and Akunna Nwuke have succeeded in doing one vital thing for themselves. They have succeeded in empowering themselves and everyone around them. They have ensured a better future for themselves whether they get that dream job or not. This future, championed by young and vibrant women reiterates that fact that all you need to survive in this word is one good head and two gifted hands.