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Going global with made-in-Aba products
If you do not say I am here, nobody will say there you are. When a church wishes to expand its membership it embarks on evangelism outside its base. The essence is to find, and minister to the unconverted and convert them.

Since he became Governor of Abia State on the 29th of May 2015, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has stridently campaigned for and promoted made in Aba brands with unparalleled vigor and focus.

It all started with his decision that all through his tenure, as Governor, he will only wear made in Aba clothes, shoes and accessories.

To date, he has kept that promise to the admiration and acknowledgement of all, by always wearing openly branded made in Aba clothes and shoes, even outside the shores of Nigeria.

In addition, he has added serving of only Abia or Ebonyi rice at Government House, and has even gone ahead to support the large scale production of local rice in Abia.

He also prioritizes the use of local construction companies to execute his much talked about “caterpillar revolution” that has delivered more than 40 roads, mostly with the innovative Rigid Pavement Technology, also known as cement road construction, at Aba.

Nationally, the focused promotion of Made In Aba brands by the Governor has attracted the attention of the Federal Government with the current Acting President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, being one of the strongest supporters of the Governor’s MSME growth initiatives. Nigerian military has long ordered for and received more than 50,000 Aba Made shoes while the National Youth Service Corps is currently considering a proposal to make all their uniforms from Aba at a much reduced cost.

Little wonder Abia State recently won the Best state in Promotion of made in Nigeria products and best state in the promotion of SME in the Businessday Newspaper States Competitiveness and Good Governance Award of 2017.

While delivering his 2017 budget address to the National Assembly in December 2016, President Muhammad Buhari noted that his administration will focus on local procurement of goods and services to support growing industrial and innovation hubs like Aba.

According to president Buhari, “…We will buy Made in Nigeria goods. We will encourage garment manufacturing and Nigerian designers, tailors and fashion retailers. We will patronise local entrepreneurs. We will promote the manufacturing powerhouses in Aba…”

Many viewed that policy statement as a direct result of the strident promotion of made in Aba brands championed by Governor Ikpeazu.

Only recently too, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said that tailors and designers in Aba make the best clothes in the world.

Ngige who equally praised shoes produced at Aba made the assertion while speaking to newsmen in his office at Abuja during the recently celebrated 60th anniversary of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) also urged the group to synergize with Aba SMEs to deliver much better results.

He said that NECA in its existence has not done well, urging them to do more by bringing other employers across Nigeria into their folds.

“Imagine there is no presence of NECA in Aba, the tailors there make the best clothes in the world. The shoe making outlets there are the best shoes producers in African continent and are owned by private owner.”

After receiving the Best state in Promotion of made in Nigeria brands and best state in the promotion of SME in the Businessday Newspaper States Competitiveness and Good Governance Award 2017, Governor Ikpeazu followed up the following day by launching the made in Aba fashion show that attracted the creme de la creme of the Abuja society, including diplomats, Nollywood practitioners, government officials, entrepreneurs, professionals and the fashion conscious residents of the Federal capital city.

Since the highly successful event at Abuja, many have come to understand better the evangelistic disposition of the Governor Ikpeazu with his campaign for made in Aba products. In this wise, he considers Aba and Abia the base of the “already converted” and decided to launch out to the deep of Nigeria and the globe to further spread his message of Aba’s technological and innovative ingenuity to others.

Such is the passion of the Governor to promote products made in his state that even international organizations like Ford Foundation are willing to stake a claim to the positively changing narrative of Made In Aba brands. The organization is sponsoring international media campaigns using CNN and other global media platforms to sensitize consumers of the quality brands being produced at the SME capital of Nigeria.

Speaking at the Made-in-Aba fashion show, the Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Segun Awolowo, emphasized the need for Nigerians to patronize Aba products.

He also decried the neglect of Aba by government and commended Governor Ikpeazu for his unflinching desire to reposition Aba and products from the commercial city.

Testimony from producers of Made in Aba brands confirms the benefits of the focused promotion of the brands by the Ikpeazu led administration. One of the participants at the recent Made In Aba fashion show at Abuja, Mr Andrew Anya Etim of Shoeplanet, captured the gratitude of the participants when he stated during a TV program that his sales of Aba made shoes have grown in leaps over the past one and half years.

According to Mr Anya, “my company started buying and making Aba Made brands in 2015 and we are now making much more in volumes and profits than we made when we were importing foreign shoes and clothes. My customers are happy to buy our products which are clearly marked as “Made In Nigeria” and I must admit that we owe a lot of that to the Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.”

A foreign visitor to the Made in Aba Fashion show at Abuja was so visibly impressed by the quality of the products he saw on display and modeled by some of the best models drawn from the Aba environment that he asked his Nigerian escort to swear that “these beautiful products were actually produced in Nigeria”.

In an interview with newsmen after receiving the Business Day Award, Governor Ikpeazu captured the thinking behind his administration’s efforts to promote Made in Aba brands. According to him, “we want to help our local producers grow and make more profits, contribute to reduction in unemployment and add to the GDP of the nation in such a way that the country will wean itself from over-dependence on oil revenue.”

If the success recorded so far is anything to go by, it is expected that over the tenure of Governor Ikpeazu, Aba will move from the production and export of more than one million pairs of shoes weekly to become the African fashion products manufacturing hub. This notion is supported by the fact that Aba producers are supported by one of the best equipment fabrication industry in Africa that produces high quality machines and equipment to aid mechanized manufacturing.

Made in Aba is already leading at the national front, while making very strong competitive impact globally. Even those who dericively focus on the geographical location of Aba are now taking note.

When you buy and use made in Aba brands you are contributing to NIGERIA’s socio-economic development.
- Appolos is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
July 21, 2017
Mule shoes fashion trend

Mule shoes are backless shoes often closed toe. They can have high, sleek stiletto, low or chunky heels. It dates back to the early 50’s and 90’s. Mule shoes were considered to be old fashioned worn by older women. Not anymore, mule shoes are back, better, more stylish and can be pulled off by the young and old.

Mule shoes give your outfit a laid back look, completes a chic look as well. Pair your shirt, pants, jeans and dresses with mule shoes for that elegant, sophisticated look.

March 6, 2017
Shoes with a story

Joblessness drove her into shoe making. Since she did, woman entrepreneur and Aeesha Shoes Chief Executive Officer Aishat Raufu Ayowunmi hasn’t looked back. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Chief Executive, Aeesha Shoes, Miss. Aishat Raufu Ayowunmi is a shoemaker extraordinaire who took it upon herself to distinguish her products in a crowded industry. Like other women entrepreneurs, hers is a compelling story of personal setbacks and successes.

After graduating in Public Administration, Asihat was expecting a job, but this didn’t happen. Entrepreneurship was not the idea, but she decided to give shoe making a trial. She went through the training to learn the technicalities of shoe making. She started Aeesha Shoes five and half years ago.

With no start-up capital, she has been able to turn her shoe business into a big enterprise. She’s has been able to prove to the world that she made the right decision in taking to shoe making. Today, she is doing well. She started small and doing most jobs by hand, eventually, she found the right formula and the right materials to produce sturdy pair of shoes with professional finishing.

The business has grown to the extent of having a studio space and a team of skilled staff. It takes courage to start business, especially when one has inadequate capital. Her secret is in the quality of the products she puts on the market, Miss Ayowunmi told The Nation. These include casual shoes, children’s school shoes, women and men’s sandals, wallets, bags and belts, among others.

Today, her production capacity has increased and has provided a secured means of livelihood for her. She now boasts of various kinds of tools and machines which she uses to produce beautiful shoes and sandals. Maintaining quality of the products has helped her to stay afloat on the market with many other small-scale players.

Despite her early success, the business faced challenges. There is much expense involved in manufacturing shoes. These include leather, threads and all other materials which self-funding may not adequately provide. There was need for outside funding which she couldn’t get. She gave up several times and took to salary jobs. Somehow, she made a u-turn and returned to the business.

However, due to her love for what she is doing, she has kept faith with the business and made success of it through the years. Her persistence began to open doors despite the initial hiccup. Her confidence has been boosted with the shoes she has built.

So far, she has not only learned how to make good shoes, but also how to save money on shoe production.

Recession is a big advantage, now that the demand for imported shoes has decreased.

Nigerians are now ready to work with small designers resulting in increasing patronage and business opportunities for local producers like Aishat. Right now, she is delivering shoes to some very happy customers and looking forward to expanding to other ones. It goes from casual to dressy ones.

Apart from her office, Aishat has a website to market her footwears. She is deploying promotional techniques to get Nigerians to see and buy her shoes.

With the efforts she is putting into the business, she’s on the way to becoming the next shoe superstar.

Moving forward, she is happy to help other Nigerians create new jobs; a mission that is likely to keep them occupied for a significant amount of time.

Besides this, her goal is to establish Nigeria as a major hub of fine quality leather shoes and this will demand a special effort in the days ahead given what she and other producers have achieved so far.

One project on her mind is a training school for kids on how to make shoes during the summer holidays.

With several years of experience in the industry, she realised that without access to the heavy machinery, making footwear would prove difficult.

She is looking at bringing in machines from Italy and China to further assist the brand in the production of shoes. This is because the industry is going wider every day and she wants to reduce manual shoe production.

With more machines, she can produce more in terms of quality, quantity and perfection.

Her journey has shown that if one does what one wants to do and follow one’s gut and instincts, one can be successful.

November 9, 2016
Military turns to Aba for shoes

The military has ordered 50,000 boots from Aba shoemakers, a development that supports Abia State’s campaign for locally-made goods, and drives the Federal Government’s plan to grow the economy. SUNNY NWANKWO reports

Where is good news from the military, and from Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State. The armed forces have placed an order for 50,000 pairs of made-in-Aba boots for their personnel. And that is just for a start; if the footwears fit well and the quality is good, there will be more orders.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu broked the news .

It is a great piece of news. Why? Such inward-looking development is rare in the country. Usually, the military sources their kits from overseas, as do almost everyone else. This practice, not restricted to footwear, has drained the nation’s resources.

For the shoemakers of Aba, this is probably the best thing that has happened to them. They and thousands of other artisans in the city are renowned for their industry and excellence. It is usually said that if you can name anything Aba technicians can fabricate it. But their fame and ingenuity count for little. Their products are still largely shunned in preference for imported ones. They are poorly accommodated, their tools outmoded, and their morale at its lowest. They need help, and fast, through patronage and support.

The 50,000 order from the military should lift their spirits, and also cheer up Governor Ikpeazu who has campaigned for their goods. In Abuja, the nation’s capital, it must be viewed positively too because the best way to fight recession is growing the local industry.

Ikpeazu who was a guest in a live radio programme in the commercial hub, said that the shoes will be of international standard.

The governor stressed that the orders were the result of the state government’s persistent campaign for made-in-Aba shoes as well as its call to patronise small- and medium enterprises.

“As a result of the direct fallout of my persistence on Abia-Turkish relationship, we have invitation by no other person than the president of Turkey to bring some Aba businessmen to Turkey within November. I am in liaison with the President, Aba Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industry and Agriculture (ACCIMA), Emma Nwapkadolu, shoemakers and also garment producers, those who have been part of this decision from the beginning.

“What we want to take out of that is that we want to see Turkish technology in our process lines because the processes and procedures for the things we make here need to be consistent to reflect on the quality of what we push into the market. But I must say that we just received order for the supply of 50,000 pairs of military boots and that came some days ago and as we speak, our people in Aba are battling to produce the boots and I will do everything possible to ensure that they get input that can help them produce world-class boots.

“If we do well in this sample of 50, 000, it means that so much more will come and this is bringing to fruition to what we have been preaching and trying to weave around.

“We are investing in capacity building and that is why we are saying that we want to build university that will help our people to get certification to help their skills have some international acceptability and people coming to invest in our state because we have the people that can drive the investment.”

The governor blamed the prolonged governorship legal battle in the state for the delay in executing projects but he stated that construction work which was suspended during the rainy season would soon begin as the contractors would be back to site.

He added that they would use the dry season window to complete some of the abandoned projects including Enyimba International Stadium of about N300 million, Faulk/Ariaria Junction roads, while palliative work will be done on some of the federal roads.

He said that fixing the roads which have become impassable will not only help to improve human and vehicular movement in and out of the state, but will affect trade and investment positively.

Ikpeazu stated that his administration in the last one year has saved the state over N500m in its effort to fight the ghost worker syndrome, disclosing that the government would make sure that the contractors use good quality materials to execute those projects so that they can last.

“We are back to road construction. We want to do things properly. We don’t want to use inferior materials and I am promising Abians that as soon as we start the construction exercise, it is going to be ongoing and there won’t be any stoppage of work on Faulks Road and Aba Road in Umuahia, the state capital. Aba-Owerri Road in Aba will also receive attention. We are also discussing with the federal government on how to repair the dilapidated federal roads linking the state and other neighbouring southeast and south-south states and while the negotiation is still on, we will do palliative work on Port Harcourt road to ease off traffic on our roads and to also create mobility.

“I am aware of the importance of Ariaria to the state, Southeast and the country as a whole. We are committed to serve the people and we are ready to take the bull by the horn,” he stated.

He also said that the state government is doing everything possible to ensure that the unemployed youths in the state were gainfully employed and to use their skills in executing projects in the state.

“We are the first state to have a data base of 34,000 unemployed youths and, all of them we have issued with identity cards which can also serve as ATM cards. So, what it means is that if we have a social responsibility to give handouts or as the federal government is planning to employ the youths, there is a platform for people to benefit from that and we are investing seriously on skill acquisition. We want our people to begin to learn one skill or the other.”

November 4, 2016
My love affair with shoes- ADESOLA OMOTAYO-BENSON

Adesola Omotayo-Benson is from the popular Benson family of Ikorodu, Lagos State. The graduate of the Federal College of Chemical and Leather Technology, Zaria and University College of Footwear in Britain, followed his passion as a child and today he is living his dreams. He speaks with ADETUTU AUDU on why he is in love with shoes.

At a young age, Adesola Omotayo-Benson is gifted with his hands, and this led him to go and understudy a shoe cobbler near his home. His passion for shoe-making was ignited 30 years ago when he was barely 13 years old. Three decades later, he is living his dream, having studied footwear at the University College of Footwear, Britain in 2000 after graduating from the Federal College of Chemical and Leather Technology, Zaria in 1993.To further hone his skills, he went to AS Astoria, Milan, Italy in 2014. Benson after his training had worked in the UK before he moved back to the country and established his factory, SB Exclusive Shoes Company, in 2011 at Ikorodu.

According to him, he was in Junior Secondary School two (JSS 2) when he stumbled into shoe-making and has not looked back since then. ‘Honestly, it wasn’t my initial ambition, dream or plan to go into shoe-making. My mother was working with the then former military Governor of Lagos State, the late Air Commodore Gbolahan Mudasiru. I went with my mum to visit the governor that fateful afternoon and I joined the children in their playroom. After a few minutes, the governor’s wife came to remind the children not to forget to pick up their shoes at the shoe maker’s place. She asked me if I wanted a pair, and I said ‘yes.’

“So, I followed them and saw how the guy was making shoes and I got interested. I got that pair of sandals and when it got spoilt, I went back there and got another one. Of course, my passion was ignited and I looked for a shoe maker very close to my house. Every afternoon, I spent four hours learning shoe-making. And I was going there throughout my secondary school days. My mum didn’t know that I made shoes. But when I got to class five she caught me with a pair of shoes. Since then I have been doing shoes,” he revealed.

Born to a father who is a lawyer, how was it easy for him to convince them to support him? “I never had issues with my parents. Both of them supported me when they discovered my passion. In fact, I make my father’s shoes till today,” he disclosed.

So, what has been his experience since establishing the company in Nigeria? “Well, in Nigeria it is not a vocation that has been tapped into; because I studied it, and if you count four people in Nigeria who studied footwear, I will probably be one of them. You know people have been doing it the way they liked. But I see more prospects in it as time progresses,” he noted.

Benson added that he has been producing shoes in Nigeria for 10 years before travelling out to further his studies. “I already knew the problems in Nigeria. For more than 15 years, I would come to Nigeria once in awhile to get familiarised with how the business works here. Eventually, I got tired of Ireland’s system and decided to return home, because I found out that most Nigerian youths are not empowered, and footwear is the only business that we don’t have the correct expatriates in Nigeria. I thought it was better to relocate my business to Nigeria.”

Due to his passion for shoe-designing and youth empowerment, the graduate of University College of Footwear, Britain, is set to empower about 100 youths in Ikorodu as part of his company’s corporate social responsibility. “I am fortunate to be educated, apart from what I do, because most of the guys in the footwear industry are not educated. So, I want to empower 100 shoe makers in Ikorodu. I mean people who are not opportune to go to the university or don’t have the financial means to go and learn in the university like I did. I want Ikorodu to be like a city in Italy renowned for shoe-making. You know if you come to Italy now a part makes men’s shoes, another makes women’s shoes, children’s shoes and even furniture. Just tell them what you want and they will tell you where to go to. I want Ikorodu to be a Mecca for shoes in Nigeria so that other states in Nigeria can emulate Lagos State.”

When would he say was his major breakthrough? “I had made shoes for the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But the breakthrough, I will say, came after I made a pair of shoes for the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. He is a man of humility and peace who believes in the unity of Nigeria. His humility humbled me. He is a young man that encourages others to grow. I don’t know him personally. I just admire him from afar and was looking for someone who knows his size. You know everybody kept telling me it was not possible, and somebody even discouraged me that he doesn’t wear made in Nigeria shoes. That put me off. I took up the courage and made a pair of half shoe for him and looked for a way to get it across with a proposal on developing a footwear industry in Ile-Ife. I was happy when I learnt that he embraced it and he loved the shoes. Up till date, I have taken six pictures of him wearing the shoes I designed for him.”

Despite his success story, what are his changes? “The major challenge is manpower and getting capable hands to work for me.” According to him, Nigerians are not trained enough to understand how standard shoes are made. “For the next two and half years, I was busy training people on how shoes are being made. We have passed that now and moved to shoe-manufacturing.

“Interestingly, the raw materials are locally sourced. We get it mainly from Mushin in Lagos.” Ironically, Benson disclosed that Nigeria is one of the greatest countries that produce leather. “We have so many of them in Kano but 90 per cent of these leathers are exported and later imported back to Nigeria as Wet Blu; it is like a processed leather. They leave it in plane white and bring it back to Nigeria. As manufacturers, we can now turn it into the colour of our choice. For me, the 10 per cent left in the Nigerian markets is what I buy and use locally. So, I am happy about the recent gospel of made in Nigerian goods being propagated by the federal government. It is another way to empower local manufacturers and also boost the nation’s economy.”

But we used to have Bata shoe company, now FAMAD, what does he think was responsible for the collapse? Benson was quick to point out that Bata was functioning very well under Thomas Bata, the Canadian, but as soon as it was handed over to Nigerians, it became bad. “The management knew nothing about footwear, all they knew was how to buy shares, and they squandered the money. In this business, every worker’s opinion matters a lot, not just the board.”

Having started the vocation at a young age, looking back would he say he is fulfilled?

“Absolutely. You know all of us cannot work in multinationals. I have chosen this path and God has been faithful. Each time I see that people appreciate what I do, I am encouraged to do more. Two graduates walked up to me that they wanted to learn shoe-making in two years. They said they have been following my trajectory in shoe business in the last one year and made up their minds after the mandatory one-year service to toe my line.”

May 15, 2016
GLAM SHOES

AS we all know, shoes enhance the attractiveness of legs and stylish dress. And no other set of shoes will capture the imagination of fashion buffs this season as gladiators, sneakers, peep toe, ballet wedge, flat, stilettos and sandals. Nothing guarantees you that special look than stylish and perfectly cut shoes. A beautiful shoe is useless unless it feels as wonderful as it looks. So, make sure that they fit properly in the store before paying for it.

Below are some of the shoes that will capture the imagination this year.

Ballet shoes

Ballet shoes also known as pointe shoes have moved from ballet halls into fashion shops. Its renewed popularity has not escaped the attention of the Sunday fashion. In parties and campuses, ballet shoes are now worn by fashion conscious ladies for events. Pointe shoes were originally made for ballet dancers and choreographers. Although, it is still being used for ballet dancing today, it has grown very popular among ladies. The shoe’s unique design enables dancers to move their feet swiftly and to stand on their toes. But not many people know that wearing pointe shoes could be harmful if proper care is not taken by the wearer

Peep toes

Peep toes! No other set of shoes have captured the imagination of fashion buffs this new season as peep toe shoes. It’s a simple, yet solid shoe that allows a lady to show off her lovely feet while just revealing a bit of the toes.

Stilettos

And nothing guarantees you that special outstanding look than a stylishly and perfectly cut Stilettos /high heel shoes. With the help of the right footwear, you can move from looking ordinary to looking very fabulous.

Today’s high heel shoes are more stylish and are usually worn over all kind of dresses. They are everything you could want in a pair of sexy shoes, from strap sandals, peep toe to covered shoes with sexy heel shoes.

Sneaker shoes for stylish casual look are the most elegant shoes of the season. They are a must-have for women of style, who need to look chic and different.

Wedge

There are three varieties of wedge that are in-vogue now; the wedge sandals, wedge shoe and the wedge slippers. A wedge shoe is guaranteed to make you look chic.

Flat shoes

These well-balanced, trendy and funky shoes are another women foot wear that cannot go out of fashion. The pattern and style may vary per season but the flat shoes will forever remain in fashion.

Pump metallic

These shoes have had almost the same shape for ages without changing. It is a fashion material that women can’t get tired of.

Gladiator

Strappy gladiators have their roots in ancient Rome and Greece where people wore them to war. Today’s gladiators are more stylish and are usually worn with skirts and knee length dresses. Certain basic are essential while wearing gladiator shoes such as taking care of your feet and sometimes painting your nails, since your feet will get quite some attention when wearing these strappy shoes.

April 10, 2016
Caring for your shoes

Cute shoes can make your day, but can also die a slow death in your closet. The most important thing is to pay attention to foot size. A lot of men are steadfast, saying I wear size this, but size varies according to designers. I have noticed that when you go shopping with friends, they will convince you to get a style sometime you are never going to wear. Try trusting your instincts, and don’t cave into that peer pressure.

Shoes are the foundation of your work out, if they don’t fit right, you can’t walk right. Here we are going to talk more on the five perfect ways on how you can pick a shoe right.

•Identify the activity you will be engaged in, while wearing your shoes. Obviously, you will not want cowboy boots on if you are headed for the beach, but on the other hand, flip-flops are not appropriate in a pasture full of cattle. Here are some general suggestions for activities paired with suitable footwear:

•Anchor your ankle.

The areas around the ankle called an ankle collar should be heavily padded to prevent twists and blisters.

•The small heel part.

Look for a snug fit around the heel; it helps reduce stress around your Achilles tendon and a high Achilles notch, the slight dip not the top of the shoe’s heel.

•The sole points.

The outer sole should be textured enough to give you traction and prevent you from slipping.

•Arch shaped.

The shoe should actually fit the arch type. For instance, if you have a high arch, look for a curved type of shoe that will make the edge of the sole noticeably dips in at the middle. And those with a low arch need a straight size of shoe that will make the edge of the sole go straight.

•There should be at least 1\4 to 1\2 inch of space between your big toe and the end of the shoes to prevent calluses and provide stability, especially since your foot expands slightly as you exercise.

In conclusion, make sure the insole should support your arch, keep your feet and lower body in proper alignment, and help distribute your weight evenly across the bottom of your foot. When you walk, it should feel like you are walking on a cushion.

May 16, 2015
I have over 200 pairs of shoes

Popular Nollywood actress, Remi Oshodi, better known as Surutu, to most of her adoring fans, is believed to be wild by many. But in this interview with SEGUN AJIBOYE, Assistant Editor, the actress says she is really not wild as people see her. “I’m just a normal woman who loves to express herself,” she says. She speaks on her career, relationship with her fans and other sundry issues. Excerpts:

What would you say are your biggest achievements so far?

Talking about achievements, I cannot really point a finger at any particular one. You see, there are many of them and I thank God for His blessings. The Lord has been good to me in every area of my life. And when you talk of achievements, just when you think you have what can be termed as the best, another door of achievement would open. So, you simply move from one achievement to another. For me, all I have to do is just to say thank you God.

What memory of your childhood do you hold dear?

I must confess to you that my memories of my childhood are beautiful. I remember how my parents would dot on us. It was really a happy home. Even before they had me, they were told they would have a child that would be great and popular. So, eventually when I came, it was with that revelation that they treated me.

Okay, tell us a little about your growing up.

As a baby, I was fun to be with. Everybody around me called me the comedian of the family because there was no dull moment with me. I was very close to my father as a child. But soon after he died, the bond and love shifted to my mother. I had real good childhood.

Where exactly did you grow up?

I grew up in several places. My parents lived in Mushin, Lagos Island and many other places in Lagos.

Many people believed you lived in Benin Republic. How did you learn to speak the Egun language?

While growing up, we had many Ajase maids in our home. My mother had about five elderly Ajase women who worked for her. It was the women who looked after me, and they spoke their native language to me all the time. So, it was natural that I picked up the language. I also speak Togolese language fluently.

Tell us about your mother.

My mother is a very good Christian. She is old now and doing very well.

You behave like a Tom boy. Were you one as a child?

Well, I grew up in a Christian home. That is all I can tell you.

You always look happy. Has there been any particular time that you felt very unhappy?

Believe me, I am always a happy person. I don’t allow my situation to put me down. As a human being, there are times that you experience things that bring you down, but your ability to keep going in spite of what you are going through depends on how strong you are. Sometimes, when I am down, I could just listen to music to lift me up.

There must have been so many happy moments for you. Can you tell us some of them?

Everything about me is about happiness. I tell you, I am always happy, no matter what the situation is.

What is the worst thing anyone ever said to you?

They have said many that I cannot even remember one now. As an actress, as much as I try to behave well in public and maintain a good image, but there is no way you can satisfy everybody. If you say nobody hates or would hurt you, then you must be a joker. The truth is that many bad things have been said about me. But when you are able to cope with whatever is said about you, then you just have to move on. And that is what I have done.

What is your most-treasured possession?

This is not funny at all, but the truth is that my most-treasured possession is my family. I don’t think there is any other thing in life that can compare with my family. This is what I want people to know, that no matter what you have, your family is the best possession that you can ever have.

Looking at you, are you ever scared?

Sure! There are things that can scare me.

So what particular thing can scare you?

That again depends on several factors. I cannot really say to you that this thing or that thing would scare me. But I know that, like every other human being, there are things that can really get me scared.

As a celebrity, who would pick if you had the opportunity to pick a dinner date?

I have a friend that I would pick. I will also pick my mum and my kids.

You mind telling us about that friend you would pick?

I hold that close to my chest. But those are the people that I would pick for a dinner date.

I know that most artistes live a topsy-turvy lifestyle. How have you been able to cope with this?

The whole world is turbulent. When it treats you well, you are happy. But when it throws you down, you try and pick up yourself and move on. We have all had our low points in life. But the truth with me is that each time, I have picked myself and moved on and be a better person.

How do you handle your male admirers?

They are all my fans. So, I try and maintain a good relationship with all of them.

Have you had any particular embarrassing moment with your fans?

There are just too many experiences that I can point to. For instance, there was a day I was driving and a woman approached me. She said I was dating her husband. I was truly scared, but she burst out laughing and said her husband is an ardent fan. She told me the man was fond of me and loved watching my movies. She phoned the man, and I spoke with him. So, we try to manage such fans because you cannot afford to do without them.

Have you ever been grabbed on the street by an ecstatic fan?

There was a particular one; I was driving with my mum and a woman suddenly rushed at us. She said, ‘were, were’. (mad woman, mad woman). My mum was like, ‘Why did she call you mad woman?’. Experiences like this happen every day. But that is what we go through as celebrities.

It’s been long we saw you in movies. What is the reason for this?

I have been in and out of the country lately. That has really affected my featuring in movies. However, I still feature in movies whenever the time permits.

Looking at you, one would simply say that you are fashionable. What informs your fashion sense?

I am fashionable in every sense of the word. But I am not a loud dresser, I dress moderately. I wear unique things, things that set me apart from the crowd.

Do you also love accessories?

I love shoes and sandals. I also love gold accessories.

Let us try and put a figure to the number of shoes that you have…

(Laughter…) You want me to expose myself? Okay, let’s say something like over two hundred pairs. But you know it is not in my character to flaunt anything.

I observe that you are going into politics…

Is this because other celebrities are going into it?

Not at all, it is something that I am convinced about. The truth is that I am even ready to break the silence. But when the time comes, the world will know all about my plans for politics.

How has being an actress affected you?

Well, I’ve always been myself. I don’t try to be what I am not.

What is your best food?

This may interest you, but my best food is eba and egusi soup. I can eat it three times in a day.

How did you get to be known as Surutu?

I got that from the stage anyway. It was due to the role I acted in a movie. The movie is entitled Surutu. It is about an Egun woman. She was very wild and rugged in the movie.

You also have another name, Senami Kerewa. How did you come about this?

You know movie producers have a way of giving you funny names. It was another name that I got for a role in a movie.

Let me ask you this, how do you see yourself?

People see me like a crazy woman, but I am a responsible woman that loves her kids, her family and everybody around me.

People believe you are wild. How true is this?

It is not true that I am wild. You may want to say that I am wild, but I know inside me that I am not wild. I am just a normal woman who loves to express herself.

I know that you are a mortician. Do you still practise?

I’m sorry I don’t want to speak about that.

Why?

It is personal, and I hope you would understand.

But I know that you worked with a popular undertaker outfit. Was it that you lost the love for the job?

You simply want me to speak on this. But I really wish we don’t talk on it.

But why did you choose movie?

This is my first love. It is something that I love to do. Perhaps, you don’t know that I was also a model when I was much younger. I was also part of the cast of the old and new Village Headmaster.

What is your impression of the movie industry?

The movie industry is doing very well. It is growing and we have thousands of young up and coming actors and actresses coming into the industry every day. It can only get better.

I know that you love your kids dearly. How tough is it training them?

It is very challenging. You know you have to make sure that they get the best education and all that. But thank God that He has always been there for us, and there has been no form of regret about having them. They are my joy.

February 21, 2015
e-Commerce: Beyond selling shoes, bags, phones online

The liberalisation of the telecoms sector has boosted the economy. Access to telephony has become more democartised because of affordability. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) figures showed there are over 130 million active subscribers in the country while mobile operators have provided mobile internet for e-commerce to thrive. LUCAS AJANAKU writes on innovations and challenges of e-commerce.

Nigeria and, indeed, Africa provides significant growth opportunities for players looking to have a sizeable bite of the emerging electronic or e-commerce cake.

Analysts say the growth percentages are expected to reach hundreds and even thousands in no distant time, but argue that the growth trajectory does not match the value it represents.

With consistent growth of e-commerce in the country and the African region with no sign of a slump, industry watchers say there is the prospect of a solid e-commerce expansion in the country.

It is too common to associate e-Commerce with popular sites such as Jumia, Konga, Amazon and other online retail shops. In Nigeria, it is a belief being held by a large number of people that when one wants to buy consumer items such as shoes or electronics or books, one could go online. It is also possible to book local and international flights and hotel accommodation online.

Of course, other sites allow people to search for jobs or properties or cars, but cannot really buy those items online.

Analysts ask if it then meant that e-Commerce is only for shoes and phones. The answer is no. e-Commerce properly done allows an organisation of any size to greatly increase its turnover and sales irrespective of the business or the goods being sold.

Chief Technology Officer, Computer Warehouse Group Plc, Mr. James Agada, said latest statistics showed that 66 million Nigerians are on Facebook, the popular internet social website. About 24 million Nigerians have smartphones that have internet capability, and internet penetration is at 50 per cent.

Mobile internet provided chiefly by service providers using the global system for mobile communication (GSM) licence, has played significant role in his respect as it is used in the country by men, women, children, teachers, students, businessmen and enterprises. The addressable market for any business that goes online literally explodes. The importer of shoes can sell to more dealers, the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) seller could sell to the distributors, and the tailor could sell both tailoring service and ready-made clothes, while the event organiser or transporter can sell tickets, everything riding on the internet.

Initiative to boost e-commerce

According to Agada, the CWG Openshopen platform enables any one to sell anything online. Sales are not only about accepting orders. Information technology (IT) is also about collecting payments and making deliveries. With CWG Openshopen, these services are built in so that once you sign up, you can, if you want, begin to receive payments online and have your goods delivered to customers nationwide without having to invest in any other logistics for payments or delivery. Take for instance an FMCG that currently battles with a bank to help do collections and hires an army of order takers to input order details into its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The FMCG can replace the entire collection and ordering system by opening an online shop on Openshopen for her factors and distributors. They will order online, pay online and delivery can be arranged. Or consider a transporter who wants to run a cashless ticketing system. Simply put the tickets online and people can buy and pay and get their ticket numbers which can be verified from a phone.

He said: “The CWG Openshopen platform takes eCommerce way beyond the pedestrian selling of shoes and phones, and extends it into the best tool for increased market access. This is a deliberate design borne out of the determination of CWG Plc through her new CWG 2.0 initiative to democratize access to the technology of business.

“With 17.6 million small enterprises in Nigeria, extending eCommerce to the sale of locally made goods and services greatly expands market access for local content. This same role has been played by Alibaba in China. Today, Alibaba’s stock sells for $98-$100 per share. It will be interesting to see whether CWG shares will also trade at those levels in the nearest future.”

Challenges

A key stumbling block to the growth of e-commerce is power supply. Though there are innovative ways such as solar-powered chargers for mobile phones, inverters that could power PCs, power supply from the national grid continues to be a major issue.

Analysts say though the government has done all the right things in terms of reforming the power sector, they argue that as with the telecoms liberalisation, it will take at least another five years for the new owners of the successor firms of the unbundled defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to get a control of people owing money and to start renewing the mass of obsolete infrastructure inherited from the power octopus.

Aside stable power supply, a new survey has highlighted other potential threats to the future of the internet within the next 20 years, to 2025, including surveillance and government interference.

The Pew Research Centre, a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C., and providing information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States (U.S) and the world, canvassed 1,400 experts to get their view on the future of the internet.

Majority said they hope that by 2025 there will not be significant changes for the worse and hindrances to the ways in which people get and share content online today.

According to Pew, four net threats these experts fear: are: actions by nation-states to maintain security and political control will lead to more blocking, filtering, segmentation, and balkanisation of the internet; trust will evaporate in the wake of revelations about government and corporate surveillance and likely greater surveillance in the future; commercial pressures affecting everything from Internet architecture to the flow of information will endanger the open structure of online life; and efforts to fix the too much information (TMI) problem might over-compensate and actually thwart content sharing.

Former Director-General, National Information Dvelopment Agency (NITDA), Prof Officer Cleopas-Angaye said the global trend now is for governments to look for ways of controlling the internet for national security.

Chief Executive Officer, Teledon Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem said in view of the potential cyber attack on banks, telcos, payment cards, air traffic controller (ATC), there is need for government intervention in controlling the cyberspace.

He said Nigeria’s territorial integrity includes her cyber space and should be treated the way air, land sea borders are generously protected. He therefore urged the appointment of a cyber security chief just as there are army, police, navy and air force chiefs.

Britain has just determined that internet service providers (ISPs) block sites the government considers ‘terrorist’ or otherwise dangerous. This will grow. There will usually be ways to circumvent the obstruction but most people won’t bother.

According to Pew, a professor of Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, U.S and architect of the Web, Jim Hendler, said: “If anything, it is privacy that will have to give way to openness, not the other way around… Repressive governments will be working hard to stop the spread of information. As today, there will be both good and bad news continually in that area, but over time more integration, access, and sharing will be a driving force.”

Pew added that Peter S. Vogel, Internet law expert at Gardere Wynne Sewell,U.S said: “Privacy issues are the most serious threat to accessing and sharing Internet content in 2014, and there is little reason to expect that to change by 2025, particularly given the cyber terror threats confronting the Internet users and worldwide businesses.”

Another issue is connectivity. But this is gradually paling into insignificance as there is a rising trend in retailers growing due to advances in this area. According to figures by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 16 per cent of the African population has Internet access – up from 10 per cent it was in 2010.

According to the 2014 Mobile Media Consumption report released in February by InMobi, 83 per cent of consumers planned to conduct mobile commerce this year – up 15 per cent from last year’s figures. The study includes data from 14 000 users across 14 countries, including Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.

November 20, 2014
Stepping into Maku’s shoes

The Minister of State II for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed last Wednesday took over the weekly post-Federal Executive Council (FEC) briefing of journalists.

The immediate past Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who resigned his position to contest the governorship election in Nasarawa State, was saddled with the responsibility of leading some ministers to the weekly briefing.

But Nurudeen Mohammed, who was named as the Supervising Minister of Information, replaced Maku last Wednesday and had his first session with State House correspondents.

He led three ministers to the briefing who included the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Steve Oru and Supervising Minister of Health, Khaliru Alhassan.

Nurudeen introduced another style during the briefing which was remarkably different from the way Maku handled his briefings.

Although his style, initially divided journalists in the State House, but at the end, most of them believed that it was better as it will prevent repetitions and save time.

His style of briefing was straight forward as he began the briefing by first reading out all the resolutions and contracts approved by FEC that day and then moved straight to the question and answer session.

He allowed the concerned ministers to respond to questions raised by journalists on the resolutions and the projects approved by the Council.

Maku’s style, over the years, had been first going through the resolutions and projects approved by the council himself and then allowed the concerned ministers to make remark again on the projects before allowing journalists to ask questions which will be answered by the concerned ministers.

Journalists, during Maku’s tenure, had wanted either the concerned minister for any particular project approved at the FEC meeting be allowed to speak alone on the issue before question and answer session or Maku to just go through the resolutions and approvals and move straight to question and answer session.

Those, who initially kicked against Nurudeen’s style, last Wednesday, felt that a minister whose project was approved by FEC may not have the opportunity to say something about the project when no question is asked by journalists on the project during the briefing.

They wanted a situation where they could get television shots of each minister while speaking at the briefing session.

But at the end of the briefing, the consensus among journalists was that Nurudeen’s style was straight to the point and will save production time.

Seven ministers’exit: what next?

As at Monday last week, it was not very clear how many of the seven ministers, who indicated interest to resign from the cabinet for further political ambitions had tendered official letter to that effect.

The ministers, who indicated interest to leave the cabinet a fortnight ago, included Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortum, Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Dairu Dickson Ishiaku and Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu.

But the picture concerning their exit became clearer last Wednesday as none of the seven ministers showed up for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

While announcing the names of the seven ministers a fortnight ago, President Goodluck Jonathan had given them the grace to reconsider their decision up till Monday, October 20, 2014.

Jonathan had said: “But if they change their plans, they will continue to be with us. But after receiving their letters and they change their minds, it will be too late. So, if they have to change their minds, they have to change their minds before sending the letter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

With the doors now shot against them, they have no option than to face the governorship race ahead of them.

Lobbying for their replacement is already on top gear even though President Jonathan had, on Wednesday last week announced Supervising Ministers for the concerned portfolios, except for Minister of State for Education, where the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs I, Prof. Viola Onwuliri was moved to as substantive minister.

The President, in the next few days, is expected to send the names of new ministerial nominees, who will take charge of the portfolios in substantive capacity, to the Senate for consideration and confirmation.

Raising ‘Super Eagles’ from agriculture

It is a common practice in schools for a teacher to punish a student who has committed an offence by sending him or her to work on the school farms.

The punishment could be to weed the farm or to plant crops or be involved in the process of harvesting the crops.

At the end of the day, the teachers are the main beneficiaries of the final output from the school farms, while many students who have undergone such punishment only see agriculture as punishment.

But while flagging off the National Schools Agriculture Programme (NSAP) at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja on Monday last week, President Goodluck Jonathan vowed to change such perception.

Everything, he said, will be done for secondary school students not only to see agriculture as a business and means of livelihood, but he also hoped to see the students grow to be ‘Super Eagles’ in the league of Aliko Dangote and Tony Elumelu, who are investing massively in agriculture.

He also looks forward to a situation where the secondary school students will not rely on cutlasses and hoes but use tractors and other modern tools in the school farms.

This is definitely a tall order and I know Nigerians are anxiously praying and waiting for such revolution in agriculture to, at least, ensure food security and to tackle the issue of unemployment among the teeming youths.

October 28, 2014