I am currently pursuing a PhD in Entrepreneurship at Babcock University, Ogun State; where I am exploring business growth strategies for SMEs in Lagos.
I am also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria. I hold an MBA from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State; and a M.Phil in Business Administration from Babcock University.
Prior to that, I bagged a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.
Yes, I had. I started my career as an account clerk in 2002 at the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (Trade and Credit Society). In 2008, I worked at the Development Finance and Investment Company, Imo State, before moving to Access Bank (formerly Intercontinental Bank), where I worked as an executive trainee in the Business Development Unit from 2009 to 2012. Afterwards, I worked as the Head, Human Resources and Administration, Boff and Company Insurance Brokers Limited from 2012 to 2015.
As the founder and CEO of Errand Dot Ng Limited, Exponential Impact Development Centre Limited and Comfy Interiors Limited, I currently work full-time leading the teams at those organisations. I am an alumnus of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Foundation, and I currently serve as a mentor there; training the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
I envisioned the future need of businesses in Nigeria and the world at large, especially in the logistics. e-Commerce in Nigeria was new at that time, but I knew it was going to ‘explode’, and there would be a need to move goods from one point to another within the shortest time possible.
My initial capital was about $10,000. I got the initial capital as one of the winners of the maiden edition of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Foundation; as well as through family and friends.
There were quite a lot; from having to deal with various government agencies, particularly when one is trying to do things the right way, to getting employees with the right mindset to work; as well as funding issues.
Absolutely, yes. There are so many illegal operators (unlicensed individuals and businesses) in the logistics space. But, the good news is that the Courier and Logistics Regulatory Department, an arm of NIPOST, has been making concerted efforts, particularly in Lagos, to sanitise the sector for a while. However, a lot more needs to be done.
We do that by educating our riders and drivers to always meet their customers at public or open places. Also, we don’t encourage cash transactions. More so, we take insurance very seriously, especially in a country like ours, where there are a lot of uncertainties.
They must pay attention to structure and process.
I am passionate about service to humanity; fueled by compassion.
I can relate with the feelings of many Nigerians. However, the fact that we are still together as one sovereign nation, is something to celebrate, despite the problems facing the nation.
I believe that I am still at the growth stage. I am not where I ought to be yet, even though I am not where I used to be. Nonetheless, some of the qualities that have helped me in my entrepreneurial odyssey include resilience, growth mindset as against fixed mindset, focus, continuous learning, long-term thinking, hope in the face of overwhelming situation, hard work, and passion.
To non-operators, the sector may appear to have been saturated, but the truth is that the market the logistics businesses need to serve is big and is still growing rapidly. Moreso, many of the new players coming into the space do not usually stay long. They are usually not in it for the long haul. However, it is a sustainable business for anyone looking to build with a long-term mindset. After all, we know of some notable players who have been in this sector for several years, and they are not backing down.
There have been quite a number of them. That includes having to determine staff remunerations, vis-à-vis the company’s income. Another is having to lay-off employees when it is recognisable that the business can longer keep them for one reason or the other. Yet another challenge is having to present and defend business projections before investors and stakeholders.
One of them was having to put proper structures in place, especially when many of the team members had never worked in corporate organisations before joining the company.
Another was funding issues. We also had registration issues with government agencies.
Some of the lessons I learnt include having good business management and leadership skills. Other things I have learnt are empathy and team work. Meanwhile, I am still learning business finance.
That would be proper regulation of the sector by the government, as well as funding. The government needs to provide the enabling environment for the businesses in this sector to thrive.
For me, the essence of life is to serve humanity with my talents and resources, and I believe that our struggles in life should not be to impress, but to impact. So, I do not speak of success per say, but significance— to live a life devoted not to things, but one that is driven by compassion and love for humanity.
I love nature; hence, I like visiting places where I can connect to nature in its truest form.
I love to meditate and write. Listening to music is yet another way of relaxation for me.
