Just like
the last edition which held in March of 2018 at the Eko Hotels and Suites, this
was an event geared towards making teeming youth and the odd oldster realize
they can start with less than nothing and still crack this life thing. Unlike the last edition however, this was held 130km north
of Lagos. Having moved my ministry to Lagos in the past year, it was a short
trip #UpNorth after taking a short leave of absence from work. I sole’d my way from Berger and was
welcomed to the visual spectacle that is Ibadan’s undulating terrain. I got
into the hall fifteen minutes after the start and continued on my diet of
carrots and water as my stomach just doesn’t do well with actual food on
journeys. The first thing I noticed was that the capacity and the ventilation
was a massive step down from that of the Eko Hotels.
After
verifying his claims, the return ticket of the person who came from the
farthest distance (Maiduguri) was paid for and he was gifted another N100,000
to boot. The guy enacted some unconventional dance steps and spirits were
raised. That was the first time I
changed my leg pose because I could only find a standing spot at the back of
the hall. It was going to be a long, long, productive day.
Otunba Akin
Alabi (OAA henceforth) remarked that this would be the first of a long running Youth
Enterprise Conference specially dedicated to Ibadan before speaking at length
about his sojourn and undertakings in business since 2003. OAA did not
patronize us with blatantly optimistic one-liners. Instead, he regaled the
audience with a tale of how in 2002, as a corp member, he had to lie his way to
attend a 5-day seminar organized by the publisher of Complete Sports, Dr. Sunny
Obazu-Ojeagbase, who happens to be his mentor.
WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO
IKEJA?
OAA lauded
those who came for the event and mocked those who want it brought to their
doorsteps. It is never not amusing when
speakers ask “can you hear me over there,” and people respond with ‘no’. He
joked he was sorry; that money had blocked his throat. He talked about
utilizing resources and this is where information
product came in. You know how to bathe babies? Make a video and sell. Nuances
come in, but basically ba? Find a way to sell your stuff.
Early in his
career, he took an advance of N3,500 and used it to put a product together.
Within days, he had received orders for several units and after a while, he
realized his profit margins weren’t impressive. So he doubled the price and the
buyers did not reduce. He learnt a valuable lesson on pricing: people
aren’t exactly looking for the cheapest prices/products. They just want
consistent value for their money.
**Jason Njoku and
his slippers and joggers came in at this point. It was 11:30am.
MARKET YOUR MARKET
I shifted my
gaze and started scheming on how I was going to get the lady who occupied the
last bit of ‘wall space’ closest to my standing point to voluntarily vacate
that space. Has anyone else noticed there is a backpain epidemic among young
men in Nigeria?
J.J. OMOJUWA took the stage and spoke (mostly)
about the social media angle of things. He said, and I’m not quoting here, that
you should never be overwhelmed with what you’ve seen people achieve because
what you see on social media are all highlight reels. Immediately, I remembered
that even Fred looked like a proper player on Youtube. He made a reference to
how the foundation of a bungalow is markedly different from that of a
skyscraper. So, don’t kana. He ended by advising folks to add value that
people will pay for to their crafts and not just remain ordinary.
**By hook,
and mostly by crook, I succeeded in convincing the lady some other spot was
better for her view of the stage.
EVERYWHERE, STEW.
I just spent
about eight minutes of my young life debating self on how best to punctuate
the words of Wizkid: everywhere and stew. Sha, that’s how OAA invited
Olashile Abayomi, the soupa-woman to the stage. Sonorous of voice and yellow of complexion,
her grit belies her complexion and general chic-ness. After she missed an
appointment to practically resume with Chevron, she despaired until she thought
“maybe it’s what God wants for me..”
To quell the
murmurs of a suspiciously atheist crowd, she beautifully quipped “I’m sorry, I
know this isn’t church, but this is who I am. I can not not mention God..”
I loved
that. She sold rice and stew in church for a bit, and people would queue and
sometimes even fight for stew. But no rice! She prayed and it finally dawned on
her that everywhere should be stew. She was a decent storyteller. She concluded
by giving advice on:
- Exclusivity: distinguishes you from the pack. No be only you dey do the businesss, but uniquery will stand you out.
- Time management: Avoid “ahn ahn, you did not even ask of somebody,” Shut up there, idiot.
- Ulimately, trust your process.
She prepared
for her presentation and it showed. I enjoyed her session.
Giveaways
ensued, courtesy of Omojuwa. Books, perfumes, other books, a signed jersey from
Victor Moses which was won after alleged Chelsea fans were quizzed with overly
simple questions by OAA himself.
It was Jason
Njoku time. He’s a big man in all
ramifications of the word. Him and his accent told us about how his mother’s
love of movies led him to see a gap; which he took. He referenced the
#10yearchallenge of kids and how your own opportunity would present itself. You
should recognize it and use it.
The plan was
to give ten people a hundred thousand naira each to boost their businesses. The
winners weren’t all present at the event, so OAA asked the audience to come up
with a pitch. Many rushed and all were rejected. Much later, he explained what
he meant and gave a short talk on how to make elevator pitches and write plans
of that sort.
PANEL TIME (1:45pm)
A panel was
constituted and questions were sent in. Jason Njoku, J.J. Omojuwa, Ronald
Nzimora, Soupawoman, Biola Kazeem, Toyin Omotoso and a remarkably eloquent young man whose name I did not get.
In response
to a question, Biola Kazeem said
persistence is key. After repeatedly and religiously visiting a studio for his
career’s sake, he eventually got a break when his boss said “you are one
persistent motherfucker…”
Jason Njoku’s response to a question was to not allow
changes in your personal life affect your work ethic and methods. There were
some decidedly stupid questions as well, and they were very swiftly answered.
J.J. Omojuwa said to look for gaps and fill them.
He said Jason Njoku doesn’t act, but he can make a star of anyone because he
saw a gap.
On “how does
one get started as a female football lover into analysis,” Biola Kazeem said that action is the proof of desire. Just start
first. You will be noticed in time. It’s inevitable.
**At 2:41pm,
someone waved for me to come take up an empty seat.
Another question
read: “I sacrificed myself for my siblings to be educated. How do I do it since
I’m a complete illiterate?” With that, I knew the panel should come to an end. And
by accident, or by design, it did.
The APC
gubernatorial candidate of Oyo state and close ally of Otunba Akin Alabi, Bayo
Adelabu came in at 3:07pm. He talked about the apathy of contemporary youth to
politics before telling the audience about the relatively early deaths of his
granddad (Penkelemesi) and then his dad. His mum and stepmum were too young to
have their lives truncated, so the children moved in with their grandmother. From
his account, he sold pepper and onions before graduating with a firstclass at
OAU with eight employment offers. Things only went uphill from there. His
resume is rich and the man’s achievements through life impressed most everyone.
Bladders were full and mouths yawned with hunger. The man (Bayo Adelabu)
held our attentions still and his session became my own highlight. In conclusion, he said and I quote: “If you’re not
steadfast, if you’re not faithful, if you’re not religious about your dreams,
you can easily derail.”
I thought
his presentation was long, but it was not for nothing. Oyo people have an
impressive option on their hands.
As Bayo
Adelabu left the hall with a number of people struggling to get selfies (and
probably money), the guy beside me remarked in ghastly Ibadan Yoruba
“eni to’n
soro hardwork yi’o le funyan lowo.” In English: “someone harping about hardwork
like this will not even give someone money.” I laughed pretty hard at that. We have
a long way to go, and events like this one will help set things right.
I hope.
Things
petered out and Akin Alabi gave a final monologue which ended with “just
fucking do it”
We just might.
We just
fucking might!
************************
Captaincue...is a freelance writer taking on gigs for unridiculous money. Call/Text 08132150177 now. Let's get started.
