I’ve been in the textile business for over 30 years. I have always had an interest in fabric making. Back in the day I designed and created my own fabrics and textiles and they were always a hit. People came from all over to buy my fabrics and it was usually sold out in a matter of hours. I am a very creative and intuitive business woman. I found inspiration in things most people would consider insignificant and learned how to draw by trial and error until I got very good at it. Now that I’m much older I don’t do as much fabric designing as I’d like to. This was also my mother’s job so I was exposed to the fashion world at a very young age, and I believe business is sometimes hereditary. When I was at the peak of my career I would leave the house for Aswani market at 3am to set up and sell fabrics. I had over 25 employees and ran a thriving business but I didn’t think of it as work but as something I enjoyed doing. I was a frugal business woman and that really helped grow my business. I created a separate account for my business which is a mistake some SMEs make now. Now things have changed. Shops are more expensive, textile manufacturing factories have shut down, employees aren’t as transparent, less security, and the devaluation of the naira. I remember buying my first piece of land for just 200 naira back in the day.

However my greatest achievement was sending my children to school. My colleagues back then mocked me for sending them to school instead of taking them to the factories to learn the trade. But I’m glad I did