Hi everyone. Good evening. This is Bekeme, and you are listening to The Good Citizen Show. I hope you have heard a fantastic week. I am having a great week. More relaxed. More rested, after a very long busy period with the launch of our Earth Women. And I am very grateful to be here in another Friday to be discussing with you solutions to Nigerians problems.
We are going to actually kick of a series, starting today. We are kicking off an entrepreneurship on The Good Citizen radio show. In this series, we will be featuring Nigerian entrepreneur who are making an impact in their chosen field. The purpose is to promote legitimate business endeavors amongst Nigerians. We know how it is. How we always say, there are no opportunities, and how everything seems harder than it already is. Yes, it is hard, but it’s not as hard. And most people these days seems to think that the only way to make it in life is through crooked means.
So, we want to show you by example, that no matter what, in what endeavor you have chosen, there are people who are making it in life. And you know, I was having this conversation with an older friend, and he was like, so I said, what then is success, and he said success has to do with your values as person? Because, I might just have a house that I can rent, a bedroom. Sorry, a flat that I can rent. 2-bedroom flat in some suburb of Lagos. I can pay my children school fees. I have a business that I go to everyday or a job. You know, I have some savings and I am fine.
Some people may live in a 5-bedroom house, in an upper scale area, take their kids to some of the best schools, but their challenge could be, I couldn’t fly out this summer, and they are thinking, oh, look at my peers, they have bought two houses and I am not doing well. So, I think we need to really stop and put things in context.
Did you know, according to a survey done Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, in 2015, out of every Nigerian individual, 35 are involved in some sort of entrepreneur activity, and Nigerians are not deterred by the fear of a new enterprise will incur. Some of the happiest people in the world. We are not afraid of anything. Any which way is a way. We will make it. You know, there are plenty others who think otherwise. But then again, we always focus on the positive.
And the survey confirms Nigerians are entrepreneurs. We are an entrepreneurial nation. Where most adult Nigerians see opportunities in entrepreneurship. We believe in our entrepreneurial capacity, where we declare ourselves ready to start a business.
Now, Silicon Valley data actually points to the fact that only about 25% of businesses are actually remains still after 5 years in business. Yes, we are willing to start, but are we are willing to stay put. In fact, in my own life, I have met many people who had had crazy beautiful ideas, and you would see them in life, you will wonder what happened to those ideas. They did start or they went off way to start them off, but there were probably challenges of staying put.
We are going to be talking about entrepreneurs of different facets of life. In different levels, or at different levels, some will be the average person on Nigerian social media. They will say, oh, ah, he is a billionaire. We know how we are now. Everybody is a billionaire on social media. Some are people like you and I. The average people who are making it work less in the way that it deems fit.
We need to welcome our guest today. His name is Ibrahim Bakare. (Voice becomes inaudible). Ibrahim is a co-founder of a nail shop. It is called Sugar Coat Tips in the Agungi area. I like to say he is a nail boss. He co-founded it, or he co runs it with his brother and a friend. They have been at these for years now. And you know, I have ben going to his shop for over 3 years. Probably more. You know covid has made us lose count. And I thought about it recently, I felt, I don’t know, I have been going there for over 5 years. And it seems like we all go there for a certain reason, and we hope we are able to communicate to you today as you listen to the show.
So, thank you so much for coming Ibrahim.
Ibrahim: Thank you
Bekeme: Okay. So, I hope it wasn’t too hard coming in here and I hope you were prepared o. All those things that we normally discuss.
The thing is, when I get to Ibrahim’s shop, there is always so much to talk about. we are watching movie, and we say, hey, why did they do this? Why did they not do that? And again, this is why we are here. I just figured that wow, okay, not every Nigerian is the average crazy person on twitter barking rubbish. Some people are actually thinking reasonable. Not everybody is following criminals on social media. Some people are realizing, they need to stay steady and steadfast. Okay?!
So again, welcome to the show, Ibrahim.
Ibrahim: Thank you
Bekeme: Thank you for taking time of your busy schedule to be with us today. So, Ibrahim just give us a background about you. How did you? You are in the nail business. You have been in the nail business, how many years now?!
Ibrahim: Hmm. If I don’t lose count, maybe 14 years this year
Bekeme: 14 years
Ibrahim: Yeah
Bekeme: So, you have been in the nail business for about 14 years. How did you start off?
Ibrahim: hmm
Bekeme: Family life, you know?! Tell us about yourself
Ibrahim: My name is Ibrahim Olarenwaju Bakare.
Bekeme: Okay
Ibrahim: Talking about the nail business, I didn’t sit down and think about being a nail technician
Bekeme: hmm
Ibrahim: I even want to say, I would say nails choose me. I didn’t choose nails
Bekeme: Hmm Hmm
Ibrahim: Growing up, I had two aunts that were into nails
Bekeme: Okay
Ibrahim: When I lost my groundmom
Bekeme: (Cuts in) hmm hmm
Ibrahim: I started roaming around the streets after coming back from school
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: After secondary school
Bekeme: hmmm
Ibrahim: One of my aunts of was like, okay, why don’t you get something
Bekeme: Right
Ibrahim: Going around. Playing with friends
Bekeme: Hmmm
Ibrahim: I got interest in cobbler.
Bekeme: Hmm hmm
Ibrahim: Shoe making
Bekeme: hmm
Ibrahim: Then I did that for about 3 years
Bekeme: Hmmm
Ibrahim: While doing that, I still go to one of those my aunties shop
Bekeme: hmmm
Ibrahim: Every Sunday
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: to help her out
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: But along the line, I lost interest in the cobbler
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: Then, when I was in the business, I was already interest in female activities and all other. I was like okay; I am interested in going to learn how to do makeup.
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: That is makeup artist
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: Then, that year, I remember, the money was so much. It was about 150k
Bekeme: Right. Apprentice on? Okay
Ibrahim: Yes
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Makeup artistry
Ibrahim: She was like, since you have been doing this female thing for a couple of years now, why don’t you just
Bekeme: (Cuts in) continue
Ibrahim: Perfect it
Bekeme: Right
Ibrahim: And then, you can actually use it
Bekeme: Hmm hmm
Ibrahim: You are good at it
Bekeme: Hmm hmm
Ibrahim: and most of my customers like you
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: I just thought of it, And I said, okay, no problem.
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: So, I did a year internship with her. A whole year, no off day.
Bekeme: Hmm
Ibrahim: From Monday to Sunday. No off day. That is 365 days
Bekeme: (Laughs) Wow
(Bekeme and Ibrahim laughs)
Ibrahim: It was crazy
Bekeme: wow
Ibrahim: We thank God today
Bekeme: Hmmm
Ibrahim: We thank God today. Then afterward, in the buildup over the years and
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Hmm hmm
Ibrahim: now, I am happy I am doing it
Bekeme: Yeah. You started off as an apprentice. You wanted to go into cobbling, and you were just doing these by the side. Like the nail stuff
Ibrahim: Yeah
Bekeme: in order not to
Ibrahim: (Cuts in) Every Sunday, instead of staying at home, playing with friends
Bekeme: Right
Ibrahim: And all that and roaming around the streets
Bekeme: Right. So, you decided to do that. Now, tell us about your family background. Your parents
Ibrahim: Ah. I lost my mom thirty years ago
Bekeme: Oh wow
Ibrahim: When I was still a child
Bekeme: wow
Ibrahim: Yeah. I can’t remember what she looks like. She clocked thirty years this year.
Bekeme: (Cuts in) Oh right
Ibrahim: That she died
Bekeme: right
Ibrahim: Yeah. My dad is still alive
Bekeme: hmmm
Ibrahim: We are all boys. Seven boys
Bekeme: Wow
Ibrahim: Seven boys. My family background
Bekeme: (Cuts in) What did your dad do? Does he still work
Ibrahim: Not anymore
Bekeme: hmm hmmm
Ibrahim: He is a furniture person
Bekeme: hmm hmm
Ibrahim: After we started working, we started making some change
Bekeme: hmmm
Ibrahim: We were like okay, you are an old man now
Bekeme: hmmm
Ibrahim: Instead of roaming around and stressing yourself
Bekeme: hmmm
Ibrahim: Let’s take of you now
Bekeme: Right
Ibrahim: You have tried in life
Bekeme: We stopped him from working, maybe three years ago or four years
Ibrahim: Okay
Bekeme: So, currently he is just on salary. He is not doing anything anymore. He is just enjoying
