By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Without any formal education, Ogbuefi Rose Nduka was able to establish a clothing business, rising from nothing to a big enterprise, where she traded in all types of Jorge materials, headgears and lace at the popular Balogun Market, Lagos Island.
Although she saw the four walls of a classroom, she ensured that her six children were all educated.
Tin this interview, the 80-year-old businesswoman narrates her struggles and how her initial idea of establishing a business turned into great fortunes, contributing to the success and wealth she enjoys today. She also talks about the consequences of poor parenting:
What were your early struggles and the lessons you learnt from them?
The journey was long. I suffered so much and it wasn’t an easy road for me, but I am grateful to God for the path he took me through. I have greater heights in all of it. He beautified me and the grace of God equally organized my steps.
I was a typical village girl. I was born without a silver spoon. Since I was not born into a wealthy family, I struggled as a child because I lost my parents at a tender age. I took care of myself, basically, and I had to mirror myself to my children to follow in my footsteps in order to lead a noble and humble life. I never had formal education because there was no opportunity. The only one that I got was to trade and I had to engage in business. I started by selling fish. The experience was harsh. I spent days on the road. We had to follow some processes before we could get the fish to the towns where it would be sold.
I didn’t enjoy my childhood since I was an orphan. The struggles to make ends meet were very many. I did a lot of menial jobs so we could have food to eat. I never entered even primary school. I was in the creek for days before I got to the town where I sold the fish in the market. I can’t even count all the turbulent experience I encountered. But in a nutshell, I lived in extremely poverty and hardship.
How much did you start the business with and how did you raise the money?
I got engaged in thrift, what is known as Ajo, in Yoruba parlance (a type of savings and contribution that is done daily, weekly or monthly) and the money varied, depending on how much the person was expected to collect at the end of it.
The cash was taken in turns, I was involved in three different places. They knew me to be an upright person, and I didn’t fail whenever we were making our contributions. Whenever I was in need of money to boost my business, they would lend money to me. I would pay back and continued my normal savings contribution. I never had any transactions with banks.
How did the business grow and what state is it in now?
I started very small but the business grew and I was buying a lot of Jorge materials, headgear and lace. There was patronage and I expanded. My lifestyle changed from extreme poverty to great wealth. I am no longer doing business because of my age and you know the roads are not friendly.
Also, I went into coma but God restored my life. My children instructed that I stopped trading; they take care of my needs. I am living comfortably with so much joy in my heart. The struggles and suffering of my early life are now history. God made all things possible and beautiful in his time.
Did you ever run into any risk or trouble, considering security challenges in Nigeria and you were leaving home to trade by 5am?
No, I didn’t. God helped and saw me throughout. There was a boy from Anambra State who stayed with me for five years and I trained him. The English I speak today is the one my husband taught me when we got married.
I carried huge amounts of cash around because the society was safe. Sometimes, I would go from the house to the shop or shop to the house. That was my daily routine.
I didn’t go to the bank. I kept the cash either in my shop or at home. Those places were my bank, since 1970, with my husband, before he died about five years ago.
As you celebrate your 80th birthday, what gives you the greatest sense of achievement?
I am grateful to God because He took care of things. I didn’t know that I would be able to cope and make progress when I started business, coupled with the stress. I was able to surmount all the challenges. It was the profits from the business that I used to train my kids, all six of them. There are five males and a female, who have all graduated from various tertiary institutions in the country.
I give God thanks because, as a poor village girl and an orphan, my story was changed. I was never a big man’s daughter but God saw me through. My children are doing well and I am enjoying the fruit of my labour now. I have 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Female children usually suffer more when their parents are poor. What do you think can ease this suffering of the girl child?
Empowering the girl child would certainly reduce poverty. If a woman is not given western education, she should be given African education by learning a skill. She should have a business. African women have a history of entrepreneurship dating back to the pre-colonial era.
But in this 21st century, women in Africa are at the lower deck of economic breakthrough in comparison to men.
Even if both men and women operate in the same business climate, women are usually poorer and are harder hit by adverse economic situations. Oftentimes, they self-develop their businesses and skills; they also seek, create and self-fund opportunities, but these efforts are usually met with huge obstacles and barriers.The exploitation of the girl child is everywhere in the country wherever they find themselves in poverty-stricken homes. Sadly, too many girls are in poverty by mere reason of their parentage and Nigeria’s structural defects.
What do you think should be done to draw attention the poor state of girl child education?
The girl child faces tough times in terms of getting unhindered access to education. However, in any society, education remains a vital tool through which the citizenry could positively contribute to nation-building. Good education could easily translate into increased number of young women with the prospects of securing high-profile jobs as well as higher earnings.
Young women could become productive and live independent lives, without being burdens to others. They wouldn’t have to depend on anyone before they could access the basic necessities of life.
In Nigeria now, young children are in a hurry to do things. What is your advice to them?
The children of nowadays do not listen anymore. When my children were in school, before they would leave for school, I usually sat them down to talk to them and advise them. I told them that I was not a rich woman, even if I was married to a rich family. Their father didn’t help out, and do as I do, and they listened to me. There’s nothing that my children would do that they don’t seek counsel from me.
Now, we hear more of fire incidents and shops always getting burnt; was there anytime you encountered such?
No, not at all. I never recorded such an ugly incident.
There are vices in society that can affect the upbringing of children. When you notice such traces, as a parent, how do you retool your child to achieve robust parenting?
A lot of vices in the society are traceable to parenting. Most women don’t know how to train children. If you give birth to a child and the child starts developing, you will guide the child using various principles. Although there are some children you will speak to and they won’t listen to you, if you have such a child, you must deploy all correctional tools to ensure that the child gets back on track. There are some who could be very stubborn, no matter what you tell them, they will never accept. You could use the rod of correction, counselling, gifts, including food, to win their hearts.
I will attribute the surge in social vices, including drug abuse, rape, cultism and ritual killings, to poor parenting.
There are some children that would have character defects. When you notice such attributes, you should device a model that can work to curb such character.
One needs to pray to God that their children won’t be disobedient. Any child that is being spoken to and did not adhere, you must caution them. They are supposed to reason with their parents.
At 80, what impact did you make in your children’s life that has made you proud as a mother?
I was able impact positively in my children’s life because they had the right value. Whenever they tend to go astray as they grew older, I ensured the right punishment to put them on track.
Today I feel great. It is my best day on earth and very fulfilled. I am very happy to witness this great celebration.
My children are celebrating my testimony today. I was in comma and I was restored to life. I appreciate this celebration of life that I have witnessed and not waiting until when I die, before throwing a big party to honour me.
You spent your younger days to sell at the popular Balogun Lagos Island Market? How were you able to cope with people from different culture, the bustling/hustling life in Lagos as a mother of six adorable kids?
For over 45 years, I sold Jorge material, laces and scarfs in Lagos Island. I started this business before I gave birth to my last child who is now 45years old.
It was not a smooth ride but I felt really good trading. I never had issues with the Yoruba ethnic women in the market. At home, I never had a domestic staff aside my children and younger sister who was assisting with the chores while I go out for business. People should be patient and wait for their turn and be content with whatever they have. Life is a gradual process and they should live it at a time.
What were the challenges you encountered and what advice for younger women?
My husband was the challenge I had then but I was able to manage the situation despite the stress I went through. God was with me at all times and poverty is a bad thing. If a woman is not empowered, you have no credibility in your home. My advice to women is to have their own cash. Get engaged in a credible means of livelihood, no matter how small it is.
My younger sister was living with me, then she was a great help to my family. She assisted me in taking care of the children. A lot of people thought she is my first child. While I go to the market to sell, she would take care of the home. I delegated some of my authority to her. As the children left for school, so my sister equally did. The country was safe at that time. People hustled and made a living from it. There was nothing like ritual killings in the society or other security challenges as we know it presently. There is so much fear and insecurity in the land at the moment. In the past we slept without fear. The streets and roads were safe.