Collins Obdeng is a Ghanaian shoemaker who runs a flourishing company in Lagos, Nigeria, but with his supply tentacles spread across West Africa. Nigeria has been his base for the past 20 years, but ironically, Ghana is where his technical workers are based. In this interview with The Nigerian Xpress, the CEO of Collins Venture, underscores, among other things, the comparative advantage of Nigeria as a big market for entrepreneurs but also laments the lackadaisical attitude of Nigerian apprentices, which, in the long run, hampers national productivity.
How did you start-up in the shoemaking business?
I learnt shoe making right from secondary school back in Ghana. When I finished school, I also learnt auto mechanic, just to add to my skills. But along the line, I noticed I had more love and passion for shoemaking than auto mechanic work. I come from the Ashanti Region. So when my brother was leaving Ghana for Lagos, I begged to follow him. It was when I got to Lagos that I opened a shoe factory, I started my shop and to train other people. So far, I have no regret venturing into making footwear; it has been a rewarding move for me. It enabled me to provide for my family.
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What inspired you into this industry of shoe making?
On many occasions, I see myself in dreams making slippers and shoes. Those dreams inspired me to delve into shoemaking. In the dreams, I made different designs of footwear. That was when it dawned on me that shoemaking is my destiny. And as Christian I do things as my spirit leads me too.
How did you raise your start-up capital?
I at first hawked in the streets of Lagos. Then I went into cleaning and repairing of peoples’ shoes. I did it for six months and saved money with thrift institutions. The money I saved was what I used to buy the tools and machines I needed to kick off shoemaking. I subsequently rented a shop and started my company fully.
For how long have you been into shoemaking?
I have been in it since August 20, 1999. My head office is in Ghana, at Emim in Ashanti region. I produce and supply to Ivory Coast, Burkina-Faso, Togo and Nigeria. In Nigeria, I supply to Abuja, Benin, Bayelsa, Calabar, and many markets in Lagos such as in Kirikiri Town, Boundary market, Agboju market and several other places within the Lagos metropolis.
My office in Ghana is under the supervision of my brother who trained under me for six years before he graduated. I chose to base and focus more in Nigeria because it is where I started from. Besides, I have more market here than in Ghana. I get huge demands for my shoes at places like Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Abia and other states in Nigeria, but I moved my head office to Ghana because I have more workers over there than here in Nigeria.
What is the major business challenges you frequently encounter?
There is no business that doesn’t come with challenges. But in running my business, it can be very tasking trying to please every customer, because many clients can be very difficult to please. Some clients, after making an order for certain styles and colour of shoes, change their mind after you’ve finished their work. They come up with one complain or the other on why they don’t want the shoes again. In this situation, I take back the shoes, put them up for sale, and re-make another type for them. I do this, because I believe that the customer is king, and I have to please them to retain their loyalty to my products.
How would you compare Nigeria to Ghana in this your line of business?
What I have noticed is that many Nigerian youths seem lazy or impatient to acquire skills. The ones I’ve met find it difficult to stay focused and learn the business. Rather they come and then leave probably because they’ve lost interest, or they get fed up. I do my best to train and keep those under me in good spirit. Yet they don’t stay. In Ghana, things are more organised. Once an apprentice comes to our company, he stays and learns the work. He dare not leave until he completes the three years mandated in the constitution of the country. Back in Ghana, I have about 15 apprentices, and I must tell you that they show more seriousness than their Nigerian counterparts.
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How have you been coping with the recession?
To excel in every business depends solely on God. I put my trust in Him to salvage the situation, because if we depend on the economic situation across the globe we might crumble. So I believe that absolute trust in God is necessary. It is only God that gives and also blesses one’s venture. My business is not seasonal, I get lots of demands on a daily basis, and that keeps me busy and in production.
What would be your advice to Nigerian youths?
I really wish more Nigerian youths would show more seriousness to learn this shoemaking from me. If I get someone capable enough to manage my business, I would gladly hand over and then relocate to Ghana or even expand to other countries. But for now most Nigerians that have come to me didn’t show diligence in learning the craft. So I still appeal to both young and old to come onboard and be trained. Even a physically challenged person can be trained. That is one thing that makes shoemaking unique. It is not tedious to learn it. All you need is to be creative and dedicated to it.
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