Auldon Limited, a manufacturing company dealing in African
themed toys was founded by Paul Orajiakor 17 years ago with less than a $100
but today the company is worth more than we can imagine, The company fetches
about $10 million every year. Paul’s story is really a touching one, that will
serve as a motivation to so many, encouraging them to keep pushing forward and
never loose sight of a brighter future. He started his adventure after he was
severally denied visa to the US to search for a more greener pasture, He
narrated his story in an interview with forbes.
I grew up in Warri in Southern Nigeria, and I did my secondary
school education in Benin City. I recall that immediately after my secondary
school education at Igbinedion Secondary School, Benin City, my sole ambition
was to travel to the United States to seek the proverbial greener pastures. I
never exactly planned to venture into the toy business. I was 18 at the time
and determined to leave Nigeria at all costs. So, along with my friends, I made
countless unfruitful trips to the American embassy in pursuit of an American
visa. Eventually, all my friends were given visas, except me.
Naturally, I became dejected and ashamed. I had no clue as to what
my next line of action was going to be. So I decided to stay back in Lagos and
not return to my hometown where I would be mocked by my friends. You see, a lot
of shame was attached to my disappointment at that time, being the only one out
of all my friends who was denied an opportunity to go the U.S. So I decided
that the only way out for me was to stay back in Lagos and work with my in-law
in Idumota market and that is how that reluctant step taken out of frustration
ended up becoming my glorious journey to success and fulfillment.
Idumota is a very
saturated business hub and it’s not exactly the classiest place. Very few young
men I know would like to start out in a place like that? How demanding was it
building a business from Idumota?
I look back now and smile because it was indeed a difficult
decision to make at that time. Idumota is largely congested and is a
hustle-driven environment. It wasn’t fun at all. I felt like a fish thrown into
a sea, filled with sharks and there I was trying hard not to be eaten up. All
these factors emboldened me to strive in making a mark. With this in
mind, I had no choice but to get used to it.
Not long after settling in, the lid on my eyes were taken off
after I came across young men who were doing extremely well in their different
spheres of business.
Just before, I got too carried away I realized it was equally
imperative, that I go back to school and get educated. So while I was working
for my in-law, I enrolled as an accounting student at the University of Lagos
(UNILAG), after which I proceeded to getting a Masters in Business
Administration (MBA) from Lagos Business School, Pan-African University (PAN).
Expectedly, after graduating from school, I became better equipped for the
journey ahead, which saw me take the management and administration of my business
to a greater scale.
Today, I can confidently beat my chest and say, a humble beginning
which started about 17 years ago as a small venture, is now a leading company,
importing and supplying top quality range of educational toys to wholesalers and
retailers in Nigeria. Going back, 1997, when we started, our capital base
was just $30, but as at 2014, the company’s turnover has surged to over a $7
million. We have also metamorphosed into a Limited Liability company, status,
which we attained in 2002 employing well over 400 people, inclusive of direct
and indirect.
Nigeria is not known
to be a conducive environment that enables small businesses to thrive. What
gave you the drive to forge on amid challenges you must have encountered,
especially funding?
You are not far from the truth; I almost gave up because
initially, it was an uphill task building this business from scratch,
especially without funding from banks. It was near impossible to continue, but
my frustration and anger at
at the banking system coupled with lack of support, only made me
further persevere, be more passionate and determined to ensure that the
business grew. I tell you, it would be unfair to blame or criticize some
Nigerian entrepreneurs who fail to surmount the numerous challenges which
stifle their growth. That said, I have come to realize- despite the myriad of
challenges bedeviling them, which range from power, lack of funds, wickedly
high bank interest, lack of infrastructure e.t.c. An entrepreneur can still
attain success, if he/she can recapture the passion and emotions of its
beginning likewise inculcate same in its staff.
What led to the Unity
Doll Project?
Over the years, my attention got drawn to the painful fact that
our cultural values is fast eroding, because most parents this days, shy
away from teaching their children about their culture but instead allow them
imbibe foreign cultures which robs them off their identity and very existence
as Nigerians.
I was saddened to see that most toys in Nigeria have no social and
cultural relevance to children.
For me that was a vacuum, I needed to feel urgently, so I swung
into action in order to make that important change, and that change gave birth
to the Unity Girl Doll Project, a collection of 14-inch child developmental
dolls that represent Nigeria’s three major tribes – Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba –
delivering a social message to infants across the country and by extension the
world at large, enlightening them about the Nigerian culture, allowing them
have a sense of ownership early in life which puts them in good stead to making
a positive impact when they are grown.
For me my passion is educating them before time with positive
Nigerian values and that’s why all the dolls have contents which teach them all
the positive stories and values they need to inculcate as they grow.
With all the challenges threatening to tear us apart coupled with
the tribal sentiments causing division among us, we have asked ourselves what
will unify us as a country. Although we have diverse cultures, our strength
comes from our diversity that is why we did our research and decided to
inculcate in our infants the need to embrace their indigenous culture and that
of others early on. By so doing, it becomes easy to love others, because the
message that we are one is passed to them from the beginning, also we are
mindful of the fact that the girl child is a future mother, and would be home a
keeper someday that would keep the home and by extension the nation together.
So you would agree with me that it is only wise to give them the needed
positive start that would make them great mothers, with their very first doll.
We have created a doll that is bound to inculcate in them the
following, moral values, social values, social relevance and natural uniqueness
which distinguishes us from foreign cultures alien from ours.
The dolls come in 14-inch sizes and are dressed in local attires
likewise posses the following characters; Amaka (Ibo), Ronke (Yoruba) and Aisha
(Hausa). The three dolls contain booklets that tell you about the rich culture,
robust background, language and all other important detail of the three main
tribe; Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba. One other thing worthy of mentioning is to
present the Nigerian girl in looks peculiar to her, not the kind of looks that
do not really represent Africa. What we have done is to create dolls that have
relevance to us, look like us and portray our image in the right manner.
As it concerns the age bracket, we try to create a doll that a
child as young as one year can use. The dolls have other features that older
kids can use also. The Unity Doll also possesses beads, which children can
customise and wear on the dolls, or on themselves. We tried to make the
dolls fit for any young girl to use so that at every stage of her life, she
finds something relevant to her age in the dolls. But our target, are children
between the ages of 1- 10 years.
How well have
Nigerians taken to the Unity Doll and how strong are your distribution
channels?
I am very pleased at the level of acceptance of these dolls and
our other toys all over the country which has been massive and this are
connected to the following reasons, namely; affordability, premium quality,
availability, uniqueness and most importantly the educative value the dolls
offer. So it is safe to say we are a market leader with strong prospect for
increased growth. Currently, we distribute to all leading retail outlets and
supermarkets across the country, namely Game, Shoprite, Spar, Next, Park n Shop
Emab, and so on, the list goes on. Our visibility level is very high and that’s
because there is a growing level of attachment between the dolls and our target
market which are the girl child ranging from age1 – 10 and their parents. Unity
Dolls has also started a fan club for the girl child where they can be groomed
with positive key values needed to grow, and it is open to all children who
fall within the stipulated age, 1-10. All they need do is register or have
their parents register for them to become members on Unitygirlfanclub.com
website. We also hope to increase distribution and presence over a period.
Teachers also appreciate it, for obvious reasons the educational
value it gives and the fact that children learn faster when they are taught
with fun things that easily captures their attention. That is why, If you
observe these days, most things in nature are replicated in toys.
For instance, when teaching a child about fruits say an Apple, you
show him a replica of that fruit, so he/ she can grasp easily, same goes for
animals, e.g. Zebra, you must show the child a zebra toy because children
no longer go to Zoos to see animals. In the same vein, you find children
learning how to become engineers by dismantling and assembling toys.
That’s why I always appeal that parents buy educative toys that
possess good quality for their children. You need to be sure of the quality.
Toys should be safe for children to play with. We want to be sure
that children play with toys that have social relevance and not ones that teach
violence. That is why if you go around our shops, you will never find a gun toy
in whatever form. We do not even sell toys that have violent features. We
ensure that our toys are 90 per cent educative. We deal more in educational
toys because we believe that aside being in business, we want to impact
positive values on our children.
Are there CSR
initiatives you intend to embark on?
Yes, Auldon is very passionate about CSR, there is quite a lot we
have done and especially in the area of education. No good man forgets where he
is coming from. As part of our policy, my company ensures that part of the
proceeds from the sale of our toys is donated to some reputable
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for the promotion of the girl-child
education. There is also a percentage that has been set aside
for the promotion of the girl -child education from
each doll sold. If you look at UNICEF statistics concerning the girl child, you
will find out that the Nigerian girl-child is one of the most
disadvantaged in the world. Statistics has shown that the
girl-child, especially from the Northern part of Nigeria, suffers from neglect
in all ramifications. We are aware that little contributions like this, as well
as working with reputable girl-child foundations, would make a great
difference.
Also, Auldon has just
concluded the renovation of some schools in dire need of refurbishing. A school
in Ikorodu which was in a sorry site has just been completed and would soon be
commissioned by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola. I also take it
upon myself to lecture students, in all Technical colleges across Lagos State,
business skills that would see them become independent after graduation.
Any plans for the
future?
At the moment we are working very hard on a number of ideas
targeted at ensuring that Unity Dolls are present in every home in the country
two years from now; also Auldon is hoping to strategically set up offices and
retail outlets in the 36 states of the country most importantly satisfying our
ever increasing demand for the dolls. New educative features that would engage
and thrill children are also been conceptualized by our research team.
Also in the next five years we are planning to replicate a family
fun resort, in the mould of Disney, after which our eyes are set on expanding
to other frontiers, both Europe and Africa. Already there has been significant
level of demand for Unity dolls, in Europe and Africa, Particularly Africa.
What we hope to do in those places is to first of all gain significant presence
in select countries in both climes, particularly Africa, especially where
demand is highest after which we would then start customizing/ adapting the
Unity Dolls into their own culture. We would love to one day be like ToysRus,
the world’s leading kids store for all kind of toys.
Another thing; Auldon is considering assembling toys in the
country so that it can create more jobs for people. Nigeria does not have the
expertise to manufacture world-class toys, so what we plan on doing is get
Completely Knocked Down Toys (CKG’S) that will be assembled here in the country.
To this effect we have set the ball in motion to partner Lagos State Technical
and Vocation Education board, where we can teach the students the process of
assembling CKG’s after which they are employed after graduation.
Orajiaka is hoping to bag a degree in Entrepreneurship as he is
currently studying for a Doctorate in Business Administration [DBA] at Henley
Business School of the University of Readin,He is the Chief Executive Officer
of Auldon Limited. He holds a Master of Science degree in Management and a
B.Sc. degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos, an Executive Master in
Business Administration and an Advance Management Programme Certificate from
Lagos Business School of the Pan Atlantic University.
No comments:
Post a Comment