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| Engr. Sopade |
There
are a lot of people roaming the streets of Nigeria without jobs. We thank you
for creating job opportunities through De Sopas, which has immensely helped to
depopulate the labour market. Can you tell us the staff strength of your
company from the inception?
Many staff have passed through my
company. Over 50 of them have passed directly while over 30 have passed through
us. Directly are those who come for training while indirectly are people who
were employed as workers and they got the idea, when they left, they are still
practising the trade.
Many people are still here including
some of my children. I made sure that
all my male children from the age of eight start coming to the workshop. Some
of them have passed out. They go the normal process other staff go. I don’t
give them the chance of saying this company belongs to my father.
Considering
the location of your workshop, do you feel if you were somewhere else you would
have been more successful?
To God be the glory! I started the
business in Surulere, Lagos in 1974. I had the zeal to make it succeed.
Determination is important in whatever one is doing. One’s products speaks for
him or her not location. I am a trained
blacksmith, I invested heavily in making sure that my products stand out, which
gives me a lot of confidence. I have been producing since 1982.
It takes a lot of creativity, money and time
to create a single machine, but I always make sure that my product’s quality is
high and I also ensure that it works for what it is meant for, so that I can go
to bed and rest. My client may sometimes come with one problem or the other,
but I always make sure that I solve it.
There are a lot of young people roaming the streets that can be engaged through vocational centres. If there are vocational centres in all local governments in Nigeria and they ensure that the equipment there is locally produced, many people will go there to learn trade.
Who
are you clients? Are they based only in Lagos?
My costumers are all over the
federation. There is no state in Nigeria that people don’t know De Sopas
products under bakery and confectioneries. As an engineer you can produce
anything but one needs to focus. So for the past 30 years, I have focused
myself and created my products which are different from the ones imported from
the Europe. Europeans are my master, but I created my own brand that is
different from theirs. That is why De Sopas is different from others.
What
are the major challenges you are facing in the course of producing your brand?
Funding and lack of supply of
electricity are my major challenges. Presently, we don’t have light so I
fabricated my generator by myself and produce my works with my generator. It is
a very big challenge. I thank God who gave me the inspiration to create works
even at 64 years.
Has
any organisation or the government been able to assist you?
It is very discouraging. We have a new
government now so I cannot blame them for not assisting us. The government did
not do anything. I believe the present one may do something. We have hope that
the new government will help us.
For the past 30 years, our indigenous
engineers have been struggling without any palliative measures from the
government.
We are the key to the economy. This is
because it is difficult to produce anything manually. One cannot rely on
importation. Many people who bought foreign products are now suffering in
silence because they always find it difficult to repay those machineries when
they have problems.
Government should encourage us through
the Ministry of Science and Technology. They should have a list of local
fabricators.
We are under the Federal Institute of
Industrial Research (FIIRO), but not much is coming from there. There are a lot
of young people roaming the streets that can be engaged through vocational
centres. If there are vocational centres in all local governments in Nigeria
and they ensure that the equipment there is locally produced, many people will
go there to learn trade.
I set up two bakeries in Lagos for the
less privileged that are paying tokens for the equipment. They bake while bread
sellers patronise them and make profits.
Government should locate the genuine
people , buy from us and give to others.
Despite
all the challenges you have been facing. How have you been able to achieve your
success?
It is through determination, dedication
and passion for my work. Since 1974, I have been working tirelessly to achieve
success. Some people don’t want to suffer but want money.
With my experience as a fabricator, with
the skills I have and my immense ideas, I supposed to have a jet.
We have a great country, so we need to
make her great, that is why I am playing
my part very well. I have designed a lot
of machines for agriculture. I fabricated a ‘green dryer’ for cassava processing during
former head of state, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s regime. I also produced
garri fryer that even a boy of 10 can operate when the campaign for Better Life
for Rural Dweller was at its peak, but nobody bought them.
Over
three decades, you have really built a sustainable brand. In the next ten
years, where do you expect De Sopas to be?
Engineers don’t give up so I am praying
that it outlives me. I love research and watch discovery channels where I see
people above 80 years of age still researching.
Initially, I didn’t know I would be
where I am today. I want to be more relevant to the less privileged in our
society. I believe the government will listen to us one day and help us.
In a nutshell, I concentrate on my work
and ensure that I conquer every challenge that may come my way.
Many Nigerians have phobia in
patronising local equipment, except those that have been disappointed by the
imported products. So I implore my colleagues to make sure that their works are
of international standard. They should pay attention to their clients whenever
they bring any complain so that they will be more convenient in purchasing locally
made products.
Some clients who purchase locally
produced products get disappointed because they don’t go to the right channel
due to the fact that they are looking for cheaper products. I have a client who
has been using my product for over 20 years and they are still working.
What
is your advice to younger generations who prefer to do menial jobs to engineering?
They should go to a vocational school
for training. In Abeokuta where I come from, a boy is encouraged to learn a
trade while in primary or secondary school. that is why people from the western
part of Nigeria are into vocational trade.
Presently, people are focusing more on
books. Government believe in certificate and most of the schools don’t offer
technical education. So those roaming about should learn a vocation even if
they have university degrees.
During former President Olusegun
Obasanjos tenure, he advised the youth to learn a trade so that they will stop
looking for white collar job.
The Nigerian government has the best
brains in the ministry and they know what to do. My advice to the government is
that vocational training should be introduced in local government areas and
primary schools so that people will go there.
People are not supposed to be roaming
about after they are released from the prison. Prisoners eat bread in the
prisons so government should set a bakery there so that they will be producing
what they will eat by themselves. If
they are released, government should provide them with some funds to set up bakeries.
They should not give the ex convicts the funds directly but should contact some
of us in that field since we produce the equipment for bakery.
There are a lot of young people roaming
the streets that can be engaged through vocational centres. If there are
vocational centres in all local governments in Nigeria and they ensure that the
equipment there is locally produced, many people will go there to learn trade.
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