BOOK DESCRIPTION
(Plus Stories/Lessons From My Parents)
INTRODUCTION
One of the biggest blessings I am grateful for is my parents. Both my parents had successful businesses that took care of the family and ensured they lived a life of relative comfort even now, in their old age.
Both of my parents didn’t make it through High School. The story is told that my mum told my dad of her future ambition to become a school teacher, but he instead convinced her to do business and set up a grocery store for her when they got married. The rest is history. They both, by the grace of God, managed and run businesses from which they fed their children, provided quality education, supported their extended families, and gave to causes they had affinity for, while still ensuring they had investments that today, ensuring their relative comfort and continued support of causes even as senior citizens. While their level of education and exposure may not have afforded them the wisdom to grow businesses that would outlive them, I would say they have and are still living successful lives.
I learned to speak English first in my nursery school. The first language I learned and spoke is Yoruba. My parents naturally communicated with themselves and to my siblings and me in Yoruba; especially because it was easier for them. My siblings and I had a strict upbringing. My parents would regularly share proverbs to punctuate and drive their points when speaking to us. The proverbs were also always there when they were admonishing, scolding or even joking. We didn’t understand a few of these proverbs initially, but as we grew up, we did. Some of the proverbs had to throw more light to help us understand. We heard these proverbs so much that even as adults, my siblings and I would be having conversations and using these proverbs (especially saying them the way our parents would) and burst out laughing. In the midst of the mirth and laughter, the point would have been made. As an adult, I for one, would sometimes be at a crossroads of decision-making and would literally hear my mum’s voice and just do what I need to do. For instance, a lot of times, I would run in the rain to my car parked a few minutes away, instead of waiting for the rain to stop, because I can literally hear my mum saying; “Ọlẹ ló ńwojú òjò “, meaning it’s a lazy man that observes the rain.
Both my parents are proudly Yoruba. According to Wikipedia, the Yoruba ethnic group as of 2022, total about 50 million people in Africa and makes up about 21% of Nigeria’s population. We are not just found in Nigeria, but also in other West African countries like Togo and the Benin Republic. My parents are from the subgroup of the Yoruba people called the Egba people. The Egba people are an ethnic group in Western Nigeria, majorly from the central part of Ogun State, the capital of which is Abeokuta. While my mum is from Abeokuta South, my dad is from Ewekoro. The Egba people are known to be highly intellectual, artistic, and extremely vocal. Historically, the ancient Egbas were freedom fighters and agriculturists, while some were missionaries and prominent businessmen. The Egbas are known to be industrious and culturally rich as seen in our dressing, food, and cultural ceremonies. Both my grandfathers were farmers.
My parents, because of their entrepreneurial life, got us to be involved in business early. They ensured that we got quality education and backed it up with home tutors. We were exposed to their business; after all, (as they would say) that was where they made the money used for our upkeep. With the Nigerian education system, there was usually a gap of about 3 to 4 months between when you would write your High School exams (in June) and when you would get into the University (usually in Septem-ber-October), assuming there were no workers’ or teachers’ strike. My dear Egba’s mother ensured my siblings and I spent that time engaged in her business. No, she didn’t pay us salaries; she opined that it was not necessary since she and my dad were responsible for our welfare. So, in the family and as a fresh school leaver, you were either one of the sales assistants in her wholesale plastic trading outfit or you were the Company’s driver for that season. Unfortunately, I failed my first university entry examinations (known in Nigeria as the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Examination – JAMB), and had to be in the business longer. In the second half of my “internship” that year, I was the Manager of the store and I remember getting real-life and hands-on exposure to the economics of demand and supply. This was because this period coincided with a military regime and the associated scarcity of petroleum products. I watched the dynamics of trading and how the price of a consignment of jerrycan and its associated profits or loss would change while it was still in transit because of a sharp rise or a drastic fall in demand. These exposures
would go on to stimulate my interest in the business. I made my first go at business after my university education and while I was an intern on the route to getting my professional Pharmacy certification. I used to travel to the widely acclaimed Tie and Dye/Adire markets in my hometown of Abeokuta to buy and resell the fabrics which were gaining popularity in fashion at the time. This was in 2005.
Seventeen years down the line, I have since resigned from the multination-al where I worked and I now fully run a retail Pharmacy chain in Lagos.
The proverbs shared here have helped shape me and are particularly so relevant in business and life in general. I have bunched proverbs sharing similar ideas together and accompanied them with musings and real-life occurrences that put the proverbs in proper perspective. I hope you enjoy reading them; and importantly, find them insightful and providing relevant direction. Let’s get down to them right away!