‘Oriflame has turned many Nigerians into entrepreneurs’

Hanna Einarsson, managing director, Oriflame Cosmetics Nigeria Limited, says the company has turned a lot of Nigerians into entrepreneurs through its services.

Oriflame is a cosmetic company, selling beauty products. People pay a certain amount, join the group and become part of the company, according to Einarsson.

“We provide opportunities and platforms. Nigerians are so ambitious, so here is good match. A lot of Nigerians have become entrepreneurs from us,” she says, in an interview in Lagos.

According to Einarsson, Nigerian entrepreneurs should begin to think of exporting locally available products to Sweden.

“Nigeria can export cocoa, palm oil, gemstones and shea butter, which is used in cosmetics, to Sweden,” she says.

She says Swedish companies that are not yet in Nigeria are missing a lot, as there are enormous opportunities in the country that dwarf gory tales they often hear about Nigeria.

“We are a country of nine million people, but we have great inventions. Sweden can have collaborations with Nigeria in agriculture and ICT,” she says.

The event was an opportunity to inaugurate Oriflame office in Ikeja, Lagos, as a new Swedish consulate in Nigeria’s biggest commercial city. The inauguration was conducted by Swedish ambassador to Nigeria Inger Ultveldt. With the inauguration, Einarsson becomes honorary consul responsible for trade and other commercials.

“This is how we want to bring more investments from Sweden to Nigeria and create more job opportunities. The Swedish people need to get their eyes open to Nigeria. Nigeria is often misunderstood in the media abroad. People just hear of gory stories of Nigeria like Boko Haram. We are so excited to show another side of Nigeria which is its entrepreneurship and can-do spirit,” Einarsson, who is a Swedish citizen and has lived in the country for seven years, says.

ODINAKA ANUDU