Meet Iya Ibeji, the go-getter

Rather than basking in the euphoria of being a new bride in the city, Iyabo Saudat Lawal decided to look within for what to do to support the family.

She eventually discovered her innate business acumen and with just a little capital, she started trading.

Fondly called ‘Iya beji’ (Yoruba phrase for  ‘mother of twins’) by her customers, she started her business by hawking sweets and cigarettes from Amukoko (a suburb in Lagos), where she lives with her husband and children, to Apapa and then back to Amukoko.

‘I use to tell myself say one day I go get my own shop.’ That optimism that she would one day have a shop to sell her goods kept her going despite the challenges of transporting goods on her head virtually everyday for years.

Out of her daily profit she was able to set aside at least N300 ($1.7) weekly in order to make her dream a reality.

With a savings of N150,000 ($898), she was able to rent a shop in 2005 after building her customer base for 25 years. Located in Apapa, the shop was stocked with biscuits, sweets, beverages and household toiletries.

Having made a name for herself as a whole seller, she added retailing to her business plan. Sales were booming and she made between N40,000 ($239) and N50,000($299) daily.

But with the current growing competition, business has slowed its pace. However, she is still able to close the day with N30,000 ($179) in sales.

A mother of six children, she strived to give her children what she never had – education.

Currently, she has four university graduates while her last two children are awaiting admission into the university. Isn’t she worthy of commendation and emulation?

A great role model to her children and seven grand children, she shows no signs of slowing down as she hopes to open even more stores to sell her goods.

Oluwaseyi Lawal