02/09/2019
THE LAND IS GREEN
It was around 1996. He had finished his National Youth Service and was in dire need of a job. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get a job regardless of his Second Class Upper Degree in Computer and Electronics Engineering. It was an austere time in the country- unemployment was severe. A lot of young people were leaving the country in search of greener pastures.
Nnamdi opted to work as an apprentice learning how to repair computers in Ikeja. He later opened a very small repair shop of his own while squatting with a friend since he had no money.
With time his clientele grew because of his honesty and premium on customer service. One day, an old customer he met as an apprentice visited and told Nnamdi he would love him to operate from a larger store in a serene environment. To help him out, the customer brought some computers for Nnamdi to sell. From the proceeds of the sale, Nnamdi set up a new befitting store. He paid N180,000 for the store back then.
From the new store he began to sell computers. As the business grew, customers began to demand for more outlets close to their vicinities and for mobile phones. Nnamdi keenly seized the opportunity and expanded his business to selling mobile phones.
Lacking knowledge of how to manage a growing business, he enrolled for an MBA program at Lagos Business School. After few years of dedication and hard work, Nnamdi and his team built his brand- SLOT, into the most reputable mobile phone retailer in Nigeria.
Owing to poor services of telecom operators, a lot of Nigerians purchased more than one phone so they could fall back on a different network when one was bad. Nnamdi identified this problem early and approached Nokia, the leading mobile phone brand in the country. He tried to persuade Nokia to produce dual SIM phones for the Nigerian market. But they ignored him - after all, people buying several phones meant more phone sales for them!
Nnamdi did not give up.
He went to China and sold his vision to a former employee of Bird, another mobile phone company. They teamed up and Nnamdi registered a company in Nigeria called Tecno. The first Tecno phone, Tecno 101 was rejected by the market because it was faulty. They produced a second version, Tecno 201 which was much better and gradually began to sell in the market. To pe*****te the market they gave their phones to marketers on credit to sell and pay later. Nnamdi practically self-funded the entire operation.
When the phone began to thrive with huge market demand. Nnamdi and his team requested for advance payment before supplying the phones. They used the advance payment to produce more phones.
Initially Tecno was a phone for low income people but with continuous improvement in quality coupled with the slump in the economy in 2008, more and more people embraced the much cheaper but functional Tecno phones.
Today Tecno and its spin off brand, Infinix are the fastest selling phones in the Nigerian market. Thanks to Nnamdi Ezeigbo - the visionary founder of SLOT Stores and Co-founder of Tecno and Infinix, who saw an opportunity to solve a problem and seized it!
Ironically, Nnamdi Ezeigbo became a billionaire in the same country he couldn't find a job by solving a problem.
Today a lot of Nigerians are frustrated, and rightly so. Every Nigerian has a legitimate reason to complain. Nigeria is plagued by myriads of problems - lack of basic infrastructure, lack of social amenities, decaying institutions, horrendous unemployment, near nonexistent real sector, economic strangulation, among others. Scurrying off to greener pastures has become the best bet for a lot of young Nigerians seeking a brighter future. And honestly, I don't blame them.
However, we must realise that every human problem is an opportunity. Nigeria and the rest of Africa are saddled with mounting problems - and this literally means that Nigeria and the rest of Africa is a sea of opportunity. Problems are opportunities. Opportunities are everywhere! As bleak and hopeless as things may seem Nigeria is a pot of gold. The question is what can you see? Can you see these opportunities (problems)? Can you hear the cry of the needy? How can you solve problems around you? How can you make this country better? How can you positively impact your world? That is the key to success and greatness.
As Mike Murdock, the American Pastor rightly said: 'Money is the reward for solving human problems'. Henry Ford became a billionaire by giving the world affordable cars. Bill Gates became a billionaire developing software that gave the world access to the computer. Mark Zuckerberg became a billionaire by connecting the world on social media. I can go on and on.
The reason a lot of people do not see these opportunities and cannot seize them is that most people are not ready to serve. Their focus is on taking and not on giving. If you want to be very successful and grow to your fullest potential, you must learn to serve. When you serve everything you have ever desired and much more will follow naturally.
According to Zig Ziglar, the famous American motivational speaker, 'You can get anything you want in life, if you can help enough other people get what they want'. In the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jnr, the celebrated civil rights activist: 'Everyone can be great, because any one can serve'. The principle was established by our Lord Jesus in Luke 6:38, ' Give and it shall be given unto you'.
So I ask you today:
What problems can you solve?
What needs can you meet?
What difference can you make?
Start solving problems. Start meeting needs around you. Make a difference today. Nigeria is full of problems. And so Nigeria is brimming with opportunities. THE LAND IS GREEN!
Today I encourage you to follow Nnamdi Ezeigbo's example - seize the ubiquitous opportunities around you by becoming a problem solver and launch yourself into untold success and greatness.
Because indeed, THE LAND IS GREEN!
Copied.
