One of Connect Nigeria‘s primary objectives is to promote Nigerian entrepreneurs who are making an impact in Nigeria. We were therefore enthusiastic about meeting a young promising entrepreneur Cajetan Ezeorah, who is making waves in the non-for-profit sector and running a social enterprise that is empowering youth in agribusiness as well as teaching other vocational skills.
CN: What does your business do and how does it solve people’s problems?CE: I run a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) and a Social Enterprise that helps us to raise funds for the sustainability of the NGO. The NGO is called Care of the Estranged for Social Development (COTE) while the Social Enterprise is called Coteworld Enterprise (www.cotengo.org).
The two organizations help to solve problems in the Nigerian society through the Centre for Learning and Service (CELS) project doing the following:
Empowerment of unemployed youths in Agribusiness and other vocational skills.
Reduction in youths’ participation in social vices and crimes.
Increased food production in the country
Reduced number of unemployed youths in the country
CN: When did you know that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?CE: I started out on my own in 2004. Though as a little kid, I convinced my parents to set up businesses for me in 1988 (provision shop) and 1989 (poultry) respectively. I did not do well then due to a lot of distractions and lack of skill. I think that I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur, though I had also gained experience from working with some organizations in the past.
CE: What would you say has been your greatest challenge since starting your business?CA: My greatest challenge has been funds for expansion. This is owing to the fact that NGOs are not profit-oriented, which led me to set up the social enterprise as a fundraising and support arm for it.
CE: What motivates you?CA: My key motivation is that I love rendering service to people. I mean putting smiles on peoples’ faces as a result of the services I rendered to them. My motto is “Serve to Learn. Learn to Serve”.
CE: What are your top 3 books for 2014?CA: My top 3 books for this year are:
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
Focus by Daniel Goleman
How Stella Saved the Farm by Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble
CN: What would you say was the defining moment that took your vision from a dream to reality?CE: It was sometime in March 2004 that I had a discussion with two friends of mine on the effects of unemployment and the scourge of HIV/AIDS among Nigerian youths. Afterwards, I immersed myself in a deeper research across the media especially the internet. What I found out blew my mind. Then, I started to talk to some societies in my parish in order to share this knowledge about the impact of HIV/AIDS scourge and youth unemployment in our society.
CN: Who are your target audience?CE: My target is youths between 17 and 30 years of age. This is because I saw them as being more vulnerable or easily misled at this prime stage of their lives.
CN: If you had to give three business tips to every person that is considering starting a business in this industry, what would they be?CE: I would say:
Believe in God and your potential.
Be determined to achieve through hard work and collaboration
Serve the course and persist despite all odds.
CN: If you were given capital to further your business, where would you invest it?CE: I would invest it in our Agribusiness (i.e. the social enterprise) in order to expand our frontiers and gradually build the CELS project (Centre for Learning and Service) for our unemployed youths. The CELS project is built on a sustainable model that will ensure that it is replicated in other communities within and outside Nigeria. Each CELS project can provide accommodation as well as empower 100 young people with agribusiness and vocational training for eight months to one year. Afterwards, we will advise and assist them to set up their own businesses.
CN: What are your views on agriculture in Nigeria?CE: Agriculture should be the biggest provider of employment in our country, if the Government can teach and empower a lot of youths to embrace the sector.
This is because we have 84% of arable farmland in this country compared to other African countries like Kenya that has only 17% (yet they produce more than us). We also do not need to export so much since we have the population that can swallow up all our produce after harvest and still be asking for more.
Nigeria has about 60% of her youths unemployed. You can imagine what will happen when we empower and properly re-orientate these young minds towards safer and quality food production. The unemployment rate will drastically reduce because these empowered youths will set up their own agribusinesses and employ one or more young people too.
The Govt. should enact laws that compel all players within the sector to focus on:
Producing safer and quality food products
Stopping the promotion of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) as a healthy option.
Empowering the unemployed youths
Ensuring good storage of produce to avoid wastage.
CN: What are your plans for the next few years?CE: My plans for the next few years are:
To sell at least a million copies of my book titled: Servant Leadership Footprints to individuals, schools and corporate organizations in order to fundraise for the CELS project (since 70% of the proceeds from the book is donated to CELS project).
To expand my agribusiness projects and subsequently replicate the CELS project nationwide.
To replicate CELS in some African countries through partnerships with other organizations.
To increase the number of CELS recipients from 1000 to 10,000 within the next 15 years.
CN: What role does the internet play in your business?CE: The internet has helped my business a lot especially in research, right from inception. I am currently working on expanding our frontiers through:
Creating a bigger and more business compliant website.
Putting our agribusiness products like dried catfish, etc for online purchase and delivery.
Leveraging on all social media platforms to advertise, sell and promote the entire business.
CN: Would you like to expand outside of Africa?CE: Yes, of course. I have already seen COTE’s future as an internationally recognized organization with its headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.
CN: What is your favourite quote?CE:My favourite quote is by Marianne Williamson and goes thus:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.”CN: Who is your business role model?CE: My business role model is Mr. Fela Durotoye. I have done some things with him in the past and was very pleased with his personality which is centred on integrity, humility, passion for the young people and belief in a better Nigeria. He is a visionary too.
CN: What are your hopes for the Nigerian business environment in 2015?CE: My hopes are long overdue and include:
Good and exemplary leadership from the Government and other political appointees.
A more conducive environment for business growth devoid of violence and crimes.
More friendly policies
Proper enforcement of punishments for violators especially those that cut corners.
More socially-responsible businesses that are fulfilling their promises to the masses and not paying lip service to them.
