A lot of us wait for the “perfect opportunity” to do certain things in life. We wait for “big money” to finally start that business. But we have to realise that manna will not fall from heaven.
Vincent Adeoba knows something that a lot of us don’t, which is that there’s no such thing as a perfect opportunity. We have to use what we have to get what we want.
Starting a business with just 200 naira, in a hostel room, while at Obafemi Awolowo University, Vincent has grown his business to over 2,000,000 naira a month!
I started my first business with #200 (Two Hundred Naira) because these market women supported me. If you are conversant with Obafemi Awolowo University, Central Market, you will probably know the two women in this picture Iya Yemisi and Iya Quadri, the other man is the husband of the old woman that I used to buy groundnut in bulk from, she could not make my convocation but she asked her husband to represent her. They are part of my success story as far as my graduation from OAU is concerned.
I always share the story of how I started my first business with #200 (a dozen of groundnut and a bag of purewater) in my room in ETF Hostel in my year two because things was so difficult that semester. I have no other alternative than to start something to sustain myself because I was tired of borrowing money from friends to feed and I don’t want to keep pressuring them at home.
With determination and hard work, staying awake in the night sometimes even though I have 7am class the following day I grew the business from #200 to #500,000 sales per month and #2,000,000 sales (#2million) per semester. I employed at least six people as managers that I paid their salaries and fed. I moved from being a beggar to someone feeding others. I discovered during
that period that we may never discover who God want us to be until we go through tough time.
But the whole story cannot be complete without appreciating these women and many others who on many occasions sold crates of egg, tomatoes paste, salt, groundnut, pepper and many other things for me on credit to support me. Also my wonderful room mates especially Seun Adesida, Adewunmi Tolulope, Monday, Isaac Chima and many others who assisted me whenever I wasn’t around.
I learnt a lot as the CEO of that business, in fact I became most popular in ETF and Central Market. It also helped me to emerge as Accounting Students President for a whole session. My room was the most frequent room in the hall, we have to run 18 hours per day. I was the seller of last resort especially for those who have gone to read overnight.
My best moment in OAU was with these old women in the market. Their distance smiles anytime they see me coming is forever sticked to my memory. The surprising thing is that they are muslims while I am christian. But religion never brought any disagreement between us but instead we cherished each other and shared a lot of things together even personal issues. They took me like their son. We even ate together on many occasions in the market.
Sometimes I always wish we can live together in this country without turning our religion differences into a basis for hatred. I believe our differences should bring us closer because it is a strength rather than the weakness we see it as. Our differences should harmonize us rather than tearing us apart. Progress is easily achieved in an atmosphere of love and harmony.
My friend life may be tough for you now, but you can be tougher, you can turn your difficulties to opportunities and make something worthwhile out of your life.
As at today I am a CEO of my company today “Seravision Brooks Business Solutions”. Although we are still small, my vision is to become like microsoft and provide employment for millions of people all the world.
Even if you are from a rich home that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t develop yourself, you can start a business or learn something not because of money as your case may be but because it will serve as a way of developing yourself. You will be able to learn a lot of things that will be useful for you in future.
You don’t have excuse for not succeeding. I know your story may be so pathetic and you see it as a reason good to accept failure. Let me tell you something, greatness is in you already, but you have to work hard to bring it out and I know you can. I wish you success in all your endeavors and whatever may happen along the way, never, never, never, never give up and don’t forget to always appreciate people God used to make you who you are. #support Sera Sandals Project with just #500 and impact a student life. #IamVincentAdeoba: I-Lead, I-Inspire, I-Impact. #seraschoolsinitiative #shununemployment
So what are you waiting for, get up and get going!
Because to Nigerian bosses, “going above and beyond” means actually dying for the company. This article will teach you how to give them what they want, even if it’s eye service.
The electricity workers’ strike that left millions of Nigerians in darkness lasted only as long as a Fela song. But what were the issues? And is this the end of darkness?
Start by going to different churches and saying you’re a new comer. If they don’t give you jollof rice, they’ll at least give you chicken pie and coke.
Last weekend, Orijin, the custodian of culture was the toast of the Big Brother Naija Saturday night party-themed Orijinal Ankara party. Saturday night parties are the highlights of Big Brother Naija weekends and Orijin delivered with melodious afrobeat music, flamboyant fashion, and its unique taste. The Level Up housemates partied away decked in stylish Ankara […]
With podcasts all the rage now, we’d like to see how you create yours. And yes, we can totally tell what your toxic trait is from your preferred options.
While we know that a lot of the best Nigerian artists deservedly have fans across generations, that won’t stop us from attempting to guess how old you are based on your taste in Nigerian music. So, take this quiz to see if we got it right:
Are you an ajebutter or not? Well, if you’ve gone through life blissfully unaware of its harshness, then you probably are. Now, we want to know just how high you rank on that ajebutter scale, using your food preferences as a (very accurate) measure. Take to find out:
Last month, we thoughtfully made a quiz telling you guys exactly when you’ll marry, but some of you claimed that your spouse was nowhere to be found. Well, now we’ve created one that’ll tell you exactly who you’ll be dragging down that aisle. Take and start planning that wedding: 11 Quizzes For Nigerians Who Are […]
Regardless of what society has tried to tell us, enjoying sex is not something to be ashamed of. So, in a bid to celebrate our generation’s sexual agency, we’ve created a quiz that will accurately (again, keep your complaints to yourself) infer how many people you’ve spelt with. Try it out: 11 Quizzes For The […]
Running for over a decade, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire remains one of the most beloved shows in Nigerian history, with many of us fantasizing about appearing on it and winning the grand prize of ₦10 million. Well, we gathered 15 real questions from the show to test how you would have done. Go […]
Nobody will pass off a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to KENYA with the winner of Nigerian Idol Season 7. So if you are still thinking, dreaming, waiting, or thinking you have enough time, then you are wasting time because this promo is ending on the 7th of June. Do we have your attention? Here’s […]
Feel like you’ve run out of interesting places to hangout or visit? We’ve got you. Iba Ajie is a new spot we highly recommend if you are looking to explore places in the Eastern part of Nigeria. If you’re wondering what makes this spot special, here are 5 reasons. 1. There is a Chophouse Yes, […]
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari opened 2021 with a national address to Nigerians. We know you did not watch it, so here are seven things Buhari said in his address.
Remember the Nigerian boy who was seen doing ballet pirouettes barefoot and in the rain, in that viral video? Well, he’s been offered a scholarship by the prestigious American Ballet Theater. With the help of American actresses Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo, the video garnered 15 million views, ultimately leading to Anthony Madu being offered […]
Nigeria is a shitty place for those who live here, many seek an escape route. But, amid the insecurities, bad economy, and the uncaring government, some things happened this year that make us feel thankful. Yeah, we know, hard to believe right? Yet we need to end the year on a positive note, so here are some […]
We got an expert mixologist to help us bring one of our sponsored VRSUS videos to life by mixing varieties of chapman. Little did we know she was also a chef until we got in a conversation with her, while sipping our sublime drinks; no they were not spiked. Apparently, Yetunde Anikulapo Kuti, professionally known […]
Nigerians are yet to come to terms with the fact that cats can be pets but now have to deal with the fact that someone thinks a lion is tame enough to have as a security guard. Reports now confirm that a two-year-old lion was discovered in a residential building in the Victoria Island area […]
The 8th edition of the popular beach soccer tournament, Copa Lagos held throughout the weekend at Eko Atlantic, VI. It had us loving the opportunity to immerse ourselves in enjoyment. You should know by now that we can’t pass up a chance to get the ultimate weekend experience. And you know the fun part? We […]
I have always heard stories about how one has got to be sharp if you are walking on the streets of Lagos so you don’t end up saying, “Had I known,” to your friends and family while crying tears of blood. Oftentimes, I laughed it off, because who could be sharper than someone born in […]
In case you went under the rock this weekend then you MISSED. There was a lot of excitement for our Nigerian superstar musicians and the spotlight was on them, big time. From the much anticipated Headies award, to the birth of Davido’s son, Naira Marley’s legwork and his subtle shade at the organizers of the […]
What happens when a group of chatty young Nigerians talk about things they're passionate about? You get Nigerians talk. A show that discusses very familiar struggles for the average Nigerian. From relationship deal breakers to sex education with Nigerian parents to leaving Nigeria, be prepared for a ride.
What happens when a group of chatty young Nigerians talk about things they're passionate about? You get Nigerians talk. A show that discusses very familiar struggles for the average Nigerian. From relationship deal breakers to sex education with Nigerian parents to leaving Nigeria, be prepared for a ride.
Life is already hard. Deciding where to eat and get the best lifestyle experiences, isn't something you should stress about. Let VRSUS do that for you.
Z! Stacks
Here's a rabbit hole of stories to lose yourself in:
What happens when a group of chatty young Nigerians talk about things they're passionate about? You get Nigerians talk. A show that discusses very familiar struggles for the average Nigerian. From relationship deal breakers to sex education with Nigerian parents to leaving Nigeria, be prepared for a ride.
What happens when a group of chatty young Nigerians talk about things they're passionate about? You get Nigerians talk. A show that discusses very familiar struggles for the average Nigerian. From relationship deal breakers to sex education with Nigerian parents to leaving Nigeria, be prepared for a ride.
With podcasts all the rage now, we’d like to see how you create yours. And yes, we can totally tell what your toxic trait is from your preferred options.
Join The Conversation
Bring a friend.