Being a student and an entrepreneur can be challenging – Esther Udoh

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Esther Udoh takes the spotlight this week. She’s a final year Microbiology student of Federal university Akure, Nigeria, who also delves into the world of fashion and textile waste recycling. Through her experiences, she sheds light on the challenges and excitements of being an entrepreneur while still pursuing her education.

Can we get to know you?

I’m Udoh Esther Idara, a final-year student of Microbiology at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). I’m a fashion designer and a textile waste recycler.

Why fashion design?

Growing up, I was nicknamed “Radio without battery” and “Shakara no go end” due to my inquisitive nature and my love for always looking good. As I grew, I began to understand how looking good could positively influence one’s self-esteem, and I decided to use my creative gift to this end. I chose fashion to help a lot of low-self esteem ladies feel very confident in their bodies in well-tailored dresses that uniquely describe their personalities.

What are the challenges you face as a student entrepreneur?

Being a student and, at the same time, an entrepreneur has been quite challenging.
Firstly, having to ensure excellence in both academics and prompt delivery has been quite challenging but at the same time a wonderful experience. Some of the challenges I encountered centered around getting clients (not just any clients, but well-paying clients) and also maintaining the clients.

In a school environment, I had to be the brand; I had to sell my brand because no one would sell it better than I would. I had to wear my brand to every occasion because a potential client could be right there. I also faced some challenges relating to understanding the right pricing system for different attires and sometimes had to bear the consequences of an undercharged job. I also faced challenges with some clients personalities and had to understand that not everyone is meant to be a client, and that has really helped my business grow.

How can you rate you business growth so far?

As a student, I’ve been in business for over 3 years now, and the growth has been massive but not at the point where it should be because of challenges with balancing academics alongside. Comparing the statistics of my current status with when I started sewing, I’ve been able to double my growth in all aspects. The good news is that I’ll be officially launching the brand on August 15, 2023.

What is your view on the MSMEs grant the president mentioned? Do you plan to be a beneficiary? if yes or no, can you give reasons?

The Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Program is a great scheme to help small-scale businesses scale up in this period of economic downshift. This initiative by the president is a great idea, as it will help improve our economy and also prevent a lot of businesses from going extinct. I’d also love to be a beneficiary, as this will also help me gain enough funds to scale up, increase my production capacity, and gain the adequate market penetration needed to make my brand one of the leading fashion brands in a few years.

I chose fashion to help a lot of low-self esteem ladies feel very confident in their bodies in well-tailored dresses that uniquely describe their personalities.”

You mentioned that you are also a Textile waste recycler. Can you explain briefly what this means?

Textile waste recycling is all about closing the loop between the fashion industry and the environment. The fashion industry is responsible for the second-largest amount of environmental pollution in the world. Over 60% end up in landfills or are burned, leading to climate change and air pollution. According to reports, Lagos, Africa’s most populous city and Nigeria’s commercial hub, has a population of over 17 million people. The megacity generates about 11, 000 metric tons of waste daily, amounting to a per capita waste generation of 2kg per day.

These figures are expected to increase significantly due to the growing population of the state. Reports said about 1,320 metric tons, which is equivalent to 12 percent of the total daily waste generated in the state, are made up of textile materials. We aim to make textile waste flow back into the material and product cycle rather than being burned. Products being made include zero-waste jeans, zero-waste pants, bags, etc.

What advice do you have for those intending to start a fashion business?

Firstly, as a prospecting entrepreneur in the fashion industry, understand who your target audience is and how you can reach them because there’s a high level of competition in the industry. Ask yourself questions like, What’s so special about my brand?, and What problem am I solving?. This will help you thrive in the market as an entrepreneur. Also, get relevant skills in the business of fashion, not just the skill itself. To survive in the market, you need to have fashion skills as well as business skills. Also, as an entrepreneur, you are your brand. Represent your brand the way you want to be perceived.


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