Boss Of The Week

Dr Stephen Akintayo: Leading Gtext Homes to Strategic Marketing Advantage

Published

7 months ago

March 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo and Omotayo Omidiji

There are very few Nigerian billionaires, who have remained accessible, display humility among humanity while engaging ferociously with the legitimate business of creating and recreating wealth, making live liveable for the citizenry and giving the government of the day the leeway to provide adequate democratic dividend for all and sundry. Prominent among them is the multi-faceted, multi-talented, resilient and ebullient entrepreneur par excellence, Dr. Stephen Akintayo, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Gtext Homes, and its many affiliates, the Stephen Akintayo Consulting among very many others.

In this brief chat, the soft spoken go-getter, who practically rose from the proverbial grass to grace, tells the story of determination, resilience and focus. His life trajectory culminates in why everyone is a candidate of success, irrespective of the background. He tells how he doggedly built his empire via strategic marketing advantages, and rising to the status of king of real estate.

Excerpts:

HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT THE RELATIVE HUMILITY YOU ARE TODAY ASSOCIATED WITH?

Well, I think it is relative as you said. I am not sure everyone believes I’m humble, and the reason is that, I am a very straight shooter. When issues come, I confront them headlong. In my office, you will hear people say do not go and report people to oga because if you go, he will bring both the person that said something and the accused and you will confront each other. And because of that, some people have the perception that I am a straight shooter. For me generally, I have been through a lot in life, capable of making anyone humble normally. I grew up in the northern part of Nigeria, and at some time, in the village, where there was no running water, and no electricity. I had to fight for everything in life.

It’s humbling however, to note that I started my business with one thousand naira, and for us to be in the four continents of the world, I had to keep proving myself. Sometimes, I get into rooms, and overhear people saying I’m fronting for someone. They are like how come he had achieved so much at such a young age. Some even make bold to say…maybe he is doing hard drugs. I just laugh, and keep proving myself.

IN YOUR LIFE TRAJECTORY, DID YOU BY ANY MEANS MAP OUT YOUR STAGES BECAUSE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU SEEMS TO BE FOLLOWING A WELL PLANNED SEQUENCE

At the age of 17/18, I read the books that changed my life. I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Think and Grow Rich and others. The books woke me up to know that it is not degrees that is going to make me rich. It made me know that degree is just about going to school and being enlightened. If I want to be rich, I needed to do a trade. Having gone through that book at the age of 18, I started my first business as a very shy person, and my first business was multilevel marketing of food supplement by GNLD. It was difficult to market a drug, as I couldn’t look a potential customer in the face, but the book I read said if I could do this, I would become rich. So I had to.

I started business by selling e-books from day one in the university. I was just sold to doing business; hawked electronics and all stuffs. I failed many times doing business but I kept at it because I had no choice, and because we were not rich and money was always an issue, so I just had to keep at it and that was it for me.

SO YOUR TARGET WAS JUST TO BE RICH?

My target was to be financially free. I hated poverty. My mother was always borrowing money to pay my school fees from our neighbours, who incidentally were her juniors, but she had five children and my dad wasn’t financially stable to support her. They will then look at her with disdain and still not give her the money, saying our children too have not seen help. I just hated it. I hated that we were poor. I did not see a toilet we could flush until I was 13 when we moved to a new house, a government quarter because my mum worked with PHCN. It was just marvelous that we could sit, defecate, and flush a WC. At that teen age that I read that book, I just started planning that this is what I needed to do, and I remember as a student, I had a picture Ark. I had a list of companies I was going to own from media to real estate to production companies. Now, I am beginning to tick them out.

AT WHAT TIME IN YOUR LIFE COULD YOU DESCRIBE AS YOUR TURNING POINT?

A lot of people ask me this question often times, and my answer is always that there wasn’t really a major turning point except for 2015. The business that eventually became a mainstay for me was the bulk SMS company. We tried to convince companies that we could market their products by sending SMS. We had email and phone number database where we could help them send SMS to a large number of people. But at some point, I became indebted without even borrowing money. This was because I was representing a university in Hungary then. Along the line, we did a transaction, which the university later cancelled despite receiving processing fees from some applicants. They insisted I must refund their money, to the extent the matter was settled at the police station. The Police advised I should sign a post dated cheque for the refund to avoid embarrassment. This was in 2012. That is why when people ask why am I this bold, I tell them, I have been through a lot.

I came out of that experience, and restrategised, and within a twinkle of an eye, companies like Chivita, PZ, Unilever, Indomie became our clients, and by 2015 election, we were handling Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s SMS Campaign nationwide, Buhari’s e-mail Campaign nationwide. I was even picked up by the DSS in the cause of the job. I have been through a lot.

WHY WERE YOU PICKED UP BY DSS?

I was never told other that it was order from above. I told them I was the one handling the president’s SMS campaign but they did not bother a bit. So I followed them to their office until my lawyer, Dr. Ope Banwo, arrive to help secure my release. I also did an article that went viral titled, “How Jonathan sent DSS to arrest me.” In 48 hours, we had over 5million hits worldwide, infact some opposition thought I was part of why Jonathan lost. All in all, that 2015, was our breakthrough year because everybody was our customer. We had a single transaction worth 30million and I think at the end of the year, we made over 200million naira. And that was the year I also know the next thing to do?

It was in October of that 2015 that we went into Real Estate. We couldn’t just continue to rely on the Tech thing, which is always through third party platforms. But now, we are using all platforms for our social media clouts, and digital marketing. We train companies on how to use social media. I wanted to build something that is standing on something solid, and that was why we delved into Real Estate.

WHAT WAS THE FEELING LIKE WHEN YOU MADE YOUR FIRST MILLION?

It was actually the first 30 million, and it was exciting. I paid off a lot of debts. I remember I had to lodge in Protea Hotel, the one in Alausa for that night. And incidentally, that day was my birthday, I laid on my bed and just said thank you Jesus. So I started calling my debtors, I paid all of them and this excites me that I could pay back, because these were people that insulted me then.

I grew up with only values, no money. We were poor but we were taught key values, key moral. My mum and dad were not rich but they were people of sound values. I was so happy to pay back. Infact I need them to know that I have integrity. Those experiences made me know Nigerians are bullies by culture and character and you need a bigger bully to deal with them.

This is why businesses are dying in Nigeria, Once you are still small, everybody wants to cheat you. I was happy to pay; to pay my landlady after owing for like over a year. I earned who I am today, at least with God’s grace and mercy. I worked hard for what I own, and what I represent today. I worked hard every single minute of my life.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE DELVING INTO REAL ESTATE, GTEXT AND OTHER BUSINESSES, AND HOW ARE THEY THRIVING NOW?

For me it was a case of asking yourself what’s next because my dad, based on his own level became successful as a young man at age 20 as a construction contractor. He had a breakthrough in the Northern part of Nigeria but he is from Ogun State. In no time, before I was even born, the business collapsed as the northerners started doing their own construction. So I grew up meeting a father who practically had no job, and became a prophet. So growing up, I made up my mind that I will not build my business on government contracts, and that is why it is easy to be upfront. I did not collect any contract from the government even real estate. I buy from families. My dad’s story taught me to innovate and evolve, and that was how real estate came in. I needed to have a back up; something solid on ground. I needed something physical so that when people talk, they will know we are doing a real business not audio real estate business. We needed something that is physical and not social media. I needed to document my journey.

AT THIS AGE AND LEVEL OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENT, CAN YOU SAY YOUR ARE FULFILLED?

I can not say I am fulfilled. You know I told you I have this ark, and I have only touched 10 percent of it. My advice to people that are worried about me is that they should not worry, I have not started, you will have to ask questions for a long time. We have a long plan, and it is a global empire that we are building and as the Lord keeps us alive, we would redefine what it means to be wealthy in Africa.

WHAT IS THE NEXT ITEMIZED STEP IN THIS GREAT ARK OF YOURS?

Media and movies. We are hoping to achieve them this year. We are looking forward to getting a radio licence, buy an existing radio station, and a production company. We are into Netflix, Amazon and Prime. We have two movies we are working on, and one is actually about my mum.

You know, as you start building an empire, cost of marketing and PR becomes heavy so it is wisdom to own your own media to make it cheaper, and for collaborations.

Also, we are building up to four hundred houses on credit union, to help our balance sheet, and it is a 150 million dollar project in Texas. And we are looking at introducing Credit Union too in Nigeria to make mortgage easy for people who want to buy properties.

ON A SCALE OF 10, HOW FAR HAVE YOU GONE ON THE AFOREMENTIONED PROJECTS?

For us, vision is key, and it is a process. By August, we would do ground breaking and begin proper construction. It is seven to ten years plan so we are hoping that phase one will be done in two years, that is fifty unit housing which is residential. It will be the largest in the US. We would use solar, wind energy and it is going to be smart housing so we go commercial from the seventh to tenth year, and will be putting a golf range, acquarium, shopping mall and a couple of other commercial facilities.

YOU WERE RECENTLY RECOGNISED BY FORBES, TELL US ABOUT IT

We got Forbes Best of Africa and Real Rstate Mogul award. It is probably the biggest award I have received so far; it was humbling, and I am probably the youngest recipient ever. In fact, recently, Forbes African team were in my office in Ikoyi to talk about possible areas of collaboration. They recognised us on two levels; one is on investment coaching because they have seen how I have written over forty books and a good number of them is about teaching and mentorship. This is what it is; it is not really about building businesses because we know about how entrepreneurs thrive on other people’s money.

One level is African investment coach and another level is as real estate mogul. For the real estate mogul, there are companies that are way bigger than us and for us, there were a lot of innovation we brought into the real estate space. For example, we started 24/7 operations where customers can call us at 2am and make payment and we attend to them. We pioneered that and it is free. We also partner with DHL, to ensure documents are safely delivered anywhere in the world. So if you buy land from us in Nigeria and you are in Australia, DHL will deliver your document to you in front of your house without any extra cost; those were the innovations. We are also into virtual inspection and virtual allocation. We brought a lot of ideas into the industry, so for us when we grow into a sector, we look at how we can deepen the sector, things that others will copy from us, but we do not mind since we are able to help increase transparency. We were also the first to talk about green and smart homes in Nigeria, and at some point, we had to slow down because of dollar issue.

Now what we do about our estate; we just model and house our staff. For some reasons, we have moved to Dubai and now we have over hundred housing units there just to be sure that our investors were getting good Return On Investment, but I must say, we had our hands burnt, I lost over a million dollars in Dubai.

In business, you don’t give up, you learn from the mistakes and challenges, and move on. The problem most enterpreneurs have is their inability to learn from elders. Personally, I enjoy the counsel of elders. They will help you shape some perspectives of your businesses. Many think I am a one man business, but they don’t know the many people behind me, who can vouch for me. I run my business in a very transparent way so integrity is key for me.

YOU STUDIED MICROBIOLOGY; HOW COME NONE OF YOUR BUSINESSES ARE RELATED TO IT?

I always encourage young people who follow your platform. I had this brother who has a university degree. By the time I visited him, he was living in one room with eight of his siblings. He said egbon things are difficult, I remember going back to school that day and I kept saying to myself I will never end up like that man. I will not only focus on the course I am studying, but I will try many things, and whatever will bring me out of poverty, I will embrace. You know many of us studied courses based on what was given to us. While at school, I wasn’t even the best student. It is interesting to note that the best student then once begged me for job after graduation. I just told her I can support her but I won’t give her job for obvious reasons.

When I left school, I tried printing hundreds of CVs in a bid to secure a circular job, but all to no avail. One of my potential employer even advised me to go and continue with my popcorn business, that one day something great will come out of it. I did bulk SMS, I posted it on walls, at every bus stop from Sango-Ota to Ikeja-Along, that was the only thing I could do. I would go to school, beg them to subscribe to my bulk SMS business, that was the only thing I had, and my mother had died of Ovarian cancer then, and she was our breadwinner. I was chased out of my friend’s house where I was squatting, and I had to go back to the only house my mum built at Sango-Ota.

We hardly eat, but at least we had a roof over our heads, and that explains why real estate is important to me. I have been through a lot in my life but one of my biggest regret is my mum not being alive today. She died because we had no money to take her to a private hospital. By the time she was taken to a private hospital with help of colleagues, it was too late. She died two days after she was operated upon. The disease had already spread. For that, I don’t joke with people’s health, and my employees can attest to that. I lost my mum because I had no money. She couldn’t even live to witness my graduation.

So, that is why I have serious dislike for poverty, and also why I am writing books to teach people. I am sent to my generation and I want them to know how to make it and that is why I am writing books. I am open to writing a book with Dangote so that he can at least teach us, share his story of how he started, built his career so that young people can follow. The youth just want the elders to show us the way, to let us know they also passed through the same phase so when I am going through my own, I can understand that it’s a phase that will pass. Look at what Tony Elumelu is doing through his foundation. We also have foundation through which we give out grants. We also support widows and pay many children’s fees.

WE ALSO KNOW YOU ARE A PASTOR, TELL US ABOUT IT?

I started pastoring as a teacher in my secondary school. I went to a Christian primary school. My fellowship in secondary school and university took me as their pastor. I also pastored Winners Chapel Campus Fellowship then in few years I became ordained in my church but after a while, I pulled out of pastoring and the reason is obvious. I realised that it became a tool for blackmail. I am a businessman and that’s why I do not use the pastor title. The title I use is doctor because I have been given honourary doctorate degree and I have decided to stick to that.

PEOPLE ATTACH YOU TO WINNERS CHAPEL, WERE YOU ORDAINED THERE?

Yes, but I am no longer part of the pastoral thing, but I’m still a faithful and loyal member. For me, I do business with you because I am a businessman not church member or because I am a Christian. My advice is do not use sentiment, do not get carried away by religion, investigate whomever you want to do business with, do business because you are convinced they have something of value to offer you. Always remember we have a bullying culture.

I believe strongly in giving; my life has changed because of giving, and I am very much committed to that, but sometimes it is good to separate some things from some things; business is business, church is church, ministry is ministry, and I am not involved in any administrative thing in church. I used to be involved in church adminstration, but I pulled out because I started travelling, I got so many responsibilities. So, if you hear people call me pastor, know they are members from time past. They still call me pastor privately, it is between us, not everybody.

IN A NUTSHELL, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU ARE A MAN WHO BECAME RICH BY BOOKS?

By books, yes, fear of God, and integrity. Like I said, people cannot start trusting you with millions of dollars if you have not shown some level of integrity, I think that is important and I want to encourage the young people that business do not always go right, but do your best to show integrity. I have a consulting programme where I charge twenty thousand dollars but it is for business owners whose business is bringing over a million dollars and they are trying to take the business international, they want certain structure. What I make from coaching is more than enough. I still loan my company till today, a lot of people do not know that there are some rich people in this country, I manage personally their social media page and there are things behind the scene that some people do not know. Some people think my only company is real estate; business is business, but what has helped me more is integrity and transparency.

I am a Havard trained real estate investor. I also have the fear of God and mentorship. I also have enjoyed counsel and support from people who study me. We started real estate in Nigeria then moved to Dubai where some average property is almost five hundred thousand dollars and in one year, we became the largest black home brokerage by volume of what we were doing. And this is owned by a black man. We are in the U.K and US as well. We have housing units in Alabama, and everybody plays by the rules including family members.

WHAT CLOTH DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN?

I love Agbada, I used to be a suit guy but as I start doing things internationally and I saw the reputation of Nigerians internationally, I had two options: either I pretend not to be a Nigerian or I wear it as a badge of honour. It is when they see that integrity you bring to play that you can start changing that perspective and perception because many of what is going on is the perception internally, we don’t trust ourselves.

AND YOUR BEST FOOD?

It used to be fura when I was in the north, in the south it is Amala and Abula, gbegiri and ewedu together. I am an African man.

I have been to about hundred cities in the world

AND WHICH OF THE CITIES IS MOST EXCITING?

Manhattan, New York. This is because of my love for real estate. Whenever I’m in Manhattan, I always insist on high floors, from where I can have an overview of the city. For me, it is a way of meditation, love and attraction. I will be looking at those buildings and say to myself, one day I will build one.

DO YOU FOLLOW SPORT, WHICH OF THE TEAMS DO YOU SUPPORT?

I used to follow Chelsea but I changed to Liverpool.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED?

Twelve years, I got married at twenty six.

DIDN’T YOU THINK EARLY MARRIAGE WAS GOING TO AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?

No, my wife and I have been in business together since our campus days. We met on campus during the days of bulk SMS. She understood my dreams and my aspirations very well. Now we travel a lot with the kids. We spent Christmas partly in London, the U.S. and Dubai. I just move around with them.

ARE YOU IN COMPETITION WITH ANYONE, ESPECIALLY IN REAL ESTATE

No…but it’s rather unfortunate that you are not in competition with anybody but people are in competition with you. I wish everybody well, and for young people, I now run a CEO retreat, where i train real estate developers. If you sit somewhere and envy me, that is your business; there is nothing I can do about it, but I have learnt that it is a sign of growth. For me, where I am going is more important.

WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE, AND THE WEALTH YOU HAVE ACQUIRED, WILL YOU DESIRE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN THE FUTURE?

As at today, No. But the truth remains that I am politically aware, and I understand political strategies. I can sit you down and tell you how you can make your move, and remember I am a trained digital marketing guy, I understand all those things but if I want to do politics, what am I going into politics for? I am a young man, I have connections, contacts but must I go into politics to have power? No.

I advise young people who rush into politics to build a name, if you do something solid the politicians will beg you because they know you have the solution, the capacity, and the answers. For me, I am very well positioned globally, growing my business is very important to me, supporting people in government across the world. We want to start partnering with people in government but we want to make sure our record is clean, our stories are clear because if you do not tell your stories, others will tell their own and their own will become the truth so we need to tell our own.

I have no political agenda, I have friends in all parties and I will continue to have friends in all parties but no plan to join politics. However, no one knows tomorrow, and can’t tell what the people can demand tomorrow. But as at today, that is not a headache I can afford to carry.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME SIR

Boss Of The Week

The Impactful, Philanthropic Life of Medical Genius, Dr Flora Obiageriaku Aladi

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Young, trendy, energetic, humane and an absolute go-getter combine to define one of Nigeria’s exclusive achievers, who are making waves across professional divides and geographical locations. She is Dr. Flora Obiageriaku Aladi, an eloquent, dexterous and capable medical hand, who has sworn to affect humanity with all that she is blessed of God.

A Nigerian-born Canadian, whose educational trajectory took shape from the University of Calabar, Cross River State, where she had her medical education, obtaining a medical degree in the bargain, before immigrated to Canada in company of her young family of her two children in 2003 to join her husband.

On arrival to Canada, she enrolled at the University of Calgary, trained in family education, and obtained a degree in Family Medicine.

Saddled with the principle of human life, Dr. Aladi has not failed to use her experience, training and resources to see to the wellbeing of hwr immediate community, Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the universal being. This, she has been doing in over 13 years of medical practice and exigency.

Dr. Aladi oversees the Health Watch Medical Clinics, which currently operates at two locations (Mckenzie Lake and Chinook Park Plaza) as the Medical Director, bringing to bear the experience of a thoroughbred professional, whose stock in trade is care of humanity.

Not only is she a medical specialist, she is an American board certified Independent Medical Examiner, with special interest in women, maternal and child health, Anti-aging, esthetics (skin care and body sculpting), obesity and men’s sexual health. It is not an understatement to absorb her as an all-rounder, infact, a medical accomplishment personified.

An academic of no mean repute as well as an author, she has distinguished herself in the area of research, publishing ten papers in the areas of health disparities and fuzzy logic (Organizational Informatics).

In recognition of her accomplishments, Dr. Aladi has been nominated twice as the Alberta Family Physician of the year by the Alberta College of Family Physician.

In March 2019 she received a prestigious award of Excellence by the Alberta college of Family Physician/College of Family Physicians of Canada making her the first Nigerian to receive this award in Canada.

Also in 2019, and 2022, she received award from Women of Vision “Above and Beyond award” for her support towards a successful conference. She is also the first female medical doctor in her home town hence the origin of the nick-name “trendsetter”
She is currently a medical staff with the university of Calgary department of Family Medicine, Preceptor with the Alberta International Medical Graduate program and Board member Primary Care Services (South Calgary Primary Care Network).

Dr Aladi and her family have been active members of the Igbo Cultural Association of Calgary (ICAC) & Nigerian Canadian Association of Calgary (NCAC) and has volunteered twice as the ICAC Ibo Day Gala Co-Chair.

Among many of her distinguished qualities is her of philanthropy. She is an ardent philanthropist and is currently sponsoring free eye surgery for the under privileged in Nigeria. Again, outside the area of medicine, and in collaboration with her husband, she is involved in real estate investment and restaurant industry – talk of a genuine master of many trades.

Easily identifiedas Dr. Flora Aladi of Calgary’s Health Watch Medical Clinic, as many that know her, describe her as an energetic, and a patient focused family physician, providing a wide range of general medical services to patients in the Calgary area, and environs

Reports have unanimously stated that she has demonstrated special interest in the following areas:

Maternal and child health
Family planning clinic
PAP smear services
IUD insertion
Birth control pills advisory services
Removal of lumps
Other minor surgical procedures

The reports specified that “As a dedicated medical practitioner committed to providing the best possible services to patients in this community, Dr. Aladi does not only give herself to patients’ care in the office, but does house calls/home visits to selected cohorts of frail, very unwell and elderly patients as well as community care.”

Dr. Aladi is also in the professional habit of making available the following other services as follows:

Walk-in Clinic
Travel Consultancy
Prenatal Care
Pre-Employment Medical Exam
Drug Testing
Drivers Medical Exam

She is for all intent and purpose eligible described as a general practitioner in the field of medicine.

Dr. Flora Obiageriaku Aladi is a 2003 medical graduate from one of Nigeria’s prestigious universities. She moved over to Canada and undertook her postgraduate medical training at the University of Calgary Medical School in Family Medicine. She holds Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) qualification.

She is your typical next door Family Doctor, who is in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Aladi is married with children and enjoys volunteering, fund raising and travelling, amongst many other endeavours, when she is not looking after patients.

Striding gingerly to the fifth floor, in a couple of weeks, Dr. Aladi is fondly referred to as the fierceflower by loved ones. This is an aftermath of her beauty, never-say-never attitude and down to earth personality that has conquered boundaries and barriers.

We celebrate your doggedness ma, as you are deservedly crowned our boss of the week!

Boss Of The Week

Martial Kpochan: Africa’s Entrepreneurial Pride

Published

1 week ago

September 29, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Africa is a great land, and Africans are great and intelligent people, contributing more than their quota to the growth and development of world economy, sustainability and peace. This is a direct consequence of the untold efforts of the continent’s men and women of different class and creed, who are doing great things across the length and breadth of the continent and beyond. One of such indefatigable geniuses is the incredible Martial Kpochan, an African of Beniniose descent, who plies his enterprise across every available space in the universe. He majors in trade and investment, auditing and accounting among distinguished entrepreneurial endeavours.

Martial Kpochan image looms large, and speaks volumes in the financial and accounting world as he is reputed to be the brain behind the founding and establishment of the 10 Principles of Economy of Being, which has garnered a wide global recognition.

Born in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on June 30, 1981 to the family of Mr and Mrs Pierrot Kpochan, Martial as he is fondly known among family and friends, is an epitome of business solutions, initiatives and economic renewal, having invested over 20 years of his life in entrepreneurship, garnering experience in financial auditing, accounting expertise, and business and damage valuation. Martial Kpochan has, without equivocation, built a remarkable career rich in diverse experiences and deep expertise.

Martial’s professional career kickstarted in 2002, when he was absorbed at the audit firm, SACOR, in Paris, France. Afterwards, and with a backload of experience, he moved to Montreal, Canada, where he joined Picard Choronzey Inc.

In 2005, he returned to France and worked with BDO and DELOITTE groups in quick succession.

Budding with the zeal to further affect the world, Martial, in 2008, and driven by an entrepreneurial vision, desire to affect humanity, his country of birth and his country of residence, France, he founded Natray Consulting Group, a company he chairs till the present.

Among many of his larger than life academic and professional build-ups and accomplishments, Martial is certified in Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA), a framework developed by the IMF and the World Bank for assessing public financial management.

He is also a statutory auditor at the Court of Appeal of Versailles, and his qualifications also include certifications in business and damage valuation, as well as degrees in accounting expertise and advanced accounting and financial studies. He is a member of the Order of Chartered Accountants of Benin, the Order of Chartered Accountants of France, and the South African Institute of Professional Accountants.

Additionally, Martial Kpochan has led numerous audit and financial expertise missions for prestigious companies, governments, and projects funded by international donors such as the World Bank and the European Union, positioning him as a recognized leader in his field.

Under his leadership, Natray Consulting Group has become a major international player with a significant presence in Africa and Europe. Martial Kpochan’s international experience spans several continents, with missions in France, Canada, Hong Kong, South Africa, West Africa, North Africa, and Central Africa. This exposure to diverse economic contexts has allowed him to develop great openness and a deep understanding of global financial dynamics, enhancing his ability to adapt to local specificities while maintaining a global vision.

In parallel with his career in finance, Martial Kpochan is passionate about humanist philosophy. This intellectual quest led him to found the Institute of Economic and Political Intelligence in 2012, followed by the creation of the Institute of Being, which he currently presides over. This institute aims to defend the public interest in the decision-making process.

In this capacity, he has published the “10 Principles of the Economy of Being,” which he actively promotes in Africa and internationally. Today, Martial Kpochan dedicates himself to the Institute of Being, where he continues to influence public decision-making by defending the general interest.

His dual approach, combining rigorous technical expertise with deep philosophical reflection, gives him a unique perspective on addressing the complex challenges facing contemporary societies. His vision and leadership position him as a key actor capable of making significant contributions to public governance and improving management practices on a global scale.

Aligned with his grand vision of the Economy of Being, he supports the ECRU ESSENCE project, which aims to create a production line using locally made fabric from Benin, bringing it to the forefront. This project could create more than 10,000 long-term jobs. Through his investment, the ecru fabric was showcased in its first fashion show during FESMMA 2024.

His commitment to democracy has led him to participate in two major conferences at the Vatican, one on education and democracy, and the other on democracy in a fragmented world. On these occasions, he had the opportunity to meet the Pope during two audiences.

His involvement and visionary approach have allowed him to meet the President of the Parliament of the Canton of Geneva and participate in a conference at the World Economic Forum.

Martial is an advocate for the dissemination of the “10 Principles of the Economy of Being.” He presented these principles at the Global Governance Fund, an ECOSOC NGO of the United Nations, as well as at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa.

He also showcased these principles during Mandela Days, where he took part in a charity event distributing thousands of meals and blankets in Tsakhane.

A happily is married man, and wonderful father to his four lovely children, Martial dreams to see the adoption of a Universal Declaration of the Economy of Being, similar to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For your steadfast commitment to the growth of African economy through down to earth Enterprises, you are our boss of the week. Congratulations sir!

Boss Of The Week

Dr. Funmi Adewara: A Medical Entrepreneur Like No Other

Published

2 weeks ago

September 21, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

“Your dreams must exceed your current capacity to achieve them…you are enough, you can do it,” – Dr. Funmi Adewara

Nigerians in the Diaspora have left nothing to chance in proving that the country is blessed with abundance of talents across diverse fields of human endeavours; entertainment, medicine, sports, academia and a whole lot more.

Among the categories of bring our pride home Nigerians is the beautiful and sophisticated Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Mobihealth International, Dr. Funmi Adewara, who prides herself as an accomplished medical technocrat, physician, entrepreneur, telehealth expert among a host of distinct profitable human engagements. It’s worthy of note that Adewara’s Mobihealth is not a run-off-the-mill health institution; it is a dedicated and specialized arm of medication and medical health delivery. She was once Forbes Woman African Technology and Innovation Award winner.

Dr. Adewara with President, AfDB, Adewunmi Adesina

Young vibrant and highly calculative, Dr. Adewara cuts across as the dual citizen of many ages, juxaposing medical disciplines of diverse times to create an all new medical development, acceptable for all times, and operational in this present dispensation.

A proud graduate of the University of Ibadan, where she studied Medicine, Dr. Adewara was born and brought up in Kaduna State before higher education brought her down to the west. She relocated to the United Kingdom after graduation to further her education at the University of Cambridge, where she earned a Master’s degree in Bioscience Enterprise.

Among a lot of things she is, within a brief spell of time, Dr. Funmi Adewara covets a British-Nigerian status, walks head held high as a Cambridge-trained Bioscience Entrepreneur, and is proud to tell every listening ear of her undeniable status of a globally recognized telehealth expert. Hers, in achievements, is not a fluke. She is a hard worker, and it is no accident that she is everything that she is today.

Her exceptional service delivery, inventive abilities, initiatives and dedication to assignments have bestowed on her recognitions and awards from A-list corners.

She is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, and has an extensive background in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and business development. Her personal profile credited her with over 15 years of experience working within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and the pharmaceutical industry as a Drug Safety Physician.

For those, who must have harboured the question, why Mobihealth? It is of paramount importance to note that she was, and is still driven by passion for the transformation of healthcare in underserved communities.

Consequently, Dr. Adewara’s Mobihealth International, a company dedicated to solving critical healthcare challenges in Africa and beyond came to existence. Her leadership has seen Mobihealth develop comprehensive telehealth solutions that address issues like shortages of healthcare professionals, high treatment costs, and long-distance travel for patients.

Having partnered with the high and mighty in global business, she had received grants from nobles including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on which pedestal Mobihealth’s integrated Telehealth clinics are making strides towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, with a focus on primary healthcare centers (PHCs).

Dr. Adewara’s work has garnered international recognition, earning her numerous awards. She was one of seven global winners of the World Bank SDGs&Her 2020 Awards, selected from over 2,400 entries, and was also a winner of the Sanofi Africa-Tech Challenge in Paris in 2020. Under her visionary leadership, Mobihealth pioneered the first telehealth initiative for the Nigerian Air Force in 2021, marking a historic milestone in Africa.

Dr. Adewara is also a recipient of the African Female Tech Founders Award, which led to her invitation to the Africa-UK Investment Summit by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2020. In 2023, she was named the winner of the Forbes Woman African Technology and Innovation Awards and became a top 50 finalist in Africa’s Business Heroes competition. Her entrepreneurial journey was also celebrated at the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Milestone Maker Program, where she was showcased at New York’s Times Square in 2023.

With H.E Wemkele Mene, Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.

Dr. Funmi Adewara continues to be a leading voice in telemedicine, advocating technological solutions that improve healthcare access for all.

With her giant strides in the field of medicine, the accomplished CEO of Mobihealth International, has traced her way home to Nigeria, where she advocated the adoption of telemedicine in the Nigerian health sector.

She noted that it could help address 60 per cent of the medical issues facing Nigerians. This was during the two-day 2024 Africa Social Impact Summit held in Lagos, with the theme, ‘Reimagining Progress: A New Blueprint for Sustainable Growth in Africa’, and co-convened by the Sterling One Foundation, and the United Nations Nigeria.

Contributing her say during a panel session at the summit, Adewara stressed the urgent need for a national adoption of telemedicine in Nigeria, noting that patients do not need digital skills to access telemedicine services.

To her, telemedicine offers a transformative solution to Nigeria’s healthcare system in the immediate and long term, and could address 60 per cent of the medical issues facing the citizens, adding that it connects patients in remote areas with medical professionals, providing timely consultations, diagnoses, and treatments without the need for travelling.

With staff of FCTA

She informed that more key benefits of telemedicine adoption in the country abound, and they include increased access to health services, cost-effectiveness, improved health outcomes, enhanced data management, and education, among others.

In her words “With quicker access to medical expertise, patients can receive timely interventions, reduce the risk of complications, and improve overall health outcomes.

“Digital platforms facilitate better tracking and management of patient data, leading to more informed and effective healthcare decisions, adding that knowledge and skills can be facilitated through telehealth to address the skill gap and boost manpower,” she informed.

With Kenyan President H.E William Ruto during US Africa Business Forum, Washington DC 2023

She is obsessively committed to driving robust telemedicine adoption, especially for primary healthcare, and has not hesitated on seeking collaboration government agencies, healthcare providers, and private sector stakeholders.

Her goals are broad and inordinate, accommodating improvement of access to maternal and child health, reproductive health, health education, as well as reducing hospitalisation by 70 per cent, and making it cost-effective.

It is her diligence and marketing ability of sellable product and services that prompted Afreximbank to sign project preparation facility with Mobihealth to drive digital healthcare solutions across Africa.

The pact is expected to bolster the expansion of Mobihealth’s telemedicine services in Nigeria, and also assess the feasibility of establishing similar services in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Cote d’ Ivoire.

Under the terms of the agreement, Afreximbank will part-finance project preparatory activities that will leverage MobiHealth’s successfully integrated telemedicine proprietary platform, initially piloted in Nigeria, to the four additional countries. This initiative is expected to rapidly lead to the establishment of a network of telemedicine clinics across Africa, fully equipped with out-patient facilities. The project preparation facility of up to US$ 1.5 million is expected to advance the Project to bankability, whereupon this is expected to unlock further investments estimated at US$ 65 million.

It takes only an entrepreneur that knows her onions to land such magnificent advantages. It is very clear that she is practically existing to affect lives, irrespective of whose.

She noted that “The signing of this facility agreement marks yet another significant milestone in MobiHealth’s quest to proffer digital healthcare solutions across the continent. We are thrilled to have the support of Afreximbank, a pan-African multilateral financial institution with the scale and capacity to enable us to achieve this objective in a timely manner. Their involvement is a strong validation for our business model and I would like to laud Afreximbank, AIF and USTDA for their visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to support the provision of quality healthcare to African citizens.”

She has also partnered with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to expand access to quality healthcare, improved health facilities and to bring medical expertise closer to the people.

The entrepreneur is well traveled, and had interfaced with notable World Leaders in politics and business among others. Some of them are Dr Akinwumi Adesina
President, African Development Bank (AfDB); Kenyan President, H.E William Ruto, at the US Africa Business Forum, Washington DC 2023; H.E Wemkele Mene, Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, in addition to numerous congratulatory messages from notable World personalities and bodies including former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari and Forbes.

ABOUT MOBIHEALTH

Mobihealth is a Nigerian subsidiary of Mobihealth International Ltd., a UK-domiciled telehealth provider. Mobihealth was founded by Dr. Funmi Adewara in 2017 and publicly rolled out its service offerings in 2020.

In late 2020, Dr. Adewara was recognized by the World Bank for her work with Mobihealth and the development of its digital healthcare platform with the “Her World Bank SDGs&Her (Sustainable Development Goals) Award 2020.” The award was a part of a virtual award event carried out by the World Bank, in partnership with UNDP, UN Women, and the Wharton School Zicklin Center that recognizes women entrepreneurs. From 2020 to 2021, Mobihealth’s subscriber base in Nigeria grew from less than 4,000 to more than 34,000, and revenue increased from $83,500 to $814,400.

Adewara is a distinguished family woman, and has been prolific and combining the home front with entrepreneurship, and by dint of hard work and divine assessment, none has suffered neglect.