42 •
The Lion King
• January - March 2017
Budi Norbert Mbua
the Founder and CEO of Next
Digital Ventures Ltd, is a 26 year old
Camerounian motivational speak-
er and entrepreneur. Next Digital
Ventures Ltd is a tech company that
focuses on Value Added Services
and Content Aggregation, currently
working with several mobile opera-
tors across Africa. He also runs a
motivation and counselling acad-
emy called Budi Motivates Academy
which aims at empowering the youths
towards self-development and liber-
ation. When Budi realised that many
of his classmates were still without
employment, it dawned on him that
s e l f - emp l oymen t
wa s
probably
the
best way to
c o m b a t
unemploy-
ment.
Abel Ng’andu
is the founder and owner
of Ng’andu Consulting Ltd
a very successful
consulting firm
in Zambia.
Daniel Nassa
also in Burkina Faso, is the head of
BECADIS (Bureau d’Etude de Calcul et
de Dimensionnement de Structures),
a company that is into civil engineer-
ing and construction. He decided to
start his business when after working
at a company renowned in civil engi-
neering and architecture
for two
years, he was con-
tacted by inves-
tors for proj-
ects, and an
internation-
al school to
give cours-
es.
Cheick Omar
Doro
is the Manager
of CEITP (cabinet
d ’ e x p e r t i s e
Immobilières et d’Etudes
en Travaux publics) in Burkina Faso.
Cheick had dreamt of belonging to
a world of creativity and discovery,
and wanted to make a difference by
engaging in the study, monitoring and
control of civil engineering works.
His firm, already in its 7th year of
establishment, is into real estate,
building and civil engineering, as well
as interior architecture and public
works studies.
Vicky
Udomi
is a Tony
E l u m e l u
Foundation
(TEF) 2015
Entrepreneur
and
CEO
of Kings and
Queens Integrated
Enterprises limited, an Agribusiness
involved in the cultivation of hybrid
cassava, processing and packaging
them into vitamin fortified and nutrient
infused cassava snacks and meals.
She is a Nigerian.
Bukola Olawuyi
is a Nigerian and
founder
of
YT
International Concept
Limited, a company
into exportation of
cocoa, cashew, ginger
and groundnut. Bukola is
also into clearing and for-
warding.
How did YT International Concept Ltd
start?
I started clearing work with Molhadeen
International Ltd where I worked for
5 years. I was so passionate about the
work. Because of this enthusiasm for
my work, my wife was ready to
put her money to bet a success
on me standing on my own.
To intensify her undiluted
belief in me, she gave
me business registration
document as a gift to
start my own business. I
was really challenged and
within a week I resigned and
began on my own.
Have you ever a
made a business
decision you regret?
I have made tons of business decisions
I regretted, but somehow they always
turn out to be a stepping stone to
greater things. Each time I made bad
business decisions, it always led to
disappointments which challenged me
to do more by either fixing it or stepping
up my game. Blind trust in a business
partner once cost me everything and
helped me draw the line between
business and emotions.
How did
you get
here?
I was not satis-
fied with working
for someone. It was not challenging
enough. I was convinced that I could do
better on my own. I got to where I am
today through hard work, having the
right attitude and perseverance.
Is there a perfect time to start a business?
Yes, because to start a company, you
need to be sure of three things: the
idea, the know-how and the financial
resources. In my case it was essential
to get some experience in another
competent company.
What was the most daunting challenge
at the time you started?
The beginning was a Chinese puzzle,
what with finance issues, technical
references and all. But it is necessary to
quickly transform these difficulties into
solutions; to believe in one’s self and in
the business. We just have to set a goal
and have the desire to reach it. It is in
doing this that we will be able to change
the conditions imposed on us.
How did you raise capital?
First of all I started from the little I had,
and looked out for access to funding
opportunities, I got seed capital through
the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship
Programme and it took my business to a
whole new level.
