Who will tell our story?

FUNKE ADETUTU
My adventurous instincts again took me on another journey last Friday. But was I amused? Certainly not! Rather, the outing left me with no option but to ponder and ask some questions to which I’ve still not found answers. Yes, I admit, I was initially elated and very optimistic about the outcome of the trip that when a colleague told me about it two weeks ago, I did not turn down the invitation.
The place was Abuja and the event was the historic election of the National president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. Since I witnessed the election of Nigerian Association of Women Journalists’ own last year, I thought it would be a worthwhile experience to witness the NUJ presidential election at the national level.
As usual, I looked forward to a fun-filled trip and stay in Abuja. At least, I had a
nice time with the wonderful and energetic women I travelled with to Ibadan for the NAWOJ election in Ibadan. The experience is still very fresh in my memory. I therefore did not expect anything less from Abuja as well but unfortunately, the end result of the election left a sour taste in my mouth which I’m sure will remain for a long time to come.
The International Conference Centre, venue of the election was already a beehive of activities when the convoy of the Lagos State delegates arrived the centre that Saturday morning. The Abuja weather was far from being friendly as the sun arrogantly stayed glued high up and its scorching rays fell brilliantly on the skin, leaving an unfriendly warmth in its wake.
We all went through the screening process at the gate and entrance to the hall. The posters and billboards of the four contestants for the presidential post littered a greater part of the hall’s frontage. Funke Fadugba’s poster was the first to assault our eyes as it was strategically placed to the right, followed by that of Muhammed Garuba. Next to
His; was Ndagene Aku’s. Aku, incidentally is the immediate past president of NUJ whose tenure is just elapsing and the last to the left was Wahaab Oba’s.
Inquisitively, I noticed that with the way the posters were arranged, there seemed to be a contention between the four main contestants, most especially between Garuba, Aku and Oba. Wherever there was a Wahaab Oba’s poster there was bound to be that of Aku or that of Garuba. It was glaring the supporters of each camp tried as much as possible to out one another in their aggressive campaign for their candidates. In fact, supporters could be easily identified through the campaign T-Shirts they adorned in a show of solidarity for their candidate.
By the time we finally scaled through the somewhat rigorous screening process, the event had already gone half-way. However, the various recognition and protocols, characteristic of events of this nature were skipped in the spirit of re-branding the new Nigeria which was ‘okayed’ by everyone as the programme was not delayed unnecessarily.
That afternoon, I could tell from the look on the faces of everyone in that large hall that Adams Oshiomhole struck a cord in the minds of all present and his admonition had a positive impact on them because this later affected the peoples’ reaction to the outturn of events later that evening.
After Oshiomhole’s speech, we all became restless as we eagerly looked forward to the elections. Shortly after the various speeches, we went for lunch and were soon called back for the Business Meeting.
While launching was going on, a group of people from the Eastern part of the country protested the re-election of Ndagene Aku as NUJ president with placards bearing negative descriptions of his person.
As I watched the group from a distance, I was scared stiff and prayed quietly no untoward thing should happen between these rivals. Indeed, the atmosphere was tense that afternoon, and from the look of things, and what was generally said of Ndagene, there was this palpable fear that he was not ready to relinquish power.
Before long, the Business Meeting began in earnest but the president was no where to be found. The whole hall had to wait for several minutes if not hours for Ndagene. Since he failed to show up, someone walked up to the podium to suggest that in his absence, the deputy president should take his place as stated by the NUJ constitution. But interestingly, even the deputy president was no where to be found--- he was said to be praying at a mosque somewhere. It was at this point, that most people went outside the hall to purchase a copy of the NUJ Constitution. In fact, a group from Benin who sat in front of us were raising tantrums at the top of their voices against Ndagene whom they claim to “know quite well.” After a long wait, the deputy president surfaced and the whole hall shouted for joy. You could see it wasn’t so much for their love for him but the fact that “the end has finally come for Ndagene.” Alreading all over the venue surrounding, there were posters screaming the delegates’ distaste for the Ndagene led administration. Several allegations bordering on misappropriation of fund and embezzlement were leveled against him.
But in a dramatic twist, soon Ndagene re-surfaced from nowhere and when he spoke, he urged that the accreditation should be done before the dissolution of his executive. Naturally, a resounding “no” from the audience rent the air in stiff opposition to his proposal. This led him to another round of delays in the name of “consultation” with his colleagues on the high table, unmindful of the sea of heads that was eagerly waiting.
Eventually he gave in and the motion for the dissolution of his executive was moved. “Would anyone like to move a motion for the extension of my tenure?” he asked jokingly. But again, he met a stoned faced audience that was obviously not willing to have him remain on that seat for a second longer. It was at this point that I was fully convinced that Ndagene was indeed power drunk.
What I found saddening later that evening was the allegation that the delegate lists sent in from the various councils were fraudulently altered which made it impossible for the delegates to cast their votes. For instance, the chairman of the Osun State Council said his list was cut down from 31 to 14 which was incredible if proven to be true!
If the NUJ could go this low and do this, then what message do we as journalists have to preach to a society for which we are its watchdog? It was just a waste of resources convening such a large number of people from different parts of the country without the elections holding as it was suspended.
Sure, it’s really sad that we have no one to tell our own story while we criticise others for their misdemeanor.

It’s never been closer to my skin

FUNKE ADETUTU

One sunny Friday morning, I was getting ready for work when my phone beeped. I knew it was a text message but didn’t immediately know from whom the message came. Incidentally, I wasn’t eager to read it then, because I thought it was one of those promo texts that assault my phone from the service provider. You can’t blame me, can you? For weeks now, that particular line has been bombarded by different text messages announcing one promo or the other the network has to offer. Hence, when the text came, I thought it was the usual and so, didn’t want to bother myself. However, after a few minutes, my instinct told me to go through the text and when I did, I was taken aback by what I saw; “FGN: NIGERIA: Good people, great nation.”
After reading the text, for the first time in a long time, I felt there is a connection between my country and I. I also felt close to my country. I felt I was being remembered by those at the helm of affairs. Most of you reading this will agree with me that all these years, there have been a kind of disconnection between the Nigerian people and their leaders. So, for the first time, I’m sure, most of those who received the text message on their phones must have had this “rare” sense of belonging. I’m not saying that the Yar’ Adua-led government has achieved much since it assumed office, don’t get me wrong. The text message, however, in this estimation, is one way to re-brand Nigeria. This, for me, is a good move because the Nigerian people must first believe in who they are before they can tell their own stories to the world. For a long time, we have allowed foreign media to re-brand us, to tell the world who we are. But it is only we, as a people, that can tell our true stories because we know who we are and what we have to offer in the world that is fast becoming a global village.
I regard Nigerians as a bunch of faceless people who have been thrown into the cold by leaders who are too selfish and self-centred to give a thought to their sufferings. For sometime now, you will agree, there has been some kind of disconnectedness between Nigerians and their rulers. Nigerians do not have an identity in the scheme of things even in a country they hold dear as their fatherland. Most of us are unsure of when last, a ruler thought of us, either as a family or individuals. Of course, I’m not saying that the president should know us individually, but for God’s sake, our leaders must bear in mind they are ruling a people with diverse faces and needs. For instance, there is no social programme yet in the country which caters for the needs of families. I don’t think the family chain takes any prime place on the President’s agenda for instance. I don’t think those at the helm of affairs know the importance of families in a nation because if they do, they would have put this minute but important unit first in everything. The governments of most countries in Europe have special provision for the unmarried and married who are unemployed and for families who can not take care of their children, even the aged. But in Nigeria, such programme is alien to us.
As I write this, I recall what the founding fathers of Negritude like Late Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal and Aime Cesaire and others went through while trying to tell the world who they were with their “black is beautiful” slogan. As a historical movement, Negritude received two competing interpretations. Cesaire's original conception sees the
‘specificity’ and unity of black existence as a historically developing phenomenon that arose through the highly contingent events of the African slave trade and New World plantation system. This formulation was gradually displaced in intellectual debate by Senghor's essentialist interpretation of Negritude, which argues for an unchanging core or essence to black existence. Senghor's Negritude, nonetheless, served to reverse the system of values that had informed Western perception of blacks since the earliest voyages of discovery to Africa. Cesaire's developmental model of Negritude, on the other hand, continues to offer a model for the ongoing project of black liberation in all its fullness - that is spiritual and political. Therefore, like the Negritude movement, rebranding Nigeria is both spiritual and political. We need a kind of cleansing from the way we see ourselves as a people.
Beyond this, for the whole re-branding process to work, the government must strive and work hard at making Nigerians understand that the term ‘Nigerian’is beyond ethnicity. They must get Nigerians to understand that, being Nigerian starts from seeing one and another as human beings first and not as Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Efik, Ibiobio or others.
It is about respecting one and another as human beings, as a people that have gone beyond all forms of ethnic divide. It is only then, that Nigeria can be closer to our skin as a people.

SHYLOCK LANDLORDS, HELPLESS TENANTS

FUNKE ADETUTU writes that with skyrocketing accommodation cost, the rent system in Lagos works in contradistinction with the dictates of the global financial downturn which has forced down housing costs in other countries



Adekoya Street, one of the busy lanes at Oshodi in Lagos, is mostly known for the shady deals that a good number of its inhabitants engage in. Many residents of this neighbourhood are low-income earners, hence the housing structures on the street are bungalows built in the face-me-I-face-you style, consisting of one-room apartments. It is in one of such apartments that Baba Oyeniyi, as he is fondly called by residents, has sought refuge for the past 20 years. But that was until one cold morning last April when his landlord summarily served him a quit notice. Since then, he has been running helter-skelter for another accommodation, but several factors have made his attempts unsuccessful.
Oyeniyi has been jobless for about two years, for which reason his family depends solely on the meagre income his wife makes from selling roasted corn and bread in front of their home.
“I don’t know what to do. I have been on this for the past one year,” he explains while his eyes well up in tears. “My wife and I tried to get another apartment but the rent was too expensive for us. We cannot afford to pay because the estate agent demanded for two years. Where do I get that? That was exclusive of the agreement fee.”
Baba Oyeniyi is just one of many Lagosians who contend with the problem of rent advance payment of two years or more that most landlords and estate agents ask for. For this reason, most people in dire need of a place to lay their heads in the Lagos metropolis find this an impossible task; while others who wish to change apartments are unable to do so as a result of soaring rent rates.
Eric Amole-Adams, a tenant on Ogundana Street, Ikeja, falls into the latter category. Before the New Year, he received an increment notice from his landlord stating that rent for his three-bedroom apartment had been increased from N300, 000 to N400, 000, and he was expected to pay two years. “It’s uncalled for that the rent should be increased just like that. I don’t understand why this has to happen when the year is just starting,” he laments with a sigh. “How do I get another accommodation if I plan to do so? I will also be asked to pay for two years’ exclusive of agreement and other things. It’s so unfair.”
While tenants see no need for the incessant increase in house rent, some landlords insist that they have every right to do so. They affirm that the bureaucratic process involved in putting up a structure in Lagos is enough to discourage anyone from building a house. Hence the possibility of encouraging private developers to alleviate the housing needs of Lagosians may seem impossible.
“If a developer wants to register his title,” explains Banjoko Azeez, a private developer, “he will probably spend more than the cost of the land for him to get the C of O. If I want to mortgage my property and I want to register it or obtain Bill of Assignment, I will go through hell. I will go through a lot of tax payment. All these do not encourage people like me to invest in housing.”
As far as Gbenga Osho a house owner at Gbagada is concerned, the challenges of infrastructure is a major issue for landlords, which have led to the increase in rent and some people believe that this will not make the rent advancement act realistic.
“The developer goes through the hassle of buying the land at a very exorbitant price, begging government and bribing his way through to get the C of O without which you cannot do anything on the land. All this makes the realisation of ‘housing for all’ unrealistic. Now, the developer will also be the supplier of electricity because if you are able to get electricity within two months, then you thank your stars. And if there is no electricity, he will be the one to provide the generator, water, roads,” he explains in a tone laden with frustration.
For most estate surveyors, the demand and supply forces playing out in the open market compound the housing problem in Lagos, as most landlords are confident that if a tenant refuses an apartment there are thousands of people waiting to move in. “The demand for housing is like a million,” says Elijah Olapade, managing consultant, Elijah Olapade and Company, an estate surveyor outfit. “Supply is like a hundred whether you make rules or not. People have to beg to stay in a house. That is where for me the issue of conscience on the part of government comes in. The state government has to make adequate provision to impact positively on the people.”
Olapade also explains that the move made by the Lagos State Government sometime last year to completely erase rent advance payment may be realisable if government can totally eradicate the bureaucratic process involved in title registration.
“If the government wants to put in place a law that will compel landlords to collect one-month rent, it is possible; but certain parameters, certain foundational work have to be done by the government. The Lagos State government should let the residents of the state know whether it is sincere; sincere in the sense that the activities of the Lagos State Development Property Corporation (LSDPC) are purely commercial.”
The LSDPC has been accused of developing houses for the high-income earners instead of building low-income housing for the less-privileged. Therefore, it seems the problem of housing in the state is far from being resolved.
“Most of their property investments around Lekki are mostly commercial property. The Lagos State government itself is producing for the highest bidder who will now develop the housing and sublet the houses to the poor. The issue of the Land Use Act of 1978 is also pushed to the extreme,” remarks Bamidele Alade, an estate surveyor.
As if that is not bad enough, Olapade opines that the state ministry of housing has limited funds at its disposal, and the little it has is actually geared towards developing housing schemes for high-income earners and other commercial users.
“People think that the fact that you are involved in high or low housing that will benefit low-income earners means you will not profit. But that is not true. It is very possible to make profit. That perception boils down to attitude; the uncaring attitude and the inability to truly serve the people who elected the leaders. I’m of the opinion that the Lagos State Ministry of Housing is the only organ that is involved in developing houses for low-income earners. The problem of the state ministry of housing is enormous as they only have about 10 percent capacity with which to develop low-income housing. Hence, the impact that they have is very little,” he says.
With a housing policy that has become obsolete in the reality of pressing housing needs of Lagos residents in the new millennium, Olapade explains that the content of the 1991 Housing Policy will not make the ‘housing for all’ project possible. “Unfortunately, the best housing national policy we had was in 1991; and that was the only one during the Babangida regime. There were other proposals in 2002, 2004, 2006 but they were never implemented. The legislature never approved them. We can simply say that it is the 1991 national housing policy that we are still using till date. Now if there is no good policy in place, how can government claim that it is doing something good about housing the populace? I brought that in because in that document of 1991, the government says that it will not be involved in the direct supply of housing because it has not achieved much in the previous provision of housing,” Olapade adds.
Although there have been several attempts by past governments to alleviate the housing needs of Lagosians, the incessant increase in population rate has thwarted such efforts. For instance, government wanted to supply 202, 000 houses during the Shehu Shagari regime. Before then, there was an effort to supply 59, 000 houses, explains Bamidele Oloja, a landlord at Bariga. But he adds that the level of achievement was not more than 15 percent. “Government realised that it could not achieve much and left it for the private sector. There was what they called ‘private/public’ partnership. And in that document they also said that the government would concern itself with supplying site services; that, is they will open up lands, put all the infrastructure like water, electricity, drainage among others there. But as of today, whether on the Federal Government or State level, this promise has not been fulfilled,” he declares.
Meanwhile, residents of low-income neighbourhoods are not the only ones affected by the incessant increase in rent rate. In the past few months, some occupants of duplexes at Oniru Millennium Estate, one of the posh neighbourhoods on Victoria Island, have been relocating to less expensive areas. As a homeowner in the estate, Gbadebo Ayanwuyi explains that a terrace duplex on a street adjacent to his is being priced for N5.5 million per annum. “The value of properties in this estate has increased greatly. A duplex goes for N5.5 million, and the estate agent is demanding for two years plus a commission of 10 percent and an agreement fee of 10 percent. There is also a security fee of N5.5 million which is negotiable,” he says. Currently, there are two duplexes in the estate with a ‘To Let’ sign affixed to their gates.
Theodora Kio-Lawson, a legal practitioner, reveals that the actual percentage of tenement rate increase approved by the state government is 50 percent, but some landlords have taken laws into their hands with the ridiculous increase of about 100 percent or more. “There are serious laws in favour of tenants in the state which the tenants themselves are unaware of. Therefore, it is important that they are educated on the laws backing them as tenants. They cannot afford to be subject to inhuman treatment and reckless tenement rate increase by any landlord,” she contends.

However, all efforts to get the state ministry of housing’s side of the story have proved unsuccessful, as the department observes that its primary concern is to put up structures in designated parts of the state.
Regardless, Olubodun Ayeni and Oluwaseun Adewale, in their paper titled: “Evaluation of Tenement Rate Administration Using the GIS Tools,” say various levels of government handle a colossal amount of data which are needed to perform critical tasks in state administration for equity and good governance in a most efficient manner. However, this may not be realisable where available data cannot be matched with necessary management tools to create desired results; hence the offer that The Geographical Information System (GIS) is the right method which government can employ to get appropriate data for the provision of efficient housing for Lagosians.
“With the increasing functions of Local Government authorities, for instance, it is required to operate with optimal efficiency to be able to satisfy the ever increasing needs of its residents. There is therefore the need for a management system that will bring about desired effectiveness in the administration. GIS already provides the required data management capabilities for land administration,” they maintain.

SHYLOCK LANDLORDS, HELPLESS TENANTS

Life is about choices

FUNKE ADETUTU

Few days back, I had a slight argument with someone who complained about being swindled by a scheme put in place by her office. She felt thoroughly cheated by the whole process, such that, she exclaimed: “It was sheer robbery. I can’t afford to pay that kind of money.” But she couldn’t help it, because she was already half way into it and as such, there was no going back! When I was therefore confronted by a piece in one of the dailies last week Sunday, I was amazed at the person’s level of reasoning and how quick, people are wont to jump to conclusion. The columnist made a satirical comment on the private jet allegedly said to belong to Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. It was really a biting satire, based on an argument between a member of the church and a non-member who felt the member was being “cheated by the many cheap lies” he has had to take hook line and sinker from the church hierarchy. To cut the long story short, the writer tried to lay the blame at the footstep of a church leader feeding fat on the sweat of his followers.But the problem I have with an article like this, especially one with so-much talk about “Pastor Adeboye’s private jet” is that nobody can be too sure that this highly respected man of God truly man bought the jet with other people’s personal money. Not just that, they are not even sure if he used the church’s fund to buy the jet. In fact, all the comments and talks about this jet are merely based on speculations and conjectures.No, please don’t get me wrong, I am not a worshipper at The Redeemed church, and I’m not trying to support a corrupt practice if anyone sees it as such, but let the truth and the whole truth be told without sentiments and emotions, but for the few of us who would not want to be mischievous, the fact remains that the pastor Adeboye we know is beyond the mundane way of life. There are still men of honour and dignity in this country, and Pastor Adeboye is certainly one of them! So, for anyone to think Adeboye used the church tithes and offering to buy the aircraft, is ridiculous and absurd. People need to do their investigations rightly before casting aspersions on other people’s reputation. We all can’t be thieves! And I beg to disagree that this country is no country of rogues!! Whatever the ignoble activities of a few unscrupulous Nigerians may have cost us.For me, what some people fail to understand is that paying tithe or offering is a choice. He or she can decide not to pay the money. In addition to that, nobody can really say if the aircraft was not purchased by the rich members of the church for the church’s missionary activities which span the whole world. For anyone to claim that Adeboye bought the jet for his private use with the church money is most unfair. This man by all standards, represent one of the best things to come from Nigeria. I’m still at a loss how a man reputed to be an embodiment of all that is humble, honorable, just and right would want to be dragged down like this. Cynics should learn to give the man a chance. At least, let the members come to declare that they never authorized the purchase of the aircraft or that the pastor embezzled their church’s fund to solely finance the purchase.The RCCG I know is made up of intelligent, resourceful and highly educated people. Recently, a member of Adeboye’s church told me that he had a change of heart concerning payment of his tithes and offering, on one of the occasions he was at the camp. It dawned on him that some people’s contributions to the church development must have provided the thousands of chairs and generally developed the hitherto “bush” along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway that is today known as the Redeemed Camp. This, for instance, is a personal decision he made, not one imposed.And like a writer once wrote, life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. In our lives, many roads would come our way as we journey through. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness or perdition, to victory and jubilation, and roads to defeat and disappointment.Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads. Perhaps the most perplexing road that anyone can encounter is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from, and with limited knowledge on where they lead to, I dare ask, which road would you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: at the foot of a crossroad? There are no guarantees. Hence, every individual must learn to take responsibilities for their actions and mistakes, instead of blaming our misfortunes on others. It’s a food for though!

The invisible woman

FUNKE ADETUTU

I have decided to title my piece this week after the famous African-American writer, Ralph Ellison’s “The Invisible Man” based on a saddening experience I had last Sunday. Ralph Ellison’s protagonist is a man, but mine, a woman, because it happened to a female fellow in this writing profession. I could not help but liken what happened to a female journalist who reports for the Nation Newspaper at the 2nd Young Designers’ Creative Competition organised by Ade Bakare Couture to the experience that the protagonist in Ellison’s novel went through in a racist American society. Let me give you a brief summary of what happened to the Invisible Man in Ellison’s novel before I narrate my experience of that Sunday.
“The Invisible Man” is a novel which embodies the universal theme of self-discovery, of the search to figure out who truly is one in this life which we all are embarked upon. Throughout the text, the narrator is constantly wondering about who he really is, and evaluating the different identities which he assumes for himself. He progresses from being a hopeful student with a bright future to being just another poor black labourer in New York City to being a fairly well-off spokesperson for a powerful political group, and ultimately, to being the "invisible man" which he eventually realises that he has always been. The deepest irony in this text is that, for a significant portion of the story, the narrator is unaware of his own invisibility, in believing that others can "see" him, he is essentially invisible to himself. Only through a long and arduous journey of self-discovery which is fraught with constant and unexpected tragedy and loss, does he realise the truth, that his perceptions of himself and of how others perceived him had been backwards his entire life.
The story opens with the narrator participating in a "battle royal" prior to delivering a speech on humility.
The lady who introduced herself to me as Kehinde was unusually amiable and polite, such that, I quietly thought to myself that she must be a different style reporter from the others I have met in the past. That evening, when I arrived the venue, I decided to sit in a place which would provide me enough room to leave my seat to take photographs of the models as they strut the runway, hence I picked a seat at the edge of a row close to the judges’ desk. I’m sure Kehinde considered that too before she decided to sit close to me. But unknown to us, something odd waited ahead.
After a brief introduction of the dignitaries by Yemisi Ransome Kuti, the show began. As the models walk the run way, Kehinde and I stood up simultaneously to take photographs. At this moment also, all the cameramen were on alert and each struggled with his camera to have a good shot of the models. And so, one of the judges who also doubles as a photographer equally tried to take advantage of the zoom lens of his camera, hence, he too took the shots from his seat. But as expected, some cameramen stood in his way. He waved them to give him right of way for the first three models who walked the runway but the other photographs refused to budge as they were more concerned with the task before them.
“Leave that place,” the man shouted at the cameraman. “I won’t,” the other retorted. “I say leave that place. You are looking for trouble,” he bellowed this time.
“I won’t leave. Why don’t you stand up. You can’t possibly get your shots while seated,” he replied defiantly.
The argument was long drawn and the man refused to leave the spot. However, on a second thought, he squatted.
As the next model walked past me, Kehinde decided to seize the moment to get a good shot since the last one she took was not clear enough. She made frantic efforts to get the best shot, but in the process, stood in the way of the photographer cum judge.
In a flash, the man stood up from his seat and stood in front of Kehinde to take his shot thereby shoving her backward with his elbow. Kehinde was furious at this unmanly act, and challenged the man fiercely.
“I will send you out of here, if you are not careful,” the man screamed.
“That’s impossible. I have the same right as you have here,” replied
Kehinde.
“Ok, let’s wait and see. Just stand in front of me again and you will see what I will do to you,” he threatened.
I felt bad that this supposedly civilised man in a three-piece suit at such a gathering of decent people, and even thought fit as a judge for that kind of event could actually behave in such an uncivilised way. The incident, honestly, just reminded that one’s level of education does not really matter in certain situations. It shows that while some people may claim to have got first degree in some educational fields, they after all, have failed to acquire the relevant degree in use of decency and common sense.
One would have thought at least, our fine gentleman would have known it’s not right to treat a fellow man in like manner, let alone, a woman.

Shomolu's multi-million naira printing slum

While Shomolu area of Lagos may seem a rather unsophisticated neighbourhood at first sight, it remains a hub for what is fast becoming a multi-million naira business, writes FUNKE ADETUTU

George Street is a long road that connects the popular Onipanu Bus Stop to Shipeolu, Bajulaye, Durosimi, and other streets in Shomolu, a bustling suburb in Lagos Mainland Metropolis, known more for its high commercial activities fuelled by an underground multi-million naira printing empire. Hence, it is no surprise that human and vehicular traffic along the route is on the high side.
Despite its lively nature, the area presents a rather decrepit picture, especially for a first-time visitor. Almost every house has a shop or two in front of it. In front of one of the shops, a child’s twisted tricycle lies on its side without wheels. The story is the same for a waste bin that spills its decomposed contents, where a stray dog forages for food. In a word, the whole place is filled with bits of broken items and sheaf of unused pieces of paper.
However, that is not to say that the area has only doom and gloom to offer. On a Friday morning like this, the sky is unusually bright, spreading a brilliant ray of light on everything below. On days like this, just about every inhabitant of the area is alive to business opportunities that a March morning has to offer them.
Shomolu is one place that has thrived on the printing business for many years after Mushin , another suburb in the Lagos Mainland, which happens to be the first central place for that line of business. Although, there are other areas like Ikate at Surulere, Idumagbo on Lagos Island that also boast of different grades of printers, Shomolu has over the years grown to become the most prominent of the three.
Here at Shomolu, there is a convergence of artisans who deal in different areas of the printing business. There are the paper merchants, ink sellers, gum and other adhesives sellers, to mention but a few. Every other house in Shomolu is home to one form of printing press or the other. This makes it a place where one can get any kind of printing job done anytime of the day. But of course, this has its own hazards too. The houses are closely built and one wonders how the inhabitants are able to survive in such an appalling living-condition. The houses and shops are so packed together such that there is only little room for movement and good ventilation.
However, most of them are engaged in a business that churns out millions of naira on a monthly nay yearly basis.
Sulaimon Adepegba has just returned to his shop after getting a new supply of printing papers this morning. His left hand is weighed down by the volume of the long sheets he is carrying. The large, brown wrap is torn into bits, revealing the whiteness of the papers beneath.
Adepegba hurriedly throws the paper bundle on the ink-stained table that shrieks under the bundle’s weight. With swift speed, he tears off the brown wrapper and places more than half of the paper under the cutting machine. For him, the day’s work has just begun in earnest.
Adepegba is one of the many small-scale printers in Shomolu who rake in millions of naira at the end of the month, and prides himself on his nearly 25 years’ experience in the business. His kind of expertise entails sourcing for printing jobs directly from corporate organisations and private individuals, who want to get their printing jobs done.
“I print calendars, diaries for corporate organisations. I also engrave the company logo on folders, tea cups, mugs, biros, pens, umbrellas and other items they use for corporate gifts. I do invitation cards for individuals and posters too,” he says while using his hands to wipe off the beads of sweat on his brow.
While the likes of Adepegba get jobs directly from organisations, Retwell Communications, headed by Ayo Adekunle-Segun, is a full service provider. Adekunle-Segun’s organisation does all the services for those who get printing jobs from companies that patronise them for anything they want done in printing.
However, as marketing becomes increasingly competitive, Adekunle-Segun is re-strategising to become a print provider as he is putting in place a marketing team to source for printing jobs directly from companies. “Outside being patronised by the regular printers, we also go out to source for jobs,” he remarks.
“We started as a service provider and we have been known for that. Now, we have re-branded as we are going out as a full print service provider. We pick up jobs on a monthly basis and we have some durable ones. We print magazines, brochures and other things like that for companies and churches. “We have come to realise that sometimes people just walk in because of the environment; because they believe we provide better services than those around us. Outside that, we have a day-to-day patronage of regular customers.”

Femi Atanda is one of those who source for printing jobs from corporate organisations, and he is more like an unsolicited middleman, and this is a role he has been playing for years.
“I have a good knowledge of the printing business even though I don’t have a printing outfit. But, I have been able to get quite a few jobs done by patronising the printers in Shomolu. I have some big accounts that I handle and I am doing well on the job. I make enough to keep body and soul together,” he discloses with a smile.
While some of the owners of printing outfits at Shomolu consider the likes of Atanda a threat, Adepegba says he gets the same job from the companies directly, depending on the business strategy.
“If you know how to play your game and you have all things working together for you, you can make a lot of millions on a monthly basis, like N6 million or more. It depends on what you have to offer. There are organisations that earn much more than that. It depends on the kind of equipment you have.”
There are more than 30 upscale printing outfits in the area, explains Adepegba, even as he adds that the small-scale ones are hundreds in number. Therefore, an average printing shop makes about N180 million per annum if one is to go by the figures he presents.
In spite of this high turnover, certain economic factors make it impossible for printers to make as much as they would have loved to, as they all insist business is difficult.
The challenge facing Shomolu printers are many and most of them are deeply rooted in bad economic policies exemplified by poor power supply. High lending rate from banks is another thorn in their flesh, says Ayo Adekunle-Segun, who borrowed some money to upgrade his printing outfit from a small scale business to a large one.
As most of his income goes into offsetting bank loans and other overhead cost.
“Really, to talk of standards, I don’t think mine is up to the standard because there are others more standardised than mine,” he reveals. “As a business person, I don’t have too much of a choice since I am not born with a silver spoon and I don’t have any godfather somewhere.
“Therefore, I don’t have a choice but to seek help from the banks. What that simply means is that I make a lot of money for the banks and whatever is left I use to finance my overhead cost. The only consolation I am left with is that the machines become mine.”
Since the equipment used in the printing trade are not manufactured locally, the Shomolu printers, like their counterparts in other parts of the state, have to depend on fairly-used ones imported from Europe . These are outdated machines imported into the country from Germany for millions of naira. However, the present exchange rate is not helping matters at all for them.
“I am thinking of getting new machines within the 201 series and others in that range. Anything outside this range, you will be looking at N2 or N3 million upward,” Adekunle-Segun explains.
He however observes that most investors in the industry with the right grade of machine are either millionaires or multi-millionaires, depending on the level of the machine.
“Some machines go for N300, 000, while some are more than a million naira. They are not brand new. The ones I’m looking at will cost about N20 million. These are the A2 size that is the calendar size. The only advantage about them is that they are a five-colour machine. If you are talking about the A1 size, you will be talking about N60 or N70, 000.”
The printer also explains that most of these machines are not multi-functional; hence they have to get different machines for different tasks. “They are not all-encompassing. In other words, they don’t do everything,” he says.
“They are just offset machines. Hence, if you want to do lamination or perfect binding, you must be ready to get others too. So, if you are doing offset machine for N50 or N70 million, and then you want to do another, a perfect binding machine may be another N20 million. So in all, you may probably be looking at N150 million or more, as you must also consider power because the bigger the machine, the bigger your generating set.”
Besides being highly inconveniencing, this situation also adds to the many woes of entrepreneurs who Adekunle-Segun says have to pay for everything from power to water, and still pay taxes to the government.
“There is no way we can balance overhead cost and income, as entrepreneurs we are the ones paying for it. If you want to remain in business, you had better do what your mates are doing in terms of pricing. Because if you price yourself too high; you will price yourself out of the market. It’s really not about profit; I think what is keeping a lot of people in the business is the love for the job,” he adds.
These are strange words from Adekunle-Segun, who sits on a printing business that churns out millions every month. He is one of the many printers in Shomolu’s multi-million naira printing slum that employs thousands of Nigerian youths, offering different services depending on what you are looking for.
Besides the millions of jobs created in Shomolu for youths, it has also become Nigeria’s printing school, as a good number of the printers learnt the job there; with most having little or no formal education.
Adebanjo Ogunranti, whose shop is located on George Street , observes that the saturated market gives most customers the impression that the output of most outlets in Shomolu is of low quality. Some of those who practice this trade have no formal education, which is the reason many people doubt the quality of work done in the area.
Therefore, someone like Akin Aderopo encourages his workers to take course in publishing at the neighbouring Yaba College of Technology. “It is the only school around here that I have encouraged my workers to attend because of its printing technology base programme. The course is up to HND level. Since some of them don’t have a foundation in the printing business, I encourage them to attend YabaTech so that they can become professionals,” he says.
Adekunle-Segun however believes you do not necessarily have to be formally educated in printing to be part of the printing business, disclosing he has no formal training in printing. He just happened to find himself in printing as he studied business administration at Yaba College of Science and Technology.
“I am a creative person. All it takes is for me to see someone do something once or twice, and it sticks. I could recall long ago when I was still with my parents; I used to have this neighbour who was into printing. In my spare time, I try to engage him in conversations and I discovered that printing is not as difficult as it looks. And at a particular time, I also had the opportunity of being with a magazine outfit that also exposed me to the printing process. I tried my hands on printing my own business card and much later letterheads. And that is how it started.”
Shomolu printers are not immune to the current economic meltdown tightening in the corporate sector, not surprising since most of their customers are the Lagos based corporate bodies.
However, they are optimistic says Atanda, as one of the middleman in Shomolu’s printing chain.
According to him, “everybody feels the impact of the economic meltdown. Your clients are not paying as much as they are supposed to pay. They will tell you go and print, when you deliver and we have seen what you have done, after a week or two they may oblige to pay.
“I went out for marketing yesterday and these were the kind of things I was confronted with. They end up asking to pay very ridiculous rates, yet I know they cannot do without us. We are important to their business. So, we will hang on. We are in this together.”