Young and In Charge: Ayo Shomoye

     It has been a wonderful few months for the blog and I am grateful to everyone that has made it the success it is growing to be. So when the decision was made to take Young and In Charge national in 2013, the first person that came to mind was Ayo. Ayo has been the biggest supporter of the blog and so I couldn't think of a better way to say thank you and happy birthday (its his birthday today), so I decided to make him the very first national YIC and the last YIC for the year. I hope you would enjoy getting to know Ayo like I did, the interview revealed a lot.
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1   Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Lateef  Ayoola Shomoye, from Ogun State, a muslim, a graduate of the University of  Lagos, second of three children (all boys), fun lover and friend to all who want to be friends with me…

What was growing up like?

Honestly speaking I cant remember much bout my childhood,cos I was mostly shuttling hospitals and all, but I remember the numerous hangouts I and my cousins had, the various family outings… So I’d say growing for me was fun,till my teenage years sha! When I unleashed the rebel in me :D

Tell us a little about your educational background?

I started out at Ade Akodu Memorial Primary School, Surulere, Lagos before proceeding  to Ansar-ud-deen Nursery and Primary School, Surulere, Lagos because my dad wanted us to imbibe the Islamic culture at an early stage...didnt really turnout the way he planned though so I proceeded to Ansar-ud-deen Grammar School, Randle, Lagos for my secondary education (my rebellious phase). After this, I attended the University of Lagos with the initial plan of getting a degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management (IRPM) but ended up with educational administration. I am still on the IRPM matter though

So what is El-kay Clothing Co. all about? What does it mean and how did the name come about?

Erm…well that’s a very long story,but to cut it short sha,the name ‘EL-KAY’ initially had to do with the merging of my name and that of my partner at the time (Lateef and Kenny),yes I know it sounds a bit awkward but at the time that’s what we had to work with.

How did you get into it?

The truth is I‘ve always had a passion for arts and fashion, from drawing different designs at the back of my school books (which I always got punished for) so starting up a clothing line was really easy. But of course with guidiance from my mentors O’shady, Roody Monarch and Omo Naija. For me, unofficially I kicked off in 2003 as a solo designer but professionally we started in 2005 and we’v been kicking it ever since.

Breaking into the Fashion industry, especially in Lagos, must have been very difficult, how did you manage to do that?

Ah! It was really tough difficult oo, we had our downs, but thank God for Unilag and the numerous friends, fellowships and organisations we started out with, they really paved way for us in the industry. I cant recall how many calls we’d receive saying we were recommended by one individual or the other… lets just say it pays to be good

What is your typical day like?

Very very busy.

What do you love most about you what you do?

Erm… designing and meeting new people, cant really figure out which I love the most x_x

What’s been your best work ever?

LOL….for now that’s kind of hard to say because all of my works have equally been good.

What are the difficulties involved?

Lack of adequate fabrics especially when it comes to specific colours, insufficient manpower, PHCN wahala…..the list is endless

If you weren't doing this, what would you have been doing?

Guess I’d still be jobhunting or probably working.

Have you ever felt like giving up on El-kay Clothing Co.?

YES…. A lot of times.

Who or what inspires you?

I get a lot of inspiration from my everyday life, walking around the streets of Lagos,talking to people,listening to music and the likes

Considering the level of success you have attained, youths out there would be itching to know how old you are.

Gehn! Gehn!!...i’m really old ooo, I’ll be 26 on the 31^st of December 2012

Asides work, what do you do for fun?

Hangout with friends or watch movies and series

Advice to youths that wish to follow in your footsteps.

Keep your head up and never give up on that dream.

Where do you see yourself and El-kay Clothing Co. five years from now?

By the grace of God we hope to have gone international, competing with all the key players in the industry.

NB: It's usual practice to have pictures of our YIC and their works, the interview was in progress when i decided to use it for today, the pictures would come a little later. Sorry for the inconveniences caused. Dont forget to wish Ayo a happy birthday. 

Abj For JJCs: Ten Things To Do In Abuja This Season

BY IPHIE MANUELZ

So I am totally not having a brown Christmas neither am I having a white one, instead here I am having a rainy, crappy cold Christmas  all the way in obodo oyibo. What keeps me going are the thoughts of the previous 'brown' Christmases  I have had in the past, aptly named brown Christmas because of the dust and dryness that comes with the harmattan. 

So for the first time in ages my family didn't head home for Christmas  for an Ibo family you know the village and Christmas are tied together but the flood was very hard on us this year, so everything is in disarray back home. I got thinking and I came up with a list of ten things I would do in Abuja over the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

  1. Buffet: I would head to Transcorp Hilton or Sheraton Hotel and Towers to start off the celebration after mass. Their buffet would really be a good place to spend time with family, without having go through the hassle of actually preparing the meal. Do not ask me how much it costs, Lol, I do not know, my dad might know though, Lol. All you have to bring is your empty stomach.

  2. Silverbird: I would either visit the, the Silverbird Entertainment Center in the Central Business District or Ceddi Plaza located on Tafawa Balewa Way. Which ever one is picked, the intention is to see a movie with friends, and we can see a movie at anyone we end up picking. Don't forget to get their lovely popcorn and get a drink.

  3. Millenium Park: Another way to spend quality time with both family and friends is to visit the millenium park situated in Abuja. I have a very large family based in Abuja, so the park would give enough room for the little ones to run around and play, while the adults discuss. It would also be a fun way for your family to meet your friends. Come along with some snacks, food and drinks for a lovely time with family and friends.

  4. Amusement Parks: the Maitama amusement park is situated off IBB way in Maitama. This park has a lot of rides for both the adults and children and would be a fun way to spend Christmas with family or friends. I remember going on a ride with friends a few years back and it was screams all the way. Wonderland Amusement Park is also a good park to visit, located just after the old city gate and just beside the National stadium. It promises rides for both adults and children alike.

  5. Relaxing with something to eat: To bring an already awesome day to an end, we could go out at night to the citipark, where we can have some roasted fish or fish pepper soup and a drink, while having a good time with friend. You could also visit Yahuza, located at the Central business district, Wuse 2, gwarinpa and kubwa.  Take sometime out to visit shawarma spots like, Shawarma King, Ketchup, Drumsticks etc, Abuja is the king of Shawarma so you can always get a spot to get good sharwarma.

  6. Ice-cream: the best solution to the Abuja weather. Head to places like Amigos, Hatlab, Grandsquare. Amigos is located in Wuse 2 same as Hatlab. 

  7. Bowling: Abuja boasts of a beautiful bowling alley at The Dome, with a club just over it, the bowling alley is just the perfect place to take a break from the regular Abuja outing scene.

8. PARTIES: We all love to party, whether its a pool party at Transcorp, Bolingo, Sheraton, a private pool party, hitting places like Play, Tucanno with friends or a house party, one thing is certain, a party is a must for the season. 

9. Eat Out: a break from the usual jollof rice, fried rice and other African cuisines that we fill ourselves with all year round, wouldn't be a bad idea. Abuja boasts of nice Chinese restaurants, you could eat in or take, try places like Chopsticks, located in Maitama or Sinoni located in Area 11 for tasty Chinese meals. The club house in Life camp would be a very nice place to visit for some lovely Mediterranean meals

    

10. Lend a helping hand: last but certainly the most important is, lend a helping hand to someone in need. The season is all about love, so extend your hand in love to another, whether by visiting an orphanage, cooking and sharing with your neighbour that has nothing, visiting the hospital or visiting the prisons. Whatever you choose to do, show somebody some love this season.

Just My 2 Kobo: Who am I to tell you what to charge?

BY IPHIE MANUELZ

As you all must have noticed, I have an opinion on almost everything, so yes it’s a good thing I own a blog right. I mean what are opinions if the cannot be shared right.

So you are wondering what my opinion is right about now abi? Hmmm, it is nothing as serious as finding ways to change Nigeria oh, ok, maybe a little, hehehe, I know that is what I am usually on about. So today what is Iphie on about, well it’s a topic most people can relate to. ‘Business women/men’ that cheat others just to make a profit.

This write up was inspired by the BBM status update of a friend, it reads and I quote ‘S/o 2 that Uniben girl, who way back in 2k7 would go to UK, buy Cederwoods shirt for £5 each, then sell to students 4 N7k each. God has forgiven you’. Lmao, I almost died when I read it and I just had to ping her, lol. But then I realised how true what she was saying was.

We must have all been ripped off at one point by one of these enterprising young men and ladies and it cant be funny when you realise that you have been ripped off. Personally I have been ripped off a lot of times and I can authoritatively say that it wasn’t funny. I wouldn’t cite any specific incidence in order not to embarrass anybody. I remember the first time I realised I was ripped off, I told my friend I wanted more of a certain slipper that I already had and she said  (note that she doesn’t sell) and she goes ‘ok I can get me friend to get them for you when she travels, they are only £2.50 in Primark’. WHAT, I swear, I saw red. I had bought my own for N850 which in my opinion was fair, but I knew someone that was going around selling this same slippers to my friends for N2500. Then you can imagine my surprise when I came over here to study, only to realise that something I had paid over N6000 for barely two months before, was merely £5, £5 being the full price, and was even from Primark, I had been led to believe it was from somewhere more prestigious. What did I know, I have never been a fan of ‘designers’, so I couldn’t tell the difference, as long as its wearable, I wear it. You can also imagine my surprise when I saw a shoe going for N8000 on someone’s dp, what??? A shoe I knew to be on sale at Primark, I went into Primark on my way to church that day oh and guess how much it was. £8 pounds oh and full price, this shoe was barely £15. Or do I even begin about the story of my bag from River Island, I got this bag on sale for £20 pounds and full price it was £35. Guess what I knew of someone that was selling these bags for N24000/N25000 and she got it on sales oh, not full price. I don’t even know where to begin.

Now lets take N250 to be the constant exchange rate for the pounds to Naira. I am not even going to bother myself with the maths, its so obvious what these businessmen and women are doing.

I know I am going to be chewed raw for this write up by people that sell and even by my friends that sell, but its high time somebody called them out on this cheating. I know the most common reply to this would be ‘Iphie, you know we have to make our profit now’ and ‘ha Iphie do you know what we pay to transport these goods’.

Hmm, I wouldn’t say much, I understand their need to make a profit and cover the cost of transportation, but haba why would you cheat people this much. I mean why sell a Primark product that expensively when you know at the back of your mind that, that thing would not last six months. All I am saying is make your profit but don’t go around cheating other people. One thing I have learned is money gotten from cheating people is never used for anything good. I remember once when I was in Benin for a wedding, I needed to get in a taxi to a family friend’s house and the rain wouldn’t let up. I eventually got a taxi driver who charged me N2500 for a journey that usually costs N1000. Half way into the journey he bashed another driver’s car and had to part with about N4000. The first thing that came into my mind was, you can never spend ‘ill gotten’ money on good things.

It doesn't really bother me anymore, I have learned the pleasures of online shopping and when I get back home, that is how all my shopping would be done if i can't afford to make the trip. I would rather throw all that money into 'cargoing' my goods home, than see it lining another's pocket.

I am not here to teach anybody their business, all I am saying is treat people fairly, if not how do you expect to be treated fairly, we receive what we give out. I tried not to link this issue to Nigeria, but i couldn't help myself, how do you expect better from our leaders when you do just what they do. How do you think they started, they started cheating people in little things and it grew into cheating them out of good roads, cheating them out of their rights to good education, out of good health facilities, the list is endless. The thing about greed is, once you can't nip it in the bud you just have to keep feeding it.

 Who am I to tell you how much to charge, after all this is just my 2kobo’s worth.

The Focus for this christmas

BY ADESUWA

Christmas! The only event that really gets people on their feet. No other celebration shakes the earth like Christmas does. Christmas is when Christians celebrate the birth of their saviour Jesus Christ.

Christmas means a lot of things to different people. However, considering the happening of the year, I became curious... I wanted to know the focus for people this Christmas. In the midst of all the celebrations, I felt we should have a focal point in our hearts, something we would like to do or to be seen to be done this season. So I carried out an opinion poll asking "what should be the focus this Christmas?" and here's what Nigerians had to say :
"Love..I know the word 'love' has been over-emphasised, but through out 2012, love was really absent. Look at the Aluu killings, boko haram, kidnapping, even the Nigerian government have no love for their people any more. 2012 was good, but it would have been better. I think this Christmas we should focus on love, values and respect. When we respect,love, and fear GOD, I think we are good to go."- John Momoh

"Party! Fun fun all the way"- Ella Nwabundo

"Thanksgiving, love and family"- Emmanuel Olorunda

"Sharing love with the needy through material things"- Sarah Nok

"The focus should be love of GOD and neighbour"- Tony Chigbata

"Preaching Unity for all"- Arome Joseph

"We should reflect on the life of Christ from his birth to his death, celebrate him and imbibe his teachings the more. Be doers of his word and not just hearers" - Uduak Robert

"Giving and sharing"- Ekpen Otoibhili

"Christ in me"- Akubo

"Christ always" - Aima Atafo

"Rededication of our lives to Christ!!" - Gabriel Kwaki

"Freeing yourself 4rm past
mistakes and sins to truly start afresh" - Habiba Hamza

"Family"- Sophie Alozie Raymond

Looking through these responses, one message rings out clearly, and that is 'Love'. Christ is Love, as celebrate his birth over 2000 years ago, we are indeed celebrating love. Whether you want to party, or spend time with family, or give to the needy, or break free from the past, or reflect on Christ's life and so on, it is Love that makes us do these sincerely..Love of GOD, Love for others and love of self.

Love involves sharing. You don't have to be rich to share. Your old clothes and shoes can be someone else's finest, a bag of rice shared to about  10 families in need could save a lot, a kind word would inspire another to soar, a simple prayer for others  would make a difference and bring the miracles we have been seeking, speaking and standing for the truth would liberate and bring justice to millions of people.  There are so so many ways to show love. Yes in the past, we have loved but weren't paid back in same coin, but that hasn't changed loving as the way to go.

Let's spread this message to one another as we celebrate, in our words and actions. Plus it shouldn't stop this season, let it continue into the new year and beyond. May the blessings of peace and good tidings that Christ's brings dwell with us forever! Let us transform the world... Reach out to one another in love,  LOVE truly!

Young and In Charge: Mercy Akoji

When I thought of who I was going to interview for Young and in Charge for today, the first person that came to mind was Mercy. Fresh out of a fashion show, she must have a lot to share with us, so why not share it with you  guys too. Mercy was a classmate and I remember back in Uni, I used to admire most of her outfits, she made white and black look so cool. Now I know the secret, with a needle and some materials she was able to turn heads, imagine what she would be capable of with proper fashion designer instruments, you would have to find that out for yourself.

Tell us a little about yourself? 
I'm Mercy Akoji, from Kogi State, Nigeria, from a family of eight. I'm a peace lover and a conservative person, an introvert as some may like to say, I quite disagree with them on that.

What was growing up like? 
I'm a middle child, the third of six kids, with three sisters and two brothers. Summarily, My Childhood was simply blissful! Teenage years were tough because I tried to hold on fiercely to my euphoric childhood LOL. However being grown up is awesome because I know how to balance it all now. :)

Tell us a little about your educational background?
I attended Command Children School, Dantuku, Kaduna for my Nursery n Primary education, I attended four different secondary schools, see why I said my teenage years were tough? I eventually completed my Senior Secondary School at Imperial School Kudenda, Kaduna. My tertiary education was at yours truly ;), Unibuja, where I studied Law from 2004 to 2010. I proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in the same year and I was called to d bar in 2011, so hey I'm a lawyer! I also attended a fashion school, One Stop Celebration, Ikeja, for six weeks. And that’s it, so far, so good.

So what is Mull Apparel all about? What does it mean and how did the name come about? 
Mulls apparel Design (M.A.D) is an infant fashion business, born early this year, we design trendy female outfits and accessories. It ranges from your comfortable casual to high street. Mulls apparel creations are labelled M.A.D. So far we have made clothes only on the customer's order and description, but from 2013 MAD clothes will be bought off the racks also, by God's grace.

How did you get into it? 
It all became clear to me in 2007. By then I was already in my third year in the university, so I decided to finish what I already started before I focus on fashion. Fashion is my first love and I follow up trend like its a religion and that is how I landed here.  When I had limited resources I'd convert old pieces to stay in vogue, friends required I do same for them and that was how it started.

What is your typical day like?
I take everyday as it comes. Some days I wake up with so much fire and on other days I'm low, while other times I wake up with this bright idea and every other thing is suspended, LOL. But usually I start with cutting up yards of fabrics and I end with delivery.

What do you love most about you what you do? 
Creation, creating something out of nothing. And the fact that u can actually predict trends or even set the pace for others to follow and ladies falling on top of each other just to have a piece of it! Love it! Love it! Love it!

What’s been your best work ever? 
That’ll be the first waistcoat I made with a hand needle in 2007.

What are the difficulties involved? 
The fashion business is very challenging, anyone with me in it knws exactly what I mean because we face similar challenges. I rip dresses in anger, I kick my sewing machine and hurt my own foot, LOL.  Nothing beats the reaction of a dissatisfied customer, *laughing* yes, it can be pretty frustrating sometimes.

If you weren't doing this, what would you have been doing? 
Peacekeeping! Lol

Have you ever felt like giving up on Mull Apparel? 
Not at all.

Who or what inspires you? 
A lot of African designers out there, fashion magazines, I love the history of fashion itself! Paris, London, Milan, New York, Tokyo! I'm inspired even by the sound of them.

Considering the level of success you have attained, youths out there would be itching to know how old you are.
I'm 24yrs and 11 months :D

Asides work, what do you do for fun?
Work is fun, the fashion house is my dollhouse and I hang out with loved ones for fun too.

Advice to youths that wish to follow in your footsteps.
Start now. And invite God 1st into whatever u do, adopt the fruits of the spirit especially that of long suffering you’ll be needing it the most! *Just kidding * you’ll be needing them equally.

Where do you see yourself and Mull Apparel five years from now?
In every nook n cranny of cities with bright lights.

As always let the pictures speak for themselves!!

Mercy can be contacted via:

Email: mercy_akoji@yahoo.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MullsApparel