• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Meet Samuel Oluwatobi, entrepreneur adding value to Nigeria’s automobile market

samuel-oluwatobi

Samuel Babalola Oluwatobi is the CEO of Autobabs & Properties, a firm that buys and sells cars. It also helps deliver cars to distant destinations while rendering general automobile services. Samuel holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta.

He started this business because he had always been interested in everything that had to do with automobiles and its mechanisms.
And whenever the opportunity presented itself, he always got involved in fixing and learning about automobiles. His passion led him to set up his business in August 2014 while he was in his 500 level.

“Going out there, seeking jobs, was not in my plans because that is more like an ‘Ultimate search’ these days, and doing illegal jobs (or runs like most people call it) was totally
out of it. So I had my ideas mapped out and I conceived Autobabs,” he says.

He started his business in partnership with two friends and contributed N450,000, which he got from loans and personal savings. He believes that ideas and knowledge are major capital
needed for a business.

Evaluating his business growth, the entrepreneur says that although it is a tough business, hard work and consistency were enough to raise his status. He notes that he has been able to register his business officially and record ground- breaking achievements which have motivated him to press forward.
Samuel says that he attends trainings that are related to automobiles and business. He says that to be in the business, one needs
to devote oneself to learn the basics.

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“You need to know how to operate cars. Having a mechanical skill is an advantage. You also need vehicle
precision and driving skills,” he explains.
Apart from his business partners, Samuel has two assistants who he pays on commission basis. Speaking on the challenges of his business,
he reveals that import duties have negative impact on his business. He further says that convincing clients is another problem, adding that it is not always easy to import some
of the parts he needs. He urges the government to make import duties favourable for business while developing indigenous vehicle manufacturing industry.

He says local industries will reduce high rate of dependence on foreign materials. Samuel keeps his customers and grows his clientele by providing affordable, valuable, quality service, developing friendly relationships with them, which extend beyond business. This, he says, ensures customer satisfaction.

Speaking on his business expansion plans, the entrepreneur mentions that he is working on building his full-time transport and logistics firm. He plans to partner with other automobile companies to actualise this dream. The young entrepreneur also wants to develop his own automobile assembly plant in Nigeria and is eyeing large scale agriculture.
Samuel says he is inspired by God and writers like Robert Kiyosaki and Myles Munroe. His life values are hard work, consistency and self-development. He advises other entrepreneurs to build their people network, be courageous, take risks and dare to be different.

 

Gbemi Faminu