In the midst of the unending unemployment among Nigerian graduates, Aisha Olaposi Ajidagba has refused to become part of the jobless party. She is the CEO of Tangaranaffairs, an online store that trades in traditional caps.
A graduate of Computer Science from Tai Solarin University of Education, her love for traditional caps and desire to become an entrepreneur prompted her to establish Tangaranaffairs in 2017.
The young entrepreneur was also motivated to set up the business by her father’s love for traditional caps. “I will say I am walking in my father’s shoes,” she says.
“My late dad would never leave the house without a well-tailored cap. He was the ultimate model for me growing up,” she says.
She often looked forward to what her father would wear.
“He had caps sent to him from Borno and Sokoto, and on some Sundays would put one of them on and wear the ‘Abeti Aja’ or handmade cap from ‘Aso Oke’. Sometimes he would put on the traditional red cap. He was the ultimate culture ambassador for me,” she explains.
She says Tangaranaffairs was founded out of her love for culture and fashion, but mostly influenced by my father’s love for caps.
The Computer Scientist-turned-entrepreneur had worked in the beauty industry to gain experience before starting this business.
Aisha has created a lot of milestones in the industry.
“The major milestone for me is being able to rebrand culture, birth other businesses and create employment,” she tells Start-Up Digest.
“So, for me, apart from making our traditional caps look cool again, helping other people to earn a living is a major milestone.”
Aisha says culture is her main driving force.
“My major drive is culture. I believe that culture is our greatest export. I have always been a firm believer of showcasing the real Africa to the world— the beauty of our culture, our attires and great scenery. It’s also great to see a well-dressed man, but for me, it’s a greater feeling to know you dressed that man. It’s such a gratifying feeling when I get feedbacks and pictures of men wearing Tangaranaffairs caps with pride,” she says.
She reveals that good quality has helped her to keep clients and attract more patronage for the business.
“Quality, being attentive to consumers’ style and needs, prompt delivery and excellent customer service are keys to my success. I keep telling anyone that’s willing to hear never to compromise quality. Everyone that has ever got a cap from me will know that what they saw is what they get— original, handmade and stored in proper conditions. That’s my standard for Tangaranaffairs and it won’t be changing any time soon.”
She compares the Nigerian market with others and concludes that the local market is competitive enough.
“The Nigerian market is highly competitive and saturated, to say the least,” she describes.
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t thrive if you don’t work hard. In neighbouring countries such as Benin Republic and Ghana, cultural items are profitable because of the thriving tourism, unlike in Nigeria. So I believe that if they do not come to us (tourists), we should go to them. Our exports can bring about massive improvement in our tourism sector. If a white man is in love with an artefact, they will want to know the history of such a beautiful piece and that’s what informs most of their travels.”
The entrepreneur was fascinated with the culture of the people of Northern Nigeria— the fashion, the music and even the food while growing up. “While growing up, I got to visit other parts of Nigeria and got familiar with other cultures too. So my influence is basically culture. So I always imagine my caps complimenting brands such as Mai Atafo, Ugo Monye, or a Vanskere.”
She believes her business is helping to reduce unemployment in the country. “Because my caps are handmade, I believe I am renewing the love for craftsmanship in an industry that was almost forgotten,” she says.
“The caps are made by people who genuinely love the craft and have the talent passed down from generations before them. So they do not do it for money, per say, but what’s better than making money from your passion?” she asks.
“So now I have an army that grow day by day doing what they love and getting well deserved pay for what they do,” the entrepreneur adds.
Speaking on some of her challenges, she says, “Like every other new business, our major challenge is visibility. That is how to make the brand known, how to convince people of its authenticity.”
Aisha says there were times she almost gave up on her dreams but got back on her feet within the shortest time.
“There were lots of times I almost give up,” she confesses. “Starting something is never easy; capital, sourcing authentic raw materials and getting clients are not easy. At first I was discouraged, but now I have upped my game, and I never compromise standards.”
She says Tangaranaffairs dreams of having a factory in Nigeria. The outfit also looks forward to having showrooms and making its products exportable.
“I also wish to add a wide range of culturally inspired styles to our collections,” she tells Start-Up Digest.
The young entrepreneur wants other entrepreneurs to be authentic and do proper feasibility studies about every venture before moving into it.
“It’s suicidal for one to go into a business because a certain person is thriving at it. Find what works for you and be the best at it. It may seem slow in the beginning but hard work and dedications always pays,” she adds.
Jonathan Aderoju
