Uche Onyekwelu is the chief executive officer (CEO) of St Uche (Stuch), an interior and apparel company.
Onyekwelu is a Nigerian businesswoman motivated to succeed in a clime where more than 20 million people are jobless.
St Uche started years back as a small business involved in buying and selling of bed covering. It has speedily become a household name involved in the production of various types of apparel in the country.
After concluding her National Youth Service, Onyekwelu went into the business of buying her and selling of bed covering and housing interiors.
Her decision to enter into the business was borne out of her love for beautiful bedrooms.
This love and passion for the business gave her the courage to take the bold decision of resigning from her job as an administrative manager in one of the renowned real estate companies.
When Onyekwelu started the business, she was moving from street to street in the local government where she served, selling her products to friends, neighbours and other NYSC members.
She was able to leverage various social media platforms in growing her business and, today, her page on Instagram has over 20,000 views and loads of messages from people inquiring about her bed sheets.
Hailing from Nnewi, Anambra state, and being the eldest child in a family of 10, Onyekwelu has succeeded in growing her company into a multi-million naira enterprise, with its production hub and a store located in Lagos.
For her, the future of Stuch Interiors and Apparel is bright. She is currently working on opening stores in different states in the country and overseas.
Despite the numerous challenges businesses face in the country—from high inflation and interest rate environment to power shortages down and inefficient logistic system— she has been able to come up with a mode of operation that works.
Her business made its first million in 2017, and since then, it has evolved from buying and stocking bedding to producing all sorts of bed covering, bed sheets, and duvets, among others. The brand also gave birth to a subsidiary, The Stuch Pyjamas.
Currently, her rich interior and apparel have over 5,000 clients locally and globally.
A graduate of Estate Management from Kwara State Polytechnic where she obtained her first degree, she now lives in Lagos with her husband, Paul Ogumka. They are both blessed with a daughter.
In 2018, she wrote and published her first book, ‘How I Grew My Business from Zero to Millions’ to give aspiring entrepreneurs insights.
Over the years, she has been nominated for several awards and recognitions for her passion and tenacity. She emerged the winner of the Keeping Marriage Alive (KMA) awards (role model category) in 2018.
