My major focus right now is getting my brand on the global stage – Anwuli

Onyeuka Sophia Anwuli is a fashion entrepreneur and owner of Sophia Couture situated in Lekki and Surulere, Lagos State. In this interview with IFEOMA OKEKE, she spoke, among other issues, about her passion in the fashion industry, the challenges, prospects and her growth projection in the next five to ten years from now. Excerpts:

Could you tell us what you do and when you started your business?

I am an entrepreneur and I am into fashion, clothing and accessories. I started my business over 10years ago. My passion for entrepreneurship made me venture into fashion. After my university education, I started work with a shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping & GAC Shipping Nig Ltd, and I have over 10years experience in that sector. While working, my passion for fashion grew stronger and this made me venture into fashion clothing, which has today blossomed into a household name in the fashion industry in Nigeria. I own one of the biggest clothing fashion stores in Nigeria, named Sophia Couture, which is situated in Lekki and Surulere parts of Lagos State.

What’s your view about entrepreneurship in Nigeria?

Well, with what I can see now, the social media plays a huge role in positioning businesses. With the right information in the social media, it gives businesses great exposure; your business could be a success. However, absence of funding is really hampering a lot of start-ups. Many businesses are even suffering stunting growth as a result of lack of funds for expansion and all that. There are a number of factors that are really affecting growth of businesses in the country; these include the exchange rate, inconsistent power supply and logistics. The worst hit or the hardest hit are small business owners. On the positive side however, many Nigerian business owners are very resilient and hardworking to the point that despite the threats and huge obstacles they face, they still flourish.

What has been your success story since you started your business?

My success story can be attributed to the grace of God that has enabled us to be consistent in what we do in terms of the quality of clothing we sell; going the extra mile in ensuring that our customers are happy and that they also get value for their money. Although the operating environment is tough and challenging, we have been able to weather the storm.

What drove you into this line of business; was it love for fashion, skills acquired or just the need to make money?

It was purely fashion. Like I told you that I used to work with a shipping company, but had to quit for fashion business. So, it is passion that made me venture into fashion; I never had any prior training or acquired skills or tutorial whatsoever.

Who are your target customers?

My Target customers are the middle/high class women that love to look good without breaking the bank. We also service the average Nigerian woman that loves to look good. One thing we guarantee you is that once you come to us, you will find something you can afford.

How affordable are your clothes considering the situation of the country and the need to capture a wider segment of the market?

Our clothing, shoes, bags, among others are extremely affordable. Considering the current economic situation of the country, we try to make our materials affordable without compromising quality at the same time. We give our customers value for their money.

Talking about clothes, what kind of clothes do you sell (for women) and are there reasons for your choice of clothes?

We sell clothing for red carpet, ceremonial dresses, work dresses, casuals, etc. We do not have restriction as to the type of outfits that we sell. We make this available in order for customers who visit us to get to see varieties. We try to provide varieties that people will always find something to pick for their different occasions.

How do you meet the needs of both the average and the rich in society without compromising quality?

We try as much as possible to get very good deals directly from factory. Although it is capital-intensive doing so, because for one to venture into this, it entails huge financial commitment to enable one get very good deal from factories abroad; with this we have been able to meet the need of various classes of customers without compromising our quality.

We source our clothing, shoes and bags abroad.

No doubt, like every other sector, the fashion industry has also been affected by the economic downturn and COVID-19 pandemic. How were you impacted?

Yes, the pandemic seriously affected businesses, but we bless God for his grace.

As an entrepreneur, how many people have you been able to employ or help in skills acquisition and training?

We have two branches presently in Lagos as earlier stated. We have an average of five members of staff in each branch; making a total of 10 employed staffers. From time to time we ensure they are enrolled in some management courses to enable them function properly in their various job descriptions.

From your experience, what would you say are the major challenges facing the fashion industry in Nigeria?

Major experience we face presently has been unstable dollar rate which has been so for some time now. This has affected our prices. It’s really not been easy.

What do you think the government can do to address some of the challenges in the fashion industry?

The government should try as much as possible to regularise the value of our naira.

What is your advice to young aspiring fashion designers or entrepreneurs generally who do not have funds to start their businesses, or start-ups that want to succeed in the business?

My candid advice to young aspiring entrepreneurs who do not have capital to start up is to first develop their passion. Make use of medium technology in the social media pages, such as Jiji, Olx, Facebook, twitter, to create a business page; source for content from sellers that have these goods readily available; post it and then look forward to getting customers. By doing so, within a short period of time they should be able to generate capital and start up their own business.

Where do you hope to see your business in the next five to ten years?

I can say that despite the numerous challenges, we have remained afloat. We have a couple of Nigerian celebrities that are our customers. Five to ten years from now, we hope to take our business to other parts of the country. I am also looking to having

my own factory where we would be producing clothes, shoes, and bags in large quantities, and in my brand name and sold all over the world just like the very known big brands. In fact, my major focus right now is getting my brand on a global stage even though presently, we have customers who reside in the USA, London, Canada, and in many African countries, who also shop from us and we deliver to them via DHL, a logistics industry. I am not threatened by new entrants into the industry, because I believe that the sky is big enough for all of us to play and flourish.