Entrepreneurs must create value amid challenges, says Akintayo

Stephen Akintayo, the GMD/CEO of Gtext Holdings, has urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to work round the clock in creating values on the back of the current economic challenges facing the country.

“The whole concept of entrepreneurship is always finding a way where there is no way, creating value amid challenges and constantly looking for opportunities,” he said during the recent award ceremony for the Stephen Akintayo Foundation’s $5 million for five years grant (2023 to 2027).

The hybrid event took place in Lagos and Dubai simultaneously as part of the activities that made up his birthday celebration, which included the launch of three books authored by Akintayo, reward initiative for staffers and grants for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) to scale-up their businesses.

The first set of beneficiaries for the Foundation’s $5 million for five years grant initiative were rewarded during the award ceremony that took place at the Omole office of the real estate company in Lagos.

According to Akintayo, the Foundation is working with entrepreneurs with notable sign of progression and capacity to build their businesses. “This is why we are working only with businesses that have started. You must have shown that your value is accepted in the marketplace and people are willing to pay for it no matter how small. Our grant is there to just help you to scale it up.”

He further disclosed that what is important to the Foundation is the success rate of businesses that received the grants, hence he is not only supporting them with cash, but also with mentorship programmes to help grow their businesses.

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“So, as much as I am grateful to God for how far we have come as a business, we must begin to raise entrepreneurs who are serious about their business. I started this company 15 years ago with just N1, 000, so I understand what it means to start a business without funding or capital, just trying to struggle to make it work,” Akintayo stated.

The first set of beneficiaries and recipients for January include Victoria Adeyeye of Phenacoconut Product and Yetunde Taiwo of YT Foods, both of whom were visibly excited to have won $5000 each. Similarly, Martha Onsachi, the highest salesperson of the year 2022 for Gtext Holdings, was rewarded with a brand new car.

According to staff of Gtext Holdings, January 28 is a day of celebration for the brand as it also marks the birthday of the CEO, Stephen Akintayo. The event, which coincided with the Dubai edition of the Global Wealth Festival, also saw the launch of three new books by Akintayo.

The books include; ‘Becoming a Billionaire Land Banker’; ‘Billionaire Habits For Entrepreneurs’, and ‘Billionaire Habits For Pastors’, which brings the number of his published works to 41.

However, the car winner, Onsachi, in sharing her gratitude for the reward said, “It’s a continuous season of giving, and this shows that Gtext sees and values my efforts and it means that I must work harder to keep doing what I do well so that I don’t waste the trust that has been placed upon me”.