In this exclusive interview with Esther Salami of The News Chronicle, co-founder of Disha, Ingressive for Good (I4G), a tech non-profit organization, and recipient of the 2023 Forbes Africa Under 30 list, Blessing Abeng shares her evolving journey in the entrepreneurial world and offers young people timeless insight into achieving success as entrepreneurs. Standing out as a visionary leader, her efforts in shaping the future of young people in business in Nigeria are nothing short of remarkable.
TNC: The Christians have a saying that “if the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do?” – this points out the significance of foundation to a man’s prosperity. How did your foundation serve as a stepping stone to the woman you are today?
Blessing: I must credit my parents for the kind of foundation I have in my life because they did a great job raising me to believe that I am unlimited and the life I want is possible. They never minimized my dreams or the possibilities and challenged me to leverage my skills, thoughts, and abilities to build a life for myself. They encouraged me to explore. I played football, basketball, table soccer, and video games, won essay and math competitions, played chess, washed my father’s car, and so much more… my point is that nothing felt impossible or unattainable. So I am glad that I had that.
TNC: In all your accomplishments, which are you most proud of and why?
Blessing: I am most proud of the impact I’ve had on people’s lives. My personal mission is to leave environments and people a little better than I meet them, and to see that in my very short time on earth, I am already living that mission, [and] it’s humbling. I listen to stories people tell about how they encountered me, something I taught, a business I built, an opportunity I shared, a community I curated that they were part of, my content, something, and how that little encounter changed the trajectory of their lives. For some, it made them believe that the life they want is possible, and they were inspired to chase after it. It’s the most significant accomplishment I am proud of.
TNC: Why is branding so important to any business?
Blessing: I think branding is important because whether you try or don’t try, your customers and your audience already perceive you a certain way. The question is, do you like the way you are currently perceived? Is it sustainable? Is that your intended perception? The branding process is simply just taking steps to ensure that your intended brand becomes close or equal to your perceived brand. This means that if I intend to be a luxury brand and I am perceived as a mass-market brand, then I have failed in my branding.
I would be left with two choices: Adjust to fit the market’s perception or Rebrand and re-adjust to influence my market’s perception. A strong brand can sell anything. Apple and the like are consistently releasing new products, and people are willing to buy because there is a trust factor. A good brand builds trust. The currency of a good brand is trust, not even money. Your audience will believe anything you present to them. Trust is the most valuable asset you can get from your customers, and good branding helps you build that. I have a free book about it that business owners can read here.
TNC: From your experience ma, which sector or industry has the most prospects to be a success in Nigeria especially for young entrepreneurs?
Blessing: Any entrepreneur can succeed in any industry if their solution brilliantly solves a problem their target market is willing to pay for and their environment’s policies allow them to thrive. They will succeed if that basic foundation is sorted, and they manage the business with excellent corporate governance. People make billions from selling salt, and some from selling tech solutions. There’s no ceiling as long as you solve a problem people are willing to pay for multiple times, manage your finances, and make sound business decisions.
TNC: Personally, what have you observed to be the top ten high-income skills on demand in Nigeria?
Blessing: From what I have observed (in no particular order) – but I would advise that everyone else does their research and find concrete data for this: Marketing and sales, Software development, Cybersecurity, Project Management, Data Analytics, Graphics Design, Content Creation, Product Design, Financial Management, [and] Legal. Of course, this depends on industries, company levels, company size, and more.
TNC: When it comes to building your business brand, what are the most important things to consider?
Blessing: A brand is not a logo. It is not a color. It is not a name, nor product. It is the combination of everything working hand in hand. So, if I must define a brand, I would say, it is who you are at every touch point where your audience experiences you. It is who your audience says you are when you are not in the room. Your brand is made up of 3 core aspects:
• Identity • Communication • Credibility
These are the key frameworks to consider when evaluating your brand or creating a brand strategy. Brand strategy is the ideation of the brand, branding is the execution of it. Your identity is your knowledge of self in relation to your audience that makes you recognizable. The 3 Key things to note: “Knowledge of self” and “in relation to your audience” that makes you “recognizable.”
This means your identity is made up of you, your audience, and the elements that make you recognizable. So this doesn’t become a masterclass, I’ll advise business owners to read this. Key things to pay attention to:
– Know yourself and your values (If your business was a human being, what kind of human being would your brand be? What kind of values would that human have?)
– Collaborate wisely
– Invest in hiring team members who align with the mission and goals of the brand
– Don’t be afraid to experiment
– Every offer you make to your customer is a promise. Invest in ensuring that you keep that promise, and when you can’t you communicate.
– Don’t shy away from telling your story.
TNC: Given the increasing devaluation of the naira, what’s your best advice for young people?
Blessing: See yourself as a citizen of the world. Try to earn in foreign currency if you can, save or invest in USD assets that allow you to hedge your earnings. There are so many tech products that make it possible for you to earn, save, and invest in foreign currency e.g. Grey, Trove, and many others. You are always Nigerian, but also a global citizen. Don’t limit yourself and don’t let your environment limit you.
