‘If you have a skill, you can support the nation’

Why do you specialise in making children’s wears?
 Udeme: I learnt how to saw for adults, not children. I went into making children’s wears two years ago. I diversified into making clothes for children because I saw how expensive the foreign ones we buy are. When I want to buy clothes for my children, it’s very costly, and when I go out I see other children wearing similar clothes. So, I told myself that I can create something out of this. I started making clothes with Ankara for children. If you want it readymade, we make it. And then, if you want a cloth for you and your baby, we make that as well.
There is a lot of patronage because not many people saw for children. Some schools ask me to make Friday wears for their children. Right now, I have so much work. I have 12 people working with me and, yet, the work is much. I have two shops. The patronage for children’s wears is high. From November, I will stop collecting clothes because of the forthcoming Christmas celebration.

What would you do with the grant?
I will expand this line of business for sawing children’s wares. I will start making ready-to-wear for children and plan to export them. I want people abroad to patronise us. With this grant, I will expand the business.

How did you learn to saw?
I learnt to saw when I was doing my youth service in Port Harcourt. I used my allowance to train myself on how to saw.

What is your advice to young people?
I will say it’s good to have skill. If you have a skill, you can support the nation. There are so many people looking for white-collar jobs but when you are self-employed and you have passion for what you are doing, you will make an impact anywhere you are. In few years from now, I see people in the US and UK wearing myImasignature products.