TOP NIGERIANS WHO QUIT THEIR CAREERS TO BECOME ENTREPRENEURS

 Leaving one’s career to become entrepreneurs can be pretty scary. That is why we have brought you a few Nigerians who have toed the path and haven’t looked back since.

IBUKUN AWOSIKA
Ibukun Awosika wanted to become a medical doctor when she was in a secondary school, later on, an architect but she eventually ended up graduating with her first degree in Chemistry from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife). She also took many free electives in accounting as she had keen interest in banking.
Since a bank job didn’t materialise, she took a sales job at a furniture company. Three and a half months later, she resigned her position to set up her own furniture manufacturing company, Quebees Ltd, from which The Chair Centre Ltd later evolved. She started in January 1989 with two carpenters, two sprayers and two upholsterers from the back of her father’s house. Today she has grown her business to a net worth of more than N3 billion ($18.6 million).

JASON NJOKU
Born in Britain, after graduating with a second class, upper division in Chemistry from University of Manchester in 2005, Jason Njoku threw himself into launching a magazine for students called Brash – fueled by loans from a bank and friends, and youthful enthusiasm; a business, he admits, was his most epic failure. In an interview with Forbes Africa, he said, “I spend good three years making every mistake there was to make about how to run a business.”
He took a break in formal employment as a recruitment consultant. But his entrepreneurial drive got him back on another round. He co-founded ‘Roll On Friday’ – a blog network and news site for young professionals in banking, law and consultancy – another failed venture that lasted for two years. He turned to other business to pay the bills; a T-shirt company, a web design venture.
But defeat led to a revelation; a huge opportunity in the Nigerian Movie industry, Nollywood. The idea of Iroko Partners was born. Today, he is the co-founder of IrokoTV, a web platform that provides Nigerian films on-demand, and one of Africa’s first mainstream online movie steaming websites, giving free and instant access to over 5,000 Nollywood film titles.

LINDA IKEJI
Linda Ikeji was admitted to study English at University of Lagos contrary to her course choice, Mass Communication. Her lifelong dream was always to become a journalist. After university, she worked hard to break into journalism, launching her media company, Blackdove Communications, a modelling agency and events management outfit. She began her modelling career in 1998 and gave up in 2005.
She started her magazine in 2006 that didn’t get passed two editions. In the same year, Linda started her Blog, lindaikeji.blogspot.com. 7 years later, Linda Ikeji’s blog has become the most popular entertainment online platform in Nigeria; 13th most visited websites in Nigeria and 2218th in the world. In August 2012, she was listed on Forbes Africa as one of the highest paid bloggers in Nigeria.

ADENIKE OGUNLESI
In her second year as an undergraduate law student at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi opted out of school unsure of what to do with her life. She then reluctantly accepted her mother’s invitation to work in her women’s tailor shop. That experience helped her to discover who she was and what she wanted to do.
From a tiny shop with her and her mother as the main staff, Mrs Adenike turned Ruff ‘n’ Tumble to become one of the best manufacturers of children’s clothing in Nigeria. Today Ruff ‘N’ Tumble is a thriving business with over 50 employees and distribution along the West African coasts.

FRANK NNEJI
Frank Nneji graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1982 with his first degree in Biological Sciences. He gave an early foretaste of what to expect of his life trajectory when he successfully ran for the position of Transport Officer in the UNN students union election. He never failed to take an opportunity to make some pocket money by conveying fellow students to venues of sporting events for a fee in his personal rugged car.
Today, he is the founder/CEO of Associated Bus Company Plc – operator of ABC Transport, a clear front-runner in luxury bus operation in West African sub-region.