ONE ON ONE WITH PAUL ALAJE

My name is Paul Alaje a management consultant particularly in the area of Business Development and financing. By the grace of God, we have consultanted for over 700 businesses in the last 2 years, 17 of those businesses are SMSE while the rest are top organizations, Aviation, Oil and Gas, Banking and so many more. I consult and train.


We have many States in Nigeria, Why Do you chose to live and work in Abuja.

Why I choose Abuja because Abuja is the centre, Abuja is going to be the heart of Nigeria. Lagos is currently the commercial centre of Nigeria. There are lot of emerging businesses in Abuja but they are not done properly. A lot of people are in Abuja for political reasons, while some are here because there are idle funds somewhere, is a political term and when they come to Abuja, they discover there is no money flying in the street of Wuse II or that of Maitama. The question they will ask is “how do I make money legally”and that is when they need me and I tell you over 50% of people in Abuja came because it is FCT, they did out figure not how to make money, they only got here and said I need to do this or that. Where there are people, there is money. My job here is to help people do there business very we ll.
Another thing why am in Abuja is that the government have helped to provide funds for people. Bank of Industry (BOI) is giving out facilities at the rate of 10%, their regional office is here in Abuja, Federal Mortgaged Bank is giving at the rate of 6% and their office is in Abuja. Bank of Agriculture Headquarters is in Abuja and giving at the rate of 14% to farmers and to known farmers is 20%. Now there are other big businesses that are not in Abuja, one need to go to Lagos. Most of 99% of Bank head quarters are in Lagos we just have one here in Abuja which is Unity Bank.
A lot of people want to start their banks like Microfinance Bank, we have two (2) that just started in Abuja and we are almost done with one in Port Harcourt. People should bring business to Abuja. Abuja being a political administrative city cannot sustain any environment. The rent is skyrocketing the demand for rent and the supply of accommodation have not met the demand on the other side so when I come to Abuja to get people employed, build houses for rent as I pay my staff, they will save money enough to rent or build their own houses. Of course we cannot say that government is not good, we have to see what the government is doing and be part of government.

As a consultant, have you ever faced Any Challenge and How did you Overcome it? 

Yes I have quite a number of times. First is corruption when you want to get job, they will ask you to do 30/70 or 40/60. We should note that, what we are teaching people is structure, human development, financial and business development. We are developing lives and countries.
Many people submit proposal and they have seen it as the best among all and they know you can do the job very well, they will ask you to do 30/70  or 40/60. In that case we tell organizations not to give them anything rather let them give us 30 minutes to speak with there team after which they must get the job because  their must be a true Nigerian that can say no to corruption and stand for what is right and just. This has helped us a lot and we call this course Principle of Reciprocity and Obligation. After such great teaching our clients will come back and thank us and do more business with us.

What is your Driving Philosophy?

My driving philosophy is passion for humility, 1st January 2014, my dream was to make 50 people millionaires, I achieved 33 people. These 33 people added one million to what they have in businesses. This year my dream is to make 100 people millionaires. My job is how can I make people live better because when life is better we have less armed robbers, less corruptions, we have good leaders because leaders can form us so how do we make life better as a developer, I have to people's lives, develop people's business, developing government, develop politics and develop finances. In the process of developing, I have some core values which are Excellency, integrity which is very important and dedication. I also believe that all things are possible. I have done some good things and people ask how did you do it, all things are possible. My father died when I was 13 all my brothers are medical doctors when I was schooling nobody saw me through school. I grew from wearing bend shoes that my mates in school usual laugh at me even as I teach them for free (tutorials). I told them I will not teach them free again that each of them will pay the sum of N100 which 2/3 of the class left me. I was so happy when 1/3 stayed because if they did not stay nothing spoiled so they gave me. The first week I use the money to buy shoe, second week I used the money for shirt because I had a pair of shirt and singlet. But there is a man who is part of my story of my life Justice Obalola who came to the class and asked question nobody could answer it. I answered the question and told over five thousand students to attend my class with N100 they came not for once or twice. from there I suddenly started making money, doing business so I did business all through my days school because I know I have to go to school not just because of the certificate I because I know I will be adding value in market place and in political space and the only way that could be done is that they want to see that you  are satisfied to do this and that is what I do currently.

 Finally, Where Will You Like To Be In The Next Five Years?  
           
Five years less than 60 months. In the next 5 five years I must develop over a million businesses in Nigeria. In the next five years Nigerian oil will no longer be needed, it will not finish but it will no longer be needed. I must have developed brain infrastructures that Nigerians can stand anywhere in the world. Five years is just 2020. Nigerians will stand anywhere in the world and say I am a Nigerian. I am already part of the people driving that because 2025 Nigeria will be the most desirable place to go and live. It sounds so impossible but let me tell you, it  is going to work I don't care politicians may not agree with what am saying, what we are seeing may not agree with what am saying,  but the truth is, it is going to happen. Where I will like to see myself is at the four front of change for this country, as a young man and as entrepreneurial.
How will I achieve that, by equipping more people. Do I want to build house I have houses already, do I want to buy car I have car already by then I must have affected more than a million businesses in the next five years and this not just small business but big ones. We would have grown and will be developing big organizations like aviation etc all around the globe and also part of the people that will take Nigerian Businesses beyond just being a localized business but becoming multinational across the globe. I believe that is possible because one of our business now is planning to expand beyond the country at least move to West Africa, South Africa and see what is happening and I believe it is possible.