Our Success Stories by Women Entrepreneurs
photo: Saudat Salami
The Nation
by Augustine Ehikioya May 24, 2017
They are budding women entrepreneurs with the passion to turn business ideas into reality. Their determination to succeed, against all odds, has paid off. Today, they are role models to other aspiring women entrepreneurs. They shared their success stories during the African Women Power (AWP) Network tagged “Get Connected Business Series” in Lagos.
Founder, Easyshope-asycook.com, an online groceries business, Mrs Saudat Salami, is on her way to building a business empire. Already, her company is the toast of customers far and near, seeking fast, convenient and cost-effective grocery shopping experience.
When The Nation met the successful woman entrepreneur cum master trainer at the African Women Power (AWP) Network tagged: “Get Connected Business Series”, held in Lagos, recently, she said she started the business with the aim of providing support to working women, who may find it difficult managing their homes and work life.
Mrs Salami was guest speaker at the forum, which was created to provide insights and information needed to help entrepreneurs and employees grow and get to the next level. The entrepreneur, who pioneered online grocery business in Nigeria, said her company, EasyshopEasycook.com, delivers fresh groceries to customers’ doorsteps.
Although, she started the business, originally with the target to provide support to working women who may find it difficult managing home and work life, it has since expanded. Today, she catters to the needs of working women living in traffic congested urban areas such as Lagos State. She also supports retired, older women who need help with shopping, including people abroad who want to shop for their parents at home in Lagos.
With more than 25 people on her payroll, Salami is not only an employer of labour, but she has also managed to position herself and her company in the forefront of developing the agric value chain and food safety standards in Nigeria.
At EasyshopEasycook, Salami said food waste could be reduced and food prices far cheaper than it is currently if facilities such as pack houses, cold chain storage and delivery infrastructure are spread across the country.
In line with her role model status, Salami has been motivating women, urging them to take up entrepreneurship.
However, she is not the only female entrepreneur who has made a success of her career. Future Software Resources Nigeria Limited Managing Director, and winner of the 2012 Etisalat Nigeria Prize for Innovation, Nkem Uwaje, is also a success story.
Uwaje created the iConnect project focused on making Information Communications Technology (ICT) and education more accessible to youths in Nigeria. Her father came up with the name Futuresoft in 1999 when he first incorporated the company. He always told her that he created the company for her , and when she was ready to start her own business in 2008, she inherited it.
