IROGHAMA OGBEIFUN
IROGHAMA OGBEIFUN'S TENACITY, COMMITMENT AND ABILITY TO PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS GAVE HER A WINNING EDGE AT THE MAIDEN EDITION OF THE NEXT TITAN, AN ENTREPRENEUR TV REALITY SHOW SPONSORED BY MTN. AT THE OPENING OF HER COMPANY, HAIRVEN RANGE OF HAIR CARE PRODUCTS, SHE TELLS FUNKE OLAODE WHY SHE DUMPED MEDICINE TO PURSUE HER PASSION
Can we have an insight into your background? I am from Benin City in Edo State. I am the first girl and second child in a family of seven children. My father is a Marine Engineer and my mum is a medical doctor. I grew up in Port Harcourt where I had my early education and had my secondary education in Benin City. I gained admission to the University of Massachusetts in Boston, United States to study medicine but dumped it for a degree in Biology and psychology. While coming home, I came back with loads of human hair. Of course, my parents were somehow confused. I was sent back to the Brunel University in United Kingdom for an MSC in Public Health and Health Promotion where I developed my business interest further. While I was coming back I came back with a lot of cartons of hair care products. They were wondering what was wrong with me. They watched me for one year. I worked very hard, running up and down and they later gave me their support. The entrepreneurial spirit has always been there because in 2011, I was given Eagle Award by Quantum Projects for Youth and Entrepreneurship for my innovative business idea and impact on young people as a positive role model.
What was your parent's reaction when you dumped what you read for hair care products? My dad initially wasn't pleased because he had already told his friends in Nigeria that his daughter was in America studying medicine. I called that I had embraced Biology and Psychology. When I came back I was sent to England to do a master's in public health but still came with loads of hair care products. When he saw my commitment he is very proud of me and gave me his full support. He is a business man as well and I think I must have inherited it from him. Today he is one of my major investors.
Any prior training? I had no prior training in business as a science-oriented person. My father is a business man. I guess I must have inherited it from her. It was during my one year mandatory youth service that my potential as a business woman blossomed and I developed a flair for buying and selling.
What informed your decision to go into hair care products? We know that the beauty of a woman lies in her hair and as such HAIRVEN range of hair care products is dedicated to building the pride and confidence of every woman through the development of quality hair care products that are affordable and carefully designed to bring out individuality and natural beauty. A lot of women spend a lot of money on this hair extension but don't know how to maintain it.
What does Hairven entail? The HAIRVEN Weave Care Range includes a Silk Protein Shampoo, Conditioner and Detangling Leave in Conditioner with wheat extracts to ensure sufficient moisturizing, revitalizing and rejuvenating of your weaves and wigs. The Silky Serum contains Meadow Foam seed oil which leaves your hair looking lustrous and glamorous. A lot of women are buying human hair but don't have products that can cater for it. I saw the opportunity as an emerging market. As a result I came up with the idea while doing my youth service that why can't I come up with the idea of manufacturing my own brands. I developed it and it took me three years to come up with these brands. And recently, the Hairven was launched. Right now, I manufacture in South Africa. Initially, I was on my own but now have a partner who doubles as chief operating officer, HAIRVEN, Omajuwa Agbeyegbe.
Why are you manufacturing in South Africa? For customers acceptability because we live in a society where people don't recognise indigenous products. They are wary of the quality and the conditions under which they are produced. Secondly, electricity is still a problem in Nigeria and it is expensive for me as a startup business. We pray that things improve so that by end of this year we can start to produce so that we can create more job opportunities, for young Nigerians.
How did you get into the Next Titan? I heard about it from a friend, I applied and I was picked during the regional audition in February and in April they selected 16 of us out of 55. I went into the academy for three months. And every week we had to do different challenging business-related task. And at the end of 13th week I emerged the winner. And the final stage was the launch of a business idea and I introduced what I am doing today, Hairven range of hair care products that cater for human hair of various types. I won five million naira and a brand New car.
What do you think gave you an edge above other contestants? Competing among 16 talented young entrepreneurs was tense. I believe God, power of vision, being focused and determination fascinated the judges. These are strangers that I have never met before, different people from different background that I had to work with week in week out to carry out different tasks. Secondly, we had only three days to accomplish them. I had to develop jingles, television commercials, we did campaign for LASAA, Peak Milk, Briscoe Ford and we did a philanthropy task where my team drilled a bore-hole in Ikota Slum Village. We installed taps; we refurbished their pit toilet to WC system and gave them family health care center all in three days. It was the most emotional task for me because when the water started running you could feel the excitement of people who hadn't seen running water in 10 years. My business idea which is what I am doing right now gave me an edge. I exhibited passion for it. It was a wonderful experience for me that all the efforts paid off.
How has the reality show helped your business acumen? The interest has always been there. The show further helped me to horn my skill because it was a platform that brought out the real 'business' in me. And during the course of the show, I met a lot of interesting people. And winning aside, ability to be able to prove my worth after the show by opening Hairven I think is a plus for me. More people take me seriously now and it has opened a lot of doors for me as a credible person.
Don't you think you are too young to be a CEO? I started this business five years ago when I was 23. And the experience has been rewarding. I don't think there should be an age restriction to pursue one's ambition. I started small and later rebranded and repackaged. Right now, I have a partner who joined me last year. At early stage in one's life you need to grow, you have to bring in people which will attract investor in the long run. I brought in a partner and two major investors that have invested in it. But they have to watch how dedicated and committed I am to the cause and I have to prove myself. I have proved myself and the result is the grand-opening of Hairven showroom in Lagos.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years? I see my company expanding across Nigeria, expanding our product range, more distributors. I see us becoming an established credible indigenous brand, bringing manufacturing to Nigeria. Right now, I have a partner in South Africa who manufactures for me but I own the formula which means I can replicate it in any part of the world.
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