ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Ley Your Dreams Come Alive – With FCMB Loans
Home Features

Bunmi Williams: Why I make toys

4th September 2016
in Features
0
Bunmi Williams: Why I make toys
2
SHARES
353
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Bunmi

Bunmi Williams is one of former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s daughters. She’s passionate about children as well as the environment they are raised in. This motivated her to creatively teach children about life and living from  early childhood through her Ethan and Harriet  Ltd, which provides education enrichment to nursery and primary schools. Lately at The Oriental Hotel, Lagos, she launched her range of educational toys and spoke with Sunday Sun after the event.
What’s your motivation for manufacturing jigsaw puzzle toys?
My aim is to create fun and educate kids creatively through Nigeria-themed puzzles. For instance and I was  motivated by personal experience. Having watched my kids grow surrounded by toys with little to teach them about their heritage, I felt the need to do something about it and the idea of producing fun toys to teach  Nigeria’s history to kids was born.  Even our languages are at the risk of  becoming extinct as we no longer speak them to our children since it’s believed to be old fashioned  to speak our local dialects. In Germany, students are taught in German and   in China they are taught in Mandarin. This is so important that these languages are  taught globally in many countries. Learning about Nigeria shouldn’t be a choice; it should be compulsory and we want to inculcate this through fun and gamesby educating children with toys, which would teach them about African history in an engaging and appealing manner.

Does your childhood have anything to do with these creative toys?
Not really, because my inspiration are my children. I don’t want my children to grow up not knowing who they are as Nigerians and Africans and I hope a lot of parents feel this way too. If you are not talking of Nigeria, if you are not  imparting the right values and virtues in them about  our cultural heritage and history, then they’re lost. That’s really my inspiration. The company was actually named after my kids. I thank God for great family support, because it never ends. We are on regular 9-5 routine; once we get to the office, work starts.
When you are doing your own thing and  starting something from scratch your thought is always there when you sleep, when you are awake. But you have to balance your family life and all of that. I really thank God.
When God gives you a vision, He makes provision for its actualization  and you just discover everything is falling into place if you have the support of your family, your husband, your kids. I thank God for His grace and for strength. I couldn’t have done this on my own.
I don’t try to take credit for anything I’m doing or I have done. I know I’m only just starting and that this thing is bigger than me; that God is trying to do something in this nation at a time like this through what we are doing because Nigeria was great and will be great again.

Could you tell us how you actually started manufacturing toys?
Lola who I shared office space with moved back to Nigeria in 2012.
She was interested in discovering Nigeria state by state and  started from the South west as she was based in Lagos. She stopped at Edo State when her job wouldn’t permit her to travel any further. Her brother was visiting  Nigeria for the first time and she really wanted to share our rich cultural heritage with him  but the  search engine on the internet would suffice. It’s not true that Nigeria  has nothing to show for its bigness, is it ?
Nobody was sharing or telling our story. People are more interested  in going abroad  for vacation  as there  are no places of interest  being promoted  in our country and largely across the African continent. The younger generation are growing up with little or no knowledge about our beautiful heritage  and  history. Nobody seems interested. Westerners  have made their cultures very attractive and marketable to the rest of the world and we are all imbibing them at the expense of our own. It’s not  wrong to learn and embrace new ways of doing things and values but we shouldn’t reject enviable aspects of ours.

As Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s daughter, what has life taught you?
To work hard and even pray even harder.

Were you a spoilt brat?
Far from it. My father is a disciplinarian; he didn’t spoil any of us. We just grew to appreciate him and not take things for granted. We were  told to work hard.

Could you tell us more about yourself?
I was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State and I’m the founder of Ethan & Harriet, manufacturers of  Lift n Learn magnetic  puzzles and Family Floor Nigeria puzzles. I studied Industrial Economics at the University of Nottingham, UK and CASS Business School London, where I bagged  a Master’s degree in Energy, Trade and Finance.  I returned to Nigeria after my studies  and worked  in the oil and gas sector and investment banking.

What does style mean to you?
I don’t know. I’m a farmer’s daughter, so style for me is whatever that fits and is comfortable.

What are your favourite  accessories?
My pair of blue jeans are very versatile and with it  I’m good to go.

What’s your vision  for Ethan & Harriet?
To become the foremost education toy designer and manufacturer in the world, re-orientating the African continent to be made up of caring citizens that are more  aware of  their heritage, willingly taking responsibility for and devoted to her growth. Our products nurture creativity, imagination and youthful innovation. We hope to inculcate  strong ethical and cultural values in our children, building them into patriotic and passionate Nigerians with a sense of responsibility; taking ownership for and wanting to develop our  country. The jigsaw puzzles are just one expression of our message. You see jigsaw  puzzles; we see a transmission  of knowledge from one generation to the other.

sunnews

sunnews

Related Posts

How we're tackling graduate unemployment in Nigeria - NDE DG/CEO Fikpo
Business

How we’re tackling graduate unemployment in Nigeria – NDE DG/CEO Fikpo

5th July 2022
Economic stability impossible without steady power supply –Mbisiogu
Features

Economic stability impossible without steady power supply –Mbisiogu

5th July 2022
Economic disparity’ll end when women are empowered –Obioha, entrepreneur
Features

Economic disparity’ll end when women are empowered –Obioha, entrepreneur

5th July 2022
Next Post
IS MENOPAUSE THE END OF WOMANHOOD? …… (2)

MERCY KILLING - EUTHANASIA.

election

Mark Zuckerberg in Nigeria

Ondo Guber: Akeredolu emerges candidate of APC

Ondo Guber: Akeredolu emerges candidate of APC

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

Abia INEC staff protest alleged unpaid benefits

Osun Guber: ‘My confidence in your re-election based on your excellent performance’ – Osun monarch

Strike: Unimaid medical lecturers beg FG to pay withheld salaries

Illegal recruitment:  FG to prosecute MDAs heads 

Air Peace expands wings to Asia with China, India launch in July  

Buhari reappoints Umar as Exe Sec/CEO NIPC for another five years 

Trending

Ooni pledges traditional rulers’ support to INEC
National

Ooni pledges traditional rulers’ support to INEC

5th July 2022
0

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has pledged the support of traditional...

Global oil industry needs $11.8tr investments to recover from COVID-19 shocks-Barkindo

Global oil industry needs $11.8tr investments to recover from COVID-19 shocks-Barkindo

5th July 2022
Court blocks Shell’s bank accounts over missing 16m barrels of oil

Abia Guber aspirant drags APGA to court over primaries

5th July 2022
Enugu PVC protest: APGA seeks improved registration in South East

Abia INEC staff protest alleged unpaid benefits

5th July 2022
Osun Guber: ‘My confidence in your re-election based on your excellent performance’ – Osun monarch

Osun Guber: ‘My confidence in your re-election based on your excellent performance’ – Osun monarch

5th July 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on social media:

Latest News

  • Ooni pledges traditional rulers’ support to INEC
  • Global oil industry needs $11.8tr investments to recover from COVID-19 shocks-Barkindo
  • Abia Guber aspirant drags APGA to court over primaries
  • Abia INEC staff protest alleged unpaid benefits
  • Osun Guber: ‘My confidence in your re-election based on your excellent performance’ – Osun monarch
  • Strike: Unimaid medical lecturers beg FG to pay withheld salaries
  • Illegal recruitment:  FG to prosecute MDAs heads 
  • Air Peace expands wings to Asia with China, India launch in July  
  • Buhari reappoints Umar as Exe Sec/CEO NIPC for another five years 
  • See IOCs  divestments as a blessing, NUPRC boss charges IPPG
  • FG, stakeholders must end ASUU strike now –Wahab, aide to Sanwo-Olu
  • Insecurity threatening agriculture, manufacturing value chains
  • Abducted Kaduna Catholic priest regains freedom
  • UNICEF, WFP launch livelihood support for Borno, Yobe LGAs
  • Ekiti : Man, 49, gets four years jail term for raping 11- year- old girl
  • Greed, gambling, other vices exposed in “Too Sure To Lose”
  • NNPC’ll be investors’ after transition 
  • How we’re tackling graduate unemployment in Nigeria – NDE DG/CEO Fikpo
  • Kinsmen pay tributes to Okilo 14 years after demise
  • Plateau: 12 killed as bandits, vigilantes clash in local community

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Anambra Watch
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

Posting....