Every business comes with its attendant problems and automobile business is no exception. In a recent interview one of Nigeria’s leading automobile dealers and business moguls, Issa Adebayo of Still Autos Limited and Chief Executive Officer of Adebayo Group of Companies highlighted some of the challenges besetting the business, while also dishing out some tips Nigerians should consider when making the decision to buy a car.
According to him: “The biggest challenge is the constant fall of naira currency, imagine you sell a particular car and you can’t purchase a new one of the same car with your income because our naira currency is falling drastically.”
“And apart from the naira instability, there’s also the issue of earning a client’s trust.”
He said there are no government policies affecting the business as of now but hinted there may be and they are adequately poised for it.
“Currently, there are no government policies affecting our businesses generally and we hope to manage and work towards whichever comes up in the future,” he said.
Speaking further, he gave tips on what Nigerians should look out for when placing an order for the car of their choice.
“The durability of the car should be considered first. The area you live or would like to cruise the car should also be considered. There are many cars that suit Nigerians, I just believe one should figure out which suits the location where one runs their daily activities, that is, an SUV is needed for some areas while a car can be very good in many areas as well,” he said.
Issa Adebayo is a favorite of sorts among the powerful people in the society as well as the upper class because of his choice of exotic luxury automobiles. He is at the summit of the ladder not by pure luck or by chance but by dint of hard work, patience and perseverance
“I started years ago, long before the birth of Still Autos. Then, it was about selling one or two cars. My brothers abroad would send a car container to sell and I would sell and make my little gain. From there I was able to buy a single car to sell. It was like a miracle and later on I was able to buy two cars. Over the years it got better and now we bring in cars in containers,” he recalled in a recent interview, chronicling his humble beginning.
“I started with common regular cars but as things started to get better I could afford to stock luxury cars and I see it as an investment, especially when I didn’t have a large space to keep the cars , so I would rather invest in more exotic cars to invest money and maintain my space,” he added, explaining his preference for exotic luxury cars.
Issa Adebayo said he went into the automobile business because he was quick to see how many people were eager to change their cars as they see it as a new phase of life.
Issa Adebayo is a loving father of three, happily married. He is from Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State. He is from a large family of nine.
He attended Asoland Primary School and Benvic Private School before taking his education further at Boston College, South Africa.
Apart from dealing in automobiles the Adebayo Group of Companies has interests in farming, import and export of goods from many different countries of the world.