There is a saying “What man can do, woman can do as well” this connote Mrs Titilayo Eboh Mary who has consistently thrive in a male dominated business in computer and accessories and automobile industry. In this interview with celebrity journalist Adeniyi ifetayo of Ben tv London, She shield light on her growing up, selling moin-moin before she got her turning point in business. Mrs Titilayo Eboh Mary is Mother, lover of God and giver who has attributed her success to hardwork, consistent and God’s factor. Enjoy it.
How was your Growing up like and were you born with Golden or silver spoon?
Laugh erupted! I was born in 1962. I was not born with a Golden spoon neither was I born with a silver spoon. I was born with normal spoon (Laugh continue) but I can only say that I was from Humble background because my parents were Middle Class. My father was a chartered accountant who work in telecommunications department in United Kingdom UK for many years and mother was a Matron in Charlotte Cross hospital in UK as well.
Growing up, our parents wants the best for me so they moved me to my grandmother who trained me.
Some see you as a mother, lover of God, Philanthropist and business woman, how will you describe yourself?
Well, I’m a mother (biological and adopted children) to the Glory of God, I have step children and I’m a mother figure to a lot of people. And I don’t see myself as a Philanthropist but I just like to see myself to put smiles on the face of people. When you say Philanthropist it’s like making it like political statement so naturally I’m that person that have this notion that you can’t call yourself blessed unless you are a blessing to someone. That’s what I believe in. The Bible says we should be a blessing to others. So in anyway that i feels that I should be a blessings to those around me, like my house helps, my drivers, my friends and my colleagues. I’m always very happy to be a blessings to widows, the less privileged people so it’s a passion that I have.
What were the memorable moments you had while growing up?
A lot of memorable moments, I can’t recall all of them. I had a wonderful childhood, with my siblings, my cousins because I was living with my grandmother, the strict discipline they were quite memorable period. My mom and Dad were from a Moslem background but they changed to along the line, I think when they got to UK they became Christian. Maternal grandfather has about 43 children so during ileya festival, we have a lot of ram in the house, I was like a tomboy among them, we will take the ram to the field to fight, we grew up in the atmosphere of love not this day that everybody is someone’s adversary.
When was that turning point for you in business?
I have always been a business person even while I was undergraduate at Ahmadu Bello University, I was selling things, go to Lagos buy things and come back to campus to sell them. Even when I was serving, I will go to Lagos, buy shirts and sell at the camp. There’s nothing that I’ve not sold. I have sold moin-moin, even in the UK. I remember when I was serving in kano so I was living with one of my childhood friends, Tola Olujito as a corper because there was no accommodation in kano then. As a corper I will be baking cakes, making poff poff, I could remember the time she was reminding me that I used to say “Don’t touch my butter is for cakes” have always been in business since I was sixteen because I lost my Dad at very early in life when I was 16 years old and as a first child I have 3 siblings, they’re boys so I had to support my mom to take care of the family. But my turning point in business actually came when I was going to Abidjan, that time computer and information technology just started here in Nigeria , people are not used to laptops so I will go to codevoire to buy computers and accessories to come and sell in Nigeria. Whenever I’m going to Abidjan, I will buy thread that they normally use to design agbada because it’s quite expensive there so I will buy them from Answani market in Lagos and sell them in Abidjan.Early 90s, then the profit I made from there, I will now use it to buy computers and accessories, bring them to Nigeria. Either I’m in codevoire or in Nigeria I’m doing business.In automobile companies, my turning point came when I started importing car from Germany to Nigeria that time it was force scorpio, I was the one of the first people that brought force scorpio to this country that time, BMW and all those German cars. That was how we started growing bigger.
Were there any challenges and how were you able to conquered those challenges?
Of course there were a lot of challenges, what is very key in life is resilience, don’t give up no matter how if you are climbing and you fall, dust your feet and climb again. You climb, you fall, climb again. The thing is don’t be static. Don’t stay in one place, continue striving until you get there.
What does success means to you?
Well, I’m a child of God and the Bible says it’s not of him that will nor of him that run but its the lord that shows mercy (Romans 9vs16). Success to me, you attain success through hard work yes. Early 90s, then the profit I made from there, I will now use it to buy computers and accessories, bring them to Nigeria. Either I’m in codevoire or in Nigeria I’m doing business.In automobile companies, my turning point came when I started importing car from Germany to Nigeria that time it was force scorpio, I was the one of the first people that brought force scorpio to this country that time, BMW and all those German cars. That was how we started growing bigger.
Are there any challenges and how were you able to conquered those challenges?
Of course there were a lot of challenges, what is very key in life is resilience, don’t give up no matter how if you are climbing and you fall, dust your feet and climb again. You climb, you fall, climb again. The thing is don’t be static. Don’t stay in one place, continue striving until you get there.
What does success means to you?
Well, I’m a child of God and the Bible says it’s not of him that will nor of him that run but its the lord that shows mercy (Romans 9vs16). Success to me, you attain success through hard work yes But as a child of God, it’s the grace of God that made it happen because by your own power you can do nothing but if you hold on to that source, you can never be a failure. You have to also work and apply the principles of success: Integrity and Good human relationships which is very key. In fact, Human relationships is a currency to success. You may not have anything but if you have good human relationships, it opens doors for you. One of the things that young people should learn is ability to relate well with human capital, it will speak volumes.
Is there God factor in being successful?
The key factor is God, it’s God that gives you the ability, the willingness so there is no other factor that I know apart from God because what I have seen in life, if not for God, I don’t think I will be where I am today and talking about success, it’s by his grace and his mercy that we are not consumed.