Otunba Adewale Koiki is the personable and knowledgeable brain behind Kiwaram Investment Limited, Ibadan. In this interview with Ademola Akinbola, he talks about the progress being made by the company, the challenges, as well as the company’s commitment to creating and adding value in every customer situation. Excerpts …
Tell us about the vision behind Kiwaram Investment
The vision behind Kiwaram Investment is to become one of the major stakeholders in the export industry in Nigeria, in terms of export trading, training, value addition, and backward integration. We are on track to fulfilling this vision as we keep deploying the best of our human capital, industry knowledge, experience, and technology to serve our clients. We seek to create and add value in every customer situation.
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How has it been since you started?
It has been challenging and encouraging as well. We thank God. In business, you win some and lose some, but we have not fared badly even though we know that things can be better. We are working daily towards consolidating our market share and gaining new clients through our trademark, excellent customer service, and product innovation.
What are the products and services you offer?
We export agricultural products, offer investment opportunities to those interested, and run training sessions for those who want to join the industry. For exports – so far we have exported products like cassia tora to China. Interested parties for investment and training can reach out to us as this is a capital-intensive but profitable business, so we are open to investment opportunities
What other businesses do you operate?
My family is very entrepreneurial and we run a series of service businesses.
We have a cottage hotel in Ibadan, manage and plan events (social and corporate events), do business and management consulting, and operate a travel agency
What are the challenges faced by an average Nigerian entrepreneur?
Ha, the challenges are numerous. They include epileptic power supply, exchange rate volatility, unstable economy, insecurity, multiple taxation, low disposable income, shrinking consumer purchasing power, etc. However, we have learned to rise above these challenges and deliver value to our customers who deserve nothing but the best. We do so by ensuring our processes are efficient to optimize costs, selecting and prioritizing crops high in demand that are cost-effective to grow, processing exports early to ensure seamless regulatory compliance, and more. So, yes, the challenges are there, but we are never deterred. We are marching forward. We don’t give excuses. We try to make our customers happy.
What is your definition of success?
When you impact people’s lives positively, you create an enabling environment for people around you to flourish, prosper, and grow, and in the process, you also grow.
What are your success principles? What motivates you to want to succeed?
Integrity, trust, and reliability are very key to success. I worked in the banking industry for 24 years and learnt a lot from seeing businesses starting and collapsing. People must be able to rely on and trust you and feel very comfortable to do business with you.
Success stories of highly successful professionals and companies motivate me.
