THE NIGERIA GRADUATE WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE WHO WORKED AS A CARPENTER

What are your qualifications?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Labour Relations, from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, and a diploma in Local Government Studies from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I also have a certificate in interior design from the Maven School of Interior Design.

What is your work history?
I worked with Citygate Global now Empire Trust Microfinance, as a customer relationship manager and I resigned in May 2014. Prior to that time, I interned with the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria for three months and I was a part of the team that organised the industry’s first interior design exhibition in Nigeria. I also worked with Skye Bank PLC, as a teller and customer service officer.

Why did you quit your job to become a carpenter?
The desire for the highest fulfillment of self. Sometime in March 2014, I became less interested in my eight to six job. I looked into the future and what I saw scared me. I saw myself getting married, having children, growing old and dying without any fulfillment. I became dissatisfied and restless. There was a void I knew my current job at the time, couldn’t fill; I had this intense craving for something tangible. So I resigned even though I had not set any money aside and had no clear definition of what I wanted to do next.

I went for my interior design business and decided to focus on that. I did that for a year but the peace I wanted still eluded me. I knew that wasn’t the path to follow. During one of my quiet times, the thought to narrow my business down to furniture came to me and I did just that. That was how my furniture making journey started in July, 2015.

I sourced for carpenters, created a product collection, and opened a store on Konga – “Timberworks.” As I progressed, I saw the need to reduce production cost. Thus, I made the decision to buy materials myself and just pay the workers for labour. This decision exposed me to the practical details of the business and also made visible the possibilities that abound in what looked impossible.

Did you train on the job?
Yes. I trained on the job by getting free resources online and watching videos online on furniture making. And as it is with people in the arts and craft industry, the demand on your skill is ever evolving . This makes the learning process infinite. So with each piece I make, I learn something new and keep getting better.

When and how did you decide to become a carpenter?
I decided in February 2015. I asked one of the people working with me to assist with putting together a TV console. I had purchased all the needed materials; he only had to couple them. I watched him while he worked and the thought that I could do this came out of nowhere (I believe God spoke to me). I sustained the thought and saw the possibility of me doing it. So I asked if he would train me and he said no. He said, “Madam, you can’t understand this work. It’s more complicated than it looks and it’s not a woman’s job.” But the thought of learning carpentry stayed with me afterwards and I spoke to a friend who promised to help me make enquiries. She came back to tell me that I would have to train for three years and serve for another year if I wanted to train in a carpentry workshop. That discouraged me and I laid the idea to rest.

But in June, I found myself in a very dark place and nothing seemed to be working. I was down financially, emotionally and spiritually. A lot was just going on at the time and it was too much to bear. In the midst of all the chaos, just like a light bulb, the thought about my carpentry training flashed and considering that I had been asking God for clarity, I knew that was the answer I had been yearning for. I had no option than to go after it with a renewed determination. I didn’t bother looking for someone to train me anymore; I went online to download free ebooks on furniture making and committed myself to watching furniture making videos on Youtube.