Quick chat with Teezar; the Czar of Student Entrepreneurs/ Entrepreneur awardee for the month of February.

Perhaps as a nod in agreement and little modification to the saying that “Not all heroes wear capes”, it is worthy to note that not all CEOs step out of a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class donning brilliant Italian-tailored suits and limited editions of Rolex watches. Sometimes they simply appear in a White Ward Coat with a Littman Stethoscope the only accessory.

One of such rare business tycoons is Mohammed  Abdulhafeez Temitope. A 400L StreamA medical student of ABUAD.

He is the first to receive this award. His astonishingly down to earth, sometimes even playful demeanor expertly helps to camouflage the fact that he sits on The Iron Throne of a business empire.

“Teezar” as he’s fondly called by friends recently spoke with Inside AMSA;

Any details about yourself unknown to even your friends that you like to share?
Nothing particularly. I think I’m pretty much an open book

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
Entrepreneurship to me is about finding creative solutions to problems and this involves taking calculated risk with creativity, hard work and great timing

What is Item 7 all about?
ITEM7 is a growing Nigerian fast food franchise that serves fast foods such as snacks, grills, fries, and also Africana meals

What edge does i7 have that attracts customers?

Our simple ‘fill your tummy with yummies’ philosophy encourages a bold spirit of adventure as we set out to challenge the status quo by constantly raising the quality and standard of our products and services

Your other business ventures apart from i7?
                  Topmedics online store
Laurettes bookstore
Martrite superstores
Care4all (a non-governmental and non profit making organization)

What/who is your biggest drive on this road of entrepreneurship that you seem to be plying?
My biggest drive on this path is the happiness derived when you proffer a solution to a problem and off course the financial independence

How do you handle business partners? Are there merits and demerits of entering into partnership?
Well, partnership makes business grow faster but it has its own disadvantages. An entrepreneur who is logical in reasoning will be able to beat that

How many employees work for you?
The numerical strength of my staff stands at 26, cutting across of all of my establishments.

How do you handle failures in business? 

Failure is part of business; you just have to be mentally prepared to tackle it when it comes.

Care to share some success stories in business?
I can remember when I had the idea of starting Topmedics online store but had no money to set it in motion, I had to borrow every penny from my friends. This gave me sleepless night, always thinking of how to return back the borrowed fund but with hard work and God’s blessings the business thrived well and I was able to pay up within the stipulated time. I’m sure you want to know how much I made, it’s a lot of money I must tell you (laughs).

Funniest encounter in business? 

I remember fondly while growing up, my mum used to be a Charcoal seller and I was an integral part of the business. It was at a time kerosene was scarce in the country so we had a high patronage. 13 years later, one of our customers back then (the charcoal days) came to buy stuff in one of my marts, on sighting me, She quickly recognized the face and screamed “the charcoal boy”. She asked if I worked in the mart and I smiled and told her I WAS THE OWNER OF THE MART. She shouted “Jesus is Lord!” and dropped the basket full of her goods to the ground in shock.

The woman turned out to be an employee of a TV Station so She had me invited for a talk show. A show that featured my story and I seized to opportunity to advertise my store.

Biggest opposition against i7? 

All the restaurants around but I don’t really see them as opposition, I see them as motivators.

Any support you think AMSA or the school can offer to business owners and their ventures?
The inclusion of entrepreneurship into the school’s curriculum is what I have bountifully benefited from as I learnt the theoretical approach to business. I want to urge the members of the executive (of AMSA) to award contracts to business owners in the school.

How do you joggle both your academics as a clinical student and business generally?
I must confess it is extremely difficult but I’m of the school of the thought that business and academics are both forms of education. Time management is just the key

When/If push comes to shove, what honestly would it be; Medicine or Business? And Why?
(laughs) I saw this question coming. It’s definitely Medicine because it’s a dream that must be pursued like the last late night bus. I have so much labored for it and with the help of God it must be fulfilled

Away from business, what’s your first impression of the current government of AMSA since you were a very prominent member of the interim government that handed over?
They have been incredibly superb. In fact, I’m really impressed with both arms of government

Any personal plans to run for public office in the coming years?
No plans but will always be available to render constructive criticism and advice

Advice for up and coming entrepreneurs?
My advice to up and coming entrepreneurs is to take action and do the time, as the world is full of great ideas but success only comes through action and also no one succeeds immediately and everyone was once a beginner

Thank you for your time Sir.
My utmost pleasure.