admin
The monthly allowance, fondly called ‘alawee’ which many regard as too little for their upkeep was used by Kenneth Chukwunweike Odili, a graduate of University of Uyo, to start a laptop business during his National Youth Service Corps year.Kenneth managed to save N28,000 from his emonthly allowance to start a business and made 2.3 million from it.
Ken’s story is a very motivational one which shows that anybody who is determined to become successful in this life will surely make it no matter their background.
Ken hails from a poor family in Enugu state, Nigeria and he is the first of six children. His father, is a primary school teacher while his mother sells second hand clothes. Because of the financial challenge of his family, Ken struggled through his university days and finally graduated and went for NYSC in Kwara state.
During his youth service, a friend told him how his brother sometimes ordered for some mini laptops (notebooks) and phones from China and sold them at huge profits in Nigeria. He was told that he could buy a brand new laptop for between N15, 000 to N25, 000 and sell same for N35, 000 or more. At that time, a non-China laptop of same features was selling for N60,000 in most computer stores.
Ken whose interest rose due to the information given went ahead to use the money he had saved up from his monthly allowance to start the business. During the five months that was left of his service, Ken was able to sell 63 mini-laptops (notebooks), 24 tablets and 19 smart phones and by the time he passed out, he had made N2,357,000 (Two million, three hundred and fifty seven thousand naira) in profits.
Now his company makes millions of naira every month buying and marketing cheap laptops imported from China at very low prices. This story is one that should encourage Nigerian youths to work hard and never give up.
