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NNI: What is your view on Global Youth Development and growth? Do you think we are making progress?View this post on InstagramA post shared by NELOC Media (@nelocmedia) on
In this Interview with NELOC News, Mr Olatunde Victor, CMO, Extramile Africa shares his story of entrepreneurship and his experience on the journey to building an excellent product for Africans.
NELOC News: Can we meet you? (Personal, Education, Career wise)
Guest: I am Olatunde Victor Adeoluwa. I had my first, second degree and presently, PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Engineering. However, I have been an entrepreneur for more than twelve years. I'm naturally a bridge between being extrovert and introvert as I have characteristics that can swing into either of the two as circumstances require.
NELOC News: How has the entrepreneurship journey been for you so far?
Guest: Entrepreneurship journey for me a mix of excitement and challenges because the road for me, started as a survival path... I did many things to survive using skills, talents, learnings etc. Those times weren't funny and I mean not funny at all. Especially the days when I started and I had to sell bread and egg, indomie and egg till 12 midnight, yet as a 300level student. Combining such with academics at first was a bit hard, though eventually mastered the art of balancing it.
Other challenges were the need to have something constant flowing as the Businesses weren't yet stable and I had to go through those times roughly just to keep on my path. However, there also are awesome stories of Victories, of businesses built, Partnerships and relationships built, people met, people raised, grants won, global fellowships won, experiences you can't buy and so many more. So like I said, it's a mix, however, I've never regretted being an entrepreneur, I'll always choose that path any other day.
NELOC News: What is Extramile Africa about? What do you do?
Guest: Extramile Africa is simply a one stop point digital financing platform to meet anyone's Financial needs. Extramile Africa is a Financial companion and partner to anyone who has dreams and intends to make them flower. It's a platform where you can
An interesting part of our offering is, these all are even available in local and rural areas because what we are doing is to drive Financial Inclusion among those who are unreached, underserved or excluded from easy financial benefits.
NELOC News: How accommodating is Extramile Africa for users outside the student environment?
Guest: We have one of the most robust Financial services among the consumers beyond school environment. So far, we have over 50,000 users who are not students, rather are farmers, traders, and so on. Many of these, have accessed credits, saved and locked up funds as well.
Through our Merchants and Direct Sales Agents which number over 200 on the field right now, we're literally the FinTech that prepared for those out of the academic circles and the continuous demand of our presence by people in regions we're not present, is a proof that we're doing something right.
NELOC News: As a fintech company, how have you tackled trust issues as regards online savings, and bank card security?
Guest: Trust is a major factor in any business and that is one area all Financial services, even the most established ones still get to deal with daily. It will be good to point that we don't use Chipped debit cards and as such our Extracard (which is only for rural or customers without smart phones) can only be obtained and presented in an area where we have a verified merchant, which could be Individual business owners or associations. So the safety of cards is at the maximum.
For the Digital wallets, we built Extramile Africa on a high security protocol platform, and have a highly proficient team of cybersecurity experts and programmers on the job to ensure everyone's fund safety. Relative to the people, our customers review as well as our model of community building bring people to trust us from circles of influences and that keeps increasing numbers of Subscribers daily.
NELOC News: On Youth Development and growth in Nigeria, do you think we are making progress- business, entrepreneurship and finance wise?
Guest: This question is to be answered in two dimensions, Government and the people. On the part of the government, a few things are happening which will help SMEs Growth such as the new finance bill, ease of doing business operations, instructions by the CBN to Increase the loan to Deposit ratio of banks, some finance interventions and so on. While these are there, much more are needed and its good to say that on the part of the government, we're making progress. However, on the side of the youths, I'll say there is a huge gap. Many are literally looking for fast money, quick returns, Less work, all of which are counterproductive relative to Entrepreneurship.
Many who are serious, are not open to proper and Important information and as well not willing to take risks. For example when we brought the Studentpreneurs Financing and mentoring program for Student Entrepreneurs, we were expecting those with ongoing businesses to show up immediately, but only a few came at first, until they started coming out in trickles. Now, any student who hopes to be an entrepreneur or push their dreams in the nearest future (of which the future is here), is missing out big time from uncommon opportunities. So, are we trying? Maybe yes. But considering the enormous unemployment out there, it's not enough at all.
NELOC News: Many factors influence money and financial decisions. How do you measure these factors?
Guest: On a general level, reports and analysis show that 60% of Nigerians money go into food simply because of the high poverty level, remaining factors would also be hinged on survival. These factors in Individuals vary and as such can't be generalized, I'll however say that in Nigeria, survival (which is mostly positive) drives Financial decisions. We at Extramile Africa are however working on teaching people on how to break out that rat race.
NELOC News: There is a regular mention of Savings and Investments. Are there other alternatives to these two? Why is Savings and investments yielding much more acceptance than other basic financial concepts?
Guest: Saving is simply the art of keeping your funds while investment is the art of putting the saved funds to use. The other alternative to these two is "Spending", "giving" and "lending" which most people are used to, and often time command no definite yield or growth if not rightly done. Savings has actually yielded more wider acceptance than Investment. It is so because savings is an age long tradition. We're born into the culture of savings, though not all homes have successfully passed it down. Meanwhile, I won't say Investments has been well accepted.
NELOC News: What should we expect from Extramile in the near future?
Guest: Since the launch of Extramile Africa in December 2018, we have grown in great measure. Our users and the general public should expect a whole lot. We are working to be the Platform that everyone can depend on, to track their finance and make Intellegent Financial decisions, this will include artificial intelligence and so on.
NNI: What is Your Advice to Young Individuals?
Guest: Young individuals need to understand diversification and stretching of their minds. We have too many mentally lazy but physically strong persons out there but that isn't what we need. This is an information age, a time of smart and intelligent work. It will be good for all young minds to engage in deep Personal Development. Finally, my mentor taught me that "if you're not in charge of your finances, you can't be in charge of your destiny". I know this is true especially when you have dreams and you have no finance to execute. However, everyone can be in charge of their destiny if they'll go the extra mile to attain Financial discipline, and all round Financial success. The future is clear with Extramile Africa and that's why I tell all young minds to jump on board now and be serious with life.
Can we meet you?
Guest: My name is Akinjobi Oluwagbemisola, an unashamed Christian.
With the extra feather to your cap, how did you feel when you were announced as a category winner in The New Man Gospel Writing Contest, 2022?
What are your writing aspirations for the future?
Tolulope Oluwakemi is popularly called Whatsapp Queen because she has carved a niche in Whatsapp Marketing. In this interview with NELOC News, she shares her story.
Can we meet you?
Guest: I am Tolulope Oluwakemi Adeyemi. You can just call me Toluwakemi. I'm a graduate awaiting NYSC from the University of Obafemi Awolowo University, I'm in my twenties, a lover of God and a full time Abba's babe.
What is the origin of the name “Whatsapp Queen”?
Guest: Interestingly, it came when one of my mentors jokingly asked me a question about WhatsApp and I answered. Boom, she just tagged me the name. I loved it and here we're today.
Guest: It all began in 2019. But I wasn't really paying attention to it. I entered into it fully when Sweet HS prompted me about it in August gradually got trained and in November it became major, and here we are today.
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Does this mean you do not engage on other social media platforms?
Guest: I engage other platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and so on. You never know who you will meet.
NNI: How do other social media platforms influence your kind of marketing?
Guest: Hmm. It does Influence me mostly in the aspect of networking & exposure. I see it as a case of different people with their preferences. Some love Instagram, Facebook and maybe LinkedIn. When I get to tell these people I meet on other platforms what I do, I love how interesting the conversation gets.
NNI: As a digital marketer, what defines social impact and influence for you?
Guest: I really don't label myself a digital marketer, the reason been that I'm not fully skillful in all digital platforms but I navigate well around social media platforms.
To Explain what impact & Influence is based on my own experience. I resonate well with impact than Influence. I believe in impact. Impact an individual and a generation is aligned on the right path. I take this into what I'm doing with Whatsapp Marketing as I have been able to grow my Whatsapp Status (story) views to over 1600 with great engagement. My status is been viewed by not just Nigerians, it's been viewed by people in Ghana, Namibia, Uganda, South Africa and many more to come. They also have great things to say about my status.
NNI: How have you managed digital marketing with other responsibilities?
Guest: Gosh! It isn't easy but I'm learning to take things one step at a time. Putting one foot forward after the other has really helped.
NNI: People say digital marketing is a mix of different skills from content creation, video editing, design skills and much more. What exactly makes up digital marketing for you?
Guest: I really love this question. Digital Marketing starts with been digitally aware and conscious. It begins from picking up skills that interest you, then gradually growing from it and evolving.
NNI: By global trends, there is a call for women to take up digital skills. How best can women seize this opportunity to prove themselves in the digital world?
Guest: I believe this definitely starts with Personal Development, Awareness and Identity. As a woman you have to start giving yourself permission to BE and start choosing you. It all starts with Personal Development.
NNI: By your standards, how do you measure a good marketing structure?
Guest: The thoughtfulness to the planning, the budget and the goals or what one wants to achieve.
NNI: How has COVID-19 pandemic affected Whatsapp marketing for you?
Guest: Beautifully it didn't affect me. In fact, I made way much more during the lock down. Funny, but that's the Truth. You see, WhatsApp is literally that app everyone wakes up to. It is an app that keeps many people company. During the lock down I met many Ghanaians through Whatsapp and instead of affecting me, it made me explore much more.
NNI: Do you think Nigerian women are making progress in digital marketing?
Yes they are. I believe there are many women who rose up to it and they are doing awesomely well.
What more do you expect to see in the digital marketing space?
Guest: Way much more people getting to understand and know that digitisation and technology is the future. People keep exploring and unraveling that extent to which this thing called technology can do for us.
Can you tell us about your book?
I researched and read about 5 ebooks written by other authors on WhatsApp Marketing where they did justice to it but in me I just felt there was something they were not talking about. That is one of the reasons why I wrote "This Thing Called WhatsApp Marketing". It's a book I wrote from my perspective, experience and knowledge that I wish I had before I started my journey in it. I'm so happy and glad to finally be able to write it and gift it to the world. It's my fourth e-book and first premium e-book that I'm getting to write in 2020. I'm excited about it and happy for the privilege to write it.
What is your advice to youths and women especially who have interests in digital marketing?
Guest: Narrow it down and take it one step at a time. Find what digital platform resonates more with you. Take it up, learn about it, do it repeatedly, stay with it and in no time your profiting will apply unto all. This was what I did with Whatsapp Marketing and I made my Whatsapp into a Wealth Point.