How I made it in 14-year experience as auto dealer — Ikechukwu Ogbonna

For Ikechukwu Ogbonna, one of the big players in the automobile industry, rising to the top of his business didn’t come as an easy ride. But Ogbonna said he has always drawn his strength from his challenges and put his focus on the bigger pictures. Despite the daunting challenges that almost forced him out of the business some years back, the man appeared to have finally turned the fortune of his business around.

In a brief chat with Tribune Online, Ogbonna asserted that the success people see today didn’t just start overnight as he had had to weather through different phases of storms in his life before he hit the goldmine. The business mogul said he may have made a fortune from the business and urged those who might be interested in toeing the path no to despair.

Speaking on how lucrative the job has been, the astute businessman said: “It is a very lucrative business. I’ve made a lot of money from it. I will advise anyone to invest in the automobile business, so long as they have passion for it. If you don’t have passion for it, don’t start it because if it flops or doesn’t turn out the way you want, you might end up with regrets”, he said.

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Apart from his love for automobile trade, the founder of IVD Autos Limited has established interests in other trades such as properties and entertainment business. With more than a decade wealth of experience in the business of importing automobiles to Nigeria, he revealed that his interests in other areas of business stemmed from his passion for always trying impact lives positively.

Unlike many who just dabble into a business without passion, foresight or commitment, he hinted that he does not go into any business without setting his goals and focusing on how the people can benefit largely from it.  Not many automobile dealers have positive stories to tell about the Nigerian Customs, with whom they have business affairs on a regular basis. But for the man at the helms of affairs at IVD Autos Limited, it is a different story.

Sharing his unforgettable encounter with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Ogbonna describe it as one of the most challenging moments of his life as an automobile dealer of over 14 years experience

“I’ve had challenges with the Nigerian Customs Service. There was a day they came for their routine search and there was a car they found that wasn’t properly cleared and didn’t have genuine papers and so, it was taken away. I never knew that one of my agents didn’t complete the duties and used fake papers. So I was forced to pay additional charges on the vehicle in order to get it back. So far, that has been the only major challenge I’ve had,” he said