Pastor Mrs Bola Arije, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omega Supermarket and Boutique, is a Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the wife of Professor Ayo Arije; a professor of medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and the pastor in charge of Oyo Province 6 of RCCG. In this interview by TAYO GESINDE, she speaks on why she gave up teaching and ventured into business.
W HAT is your educational background like?
I read English Education at the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and after my youth service I taught at a school in Ondo State but when my husband came down to College of Medicine, University of Ibadan in 1990, I transferred my service to Oyo State Teaching Commission and taught for 21 years before I retired voluntarily in 2009 to start a business.
Why did you venture into business?
My mother of blessed memory was a businesswoman so I was exposed to business at an early age and it became part of me such that I grew up to love it. I have gone through a lot of businesses; my first exposure to business was running a poultry. That was in 1990, I was doing it alongside teaching. I started with day old chicks which I nurtured to table size then sold them at the market during festive period. Also, being someone who had flair for baking (I learnt baking from my aunty) I used to make bread roll for my family. One day, my husband challenged me that this bread that you make and I love eating, you can start selling it. When I stopped doing the poultry business, I rented a bakery and started Omega Bread, I did it for 18 good years before I left it in 2012
Why did you stop the bakery business?
I had a lot of challenges. People were owing. People would buy on credit; the driver would go and supply only to call you from wherever they were that they were having problems with the vehicles. The problem in bakery today is manpower. The bakers were never satisfied until they steal from you. All these made me to stop the business.
Was that the reason why you opened a supermarket cum boutique?
I really thanked God for my mother- in -the –Lord, Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye; she has been my mother, my mentor and leader. When I started bakery in 1997, I told her about it and she told me not to leave teaching. That word sank into my ears and I decided not to leave teaching because as at that time, Nigeria was good and it will still be good in Jesus name. So I was making profit and I thank God she told me not to leave because it would have been a motive for me to leave my profession and go fully into baking.
But as time went on, I decided to leave teaching and she asked me if I was satisfied and was convinced I should go ahead. I told her I was convinced and she prayed with me. I dropped my resignation in June for 31st of August. One day, I was sleeping when God told me in a vision that I should take my passport and start travelling. I asked God that where I could go? I had a passport but I had never travelled. Then I woke up and called a sister I knew used to travel. I asked her how to go on a trip to Dubai; she told me how to go about it and connected me with the person that would do my visa.
That December to the glory of God I started what you are seeing today that God has promoted to a boutique. I started selling at home to people who know me but in March this year, the Lord gave me the go ahead to come out because when he gave me the vision initially he didn’t tell me to rent a place so I was selling them from home. It was in March that God told me to open a shop and add a supermarket to it and that was how the Lord did it that I opened this store.
Were you not scared to be starting something like this during this recession period?
I am someone who believes in God and I am never weighed down. To the glory of God when God gives me a go ahead, I don’t look back. I normally seek His face and wait on Him. If God says do something and you do, you won’t regret it. I was not moved by what is going on in Nigeria; my own is to obey God’s instruction. He is my own supplier, when the time came He proved Himself.
What advice do you have for aspiring business owners?
If you want to start a business, you need to take a bold step. If you don’t move you will be stagnant and I don’t believe in stagnancy, I believe in movement. You can start with N10,000 and multiply it. You don’t have to start with a million. When I wanted to start my fashion business, I was advised to go to Dubai with $1,500 that was N225, 000 at the time. On my first trip, I didn’t make a profit because I didn’t know how to do correct pricing, I didn’t take into cognizance my ticket fee or hotel bill.
However, I didn’t lose courage, I decided to go back. When I went back three months later, I got the hang of it and before I knew it, I had to travel the next month. So start with whatever you have, God will give you wisdom but don’t leave Jesus out of anything you want to do. Before I make a move I always make sure He directs me, which is the secret of my success. It is the fashion business that paid for this supermarket and it is the leading of God.
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