In this interview, Chief Executive Officer, Tritek Consulting Limited, Adeshola Cole, spoke about how she envisioned setting up a consulting firm for business and management skills while pregnant and brought the vision to reality while on maternity leave. She also spoke on the progression of the firm from being a hobby to an established business. WALE AKINSELURE brings excerpts:
WHAT is the rationale behind the setting up of this business?
The whole rationale behind starting Tritek Consulting Limited was to empower, encourage, and motivate as many people in the community as much as possible. I see a lot of people lacking confidence in their abilities, skills. And as a result of that, they end up getting jobs that they are not proud of. So, for me, I wanted to create an IT training academy where candidates can upscale themselves and get a career of their dream at an affordable cost. For me, it’s all about empowerment, motivation, support, instilling confidence, and guidance.
What motivated you to go into this line of business?
To be really honest, it was by chance. It was by luck. If anyone had told me that I would have my own business, I probably would have said that they are absolutely bunkers. So, I discovered my passion for mentoring in my mid-thirties, but seeing the results of my mentoring further motivated me to set up Tritek Consultancy.
How did you start?
It started in 2017. I was pregnant at that time, and I just wanted to create a little company to get on with because I was on maternity leave and that was how the consulting outfit started. I did not really have a goal or a vision of how big I wanted the company to be. For me, it was just testing the water and seeing how far I could go. When we started, we had just two candidates on the platform. Now in 2021, it is 1,000 candidates on the platform. It was just a hobby that I turned into a side hustle and has now become a very established business.
For how long have you been into this business?
Tritek Consultancy is four years old. It was established in 2017. We are four years and within that four years, we have helped over 300 candidates secure life-changing roles as IT specialists within project management, business analysts, and cyber security experts. Four years, we have made changes, we have added more courses. I think within four years, we have definitely made impact in the society.
What is the unique selling point of this business?
For me, the unique selling point is absolute honesty. I, as the CEO, have walked the journey that many candidates are passing through right now and because of that I am very conscious of everything that I introduce into the business. I think that’s our unique selling point. We have won several awards as a result of the impact that we have made within the business. I would also say that we give our candidates videos, otherwise known as LMS, and this has really helped a lot of candidates with their success stories. I think we have also studied the number of success stories that we have this year, so as I speak to you today, we are currently on a 190th success story for the year.
In the next two years, what should the public be expecting from the stables of your company?
At the moment, I am very keen on more support for youth empowerment. I do have a team based in Nigeria and the majority of them are within the ages of 18 to 25. For me, just getting these young ones off the street and giving them training, motivating them and helping them with their careers is my focus now.
What are the challenges faced in this business?
Good business faces challenges. There are challenges of keeping up with common trends and focusing on an industry that is ever-evolving and ever-changing. Sometimes, it can be challenge keeping an eye on the latest technologies, or processes. I think another challenge is trying to satisfy everybody. Sometimes, you introduce processes or principles that are not going to please everyone, that is also a challenge.
How would describe the Nigerian business environment?
COVID-19 has definitely been an eye-opener for the majority of us doing business. As a result, more people are having a grasp of digitisation. So, I definitely think that the Nigerian business environment is thriving; it’s becoming more competitive; people are latching on to the common trends. They are upscaling themselves. They are being more IT or tech savvy. But I think a lot more can be done. It is great that the COVID-19 has been an eye-opener for businesses in Nigeria as they know and understand that they need to digitalize their services.
What do you think the Nigerian economy can be enhanced?
I am not a politician but when you look at the youths of today, who could potentially become the leaders of tomorrow, a lot more needs to be done. There is only a little that we can do to support. For example, I have about five youths in my team and they are doing exceptionally well. I think there is need to open more IT training academies and give the youth the opportunity to acquire more skills. Employment is at an all-time low. But, I think the beauty of the pandemic is that we have come to realise that you can get a job from the comfort of your home, as long as you have Internet connectivity and a laptop. So, for me, if we give the youth of today adequate training in IT and support them, they will create jobs thereby support the economy. But the problem lies with the leaders. I feel that they need to focus more on the youths.
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