Mr. Chuks Nwoko is an entrepreneur, but not your regular entrepreneur. He describes himself as Nigeria’s compassionate entrepreneur. Our Assistant Editor, CHINWE MADUAGWU, spoke to him on what exactly he does as a compassionate entrepreneur.
TNE: Why do you introduce yourself as a compassionate entrepreneur? What exactly do you do?
I’m Nigeria’s compassionate entrepreneur because the things I do are basically compassionate businesses. I publish a free Magazine, I organise free entrepreneurship workshop for women every year, either on the International women’s day or anytime in the month of March, as we find sponsorship and support or partnerships. We also organise a compassionate prize award.
TNE: Can you explain what you mean by compassionate prize?
Compassionate prize is an event we organise every year. Basically, it helps us to preach the gospel of how our political leadership should be, it is supposed to be compassionate in nature. We haven’t found that kind of political leadership yet, but every year, we find individuals who have demonstrated compassion in the society and we honour them.
The nucleus of what we do every year when we gather for this award is that we give cash to some women who are struggling.
When we started, we used to give N100, 000 to beneficiaries, but due to the economic downturn in the country, we have had to reduce the amount we give. Now we give out N20,000.
I make bold to say that this thing the federal government is doing which they are calling Trader Moni, they copied from me. I have been doing it long before now and we have empowered so many women who are doing so well now.
There is a woman in Ikorodu who is doing fish farming now. Not only did we give her money, we branded her fish and took her to the Bank of Industry (BOI) and got a loan for her and so many women.
TNE: What inspired you to go into this business of Compassion?
If you listen to news daily in Nigeria, there’s so much sad news. However, I see those things as business ideas. The only flavour that we bring in is the flavour compassion and because I am a Christian, it is easy for me to locate the phrase ‘compassion’ because Jesus in Luke chapter 4, had compassion on those who came to listen to him. Not only did he teach them, he sat them down and fed them. So, that’s what we do here.
People have to eat. After all, when people die, what do they take with them? They don’t take their cars or their money or their houses or their clothes. It’s what one is able to give to society and he is able to take in, into his spirit man and those are the things we do.
We empower these women, feed them and I speak words of encouragement and hope to them. That was what Jesus did. He was so compassionate.
Again, I went through the experience of lack with my mother. Life was not easy for me. I couldn’t go to secondary school when I was supposed to because my mum didn’t have N100. That time, I assumed that by the time I matured, things would have improved so much and Nigeria’s problems would have gone away.
Unfortunately, the problems seem to have increased and gotten worse. But we can become the solution to societal problems. That’s why I do what I do.
TNE: How do you fund all these programmes?
This story I’m telling you is exactly the same story I told a friend in MTN and he was touched. So there’s a connectivity that happens when people hear the story. Every time they ask me what this is all about, and I respond, something happens and support comes.
For instance, on December 19, I called a friend to wish him happy birthday. After, I invited him to my event for this year which was held on December 22. He asked me what the event was about and I shared with him this same story and he asked me to send him my account number to support. So I enjoy such connectivity, which brings support.
But the truth is that one doesn’t have to have so much to do what we are doing. We started this in 2008 and we’ve never missed any year. Even in the hardest of times, we have somehow managed to have the awards.
Yes, the austerity affects us in that the quality of gifts we give and the amount of money we give to beneficiaries may be reduced, but we still try to touch lives. That communal reality that we used to share in the past is what we do and that is also what helps to sustain us. At this year’s event we were able to put some money in the hands of four women.
TNE: In all these, what is your gain?
Our reward is that we have been able to connect with the women vertically but there is a higher connectivity. We connect with heaven. I must say that God has blessed me. My children are doing well. Even without being a big man, I’m a big man in the sense that my children are doing well.
What a lot of people will need millions of naira to do; my children just get it with ease, doors just open for them. Though I am not a big man in the Nigerian sense, I see myself as a big man because favour follows me and my family.
Again, I have had tremendous trials, difficulties and I have been sick unto death, but in all these, God has been faithful, and that’s more than enough for me, because I believe all these favours are as a result of my little efforts in reaching out to those who need help.
TNE: How do you choose the women you empower?
You don’t need to look for them. They are everywhere. Just bless one and ask her to go get others. But the easiest way is from the streets where you live. I started from the street where I used to live. Now, I moved to a new place and for this year, I chose women from there.
The women are just everywhere and you see them in their struggle- a child is on the back, they are dragging some by the hand and struggling to provide for them with the man nowhere to be found. You know sometimes, we men, we just do our stuff and walk away.
Really, you can’t look for somebody to help except you are not living on earth. If you are living on earth and you are living in this country, just walk down your street, you will see them; frying akara or yam, selling bread, and other such things just needing a little money to augment that business.
Some years ago, we gave one woman fried fish to sell N20k. Later, she told me that from that money, she bought oil of N13k and the balance, she invested in making fufu. Now she has two products and two sources of income. According to her, the fish is not selling as much as it used to because fish is expensive but she has the fufu to complement whatever comes in from the fish.
That proves you don’t need so much to empower a woman. On the other hand, if you empower a man, he will squander the money on drinks and things that are of no importance.
TNE: After empowering the women, do you monitor them to ensure they put the money to the use for it is given to them?
For the women I have dealt with over the years, you don’t need to run after them in the name of monitoring. By themselves, they are the ones looking out for you to let you know how they are doing. So, monitoring the women is very easy, one doesn’t have to go looking for them.
A woman that knows she has responsibilities would not need anybody to tell her to be responsible managing the resources at her disposal. I know this does not apply to everyone but each individual we have dealt with has been responsible in making use of what we gave.
They are eager to account and stay connected.
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TNE: Generally speaking, how do you see the Nigerian woman?
I see the Nigerian woman as the engine room. I heard someone say the Secretary to the government is the engine room of the government, that’s how I see the woman. The woman is such a powerful individual. So when I hear women talking about inequality, I laugh.
A woman simply needs to understand that her role is to surround her husband, protect her husband and build the home. In doing that, the woman is more powerful than the man.
Of course, this is not power that has to do physical strength but an innate thing; that ability to do many things at the same time. I have three daughters and I say that to them all the time.
Every woman should be able to determine who she is, that no other person is like her and that God needs her to work with Him.
I believe that if all these Boko Haram activities will come to end, it’s going to be through women not the military. If as a woman, you call your child and speak some words to him, no matter how far he has gone, he will come back. He will drop the gun.
The world is lost and if we are going to recover the world, we need the women who understand the uniqueness both in creation and in their purpose. That’s how powerful women are.
They must understand that though they are not physically strong, they are strong in the things they do and if Nigeria is going to make progress, we need our women to stop running after politicians and recognise that their votes are very important and they are the ones that make the decisions.
TNE: How far do you intend to take this your project?
Last year at my programme, while I was giving my opening remarks I said that I was tired but people started approaching me and asking questions. They didn’t want me to stop.
It then occurred to me to approach my partners, by the way MTN has been very supportive. If not for their help we won’t have had the programme this year.
Support has been going down maybe because of the times that we live in economically speaking, but by the grace of God this is a vision and visions don’t normally die.
I was already tired, last year I said I won’t do this again but somehow, we had it this year.
I believe that next year would be better. I think that I will keep giving it my best as long as it will be of help to an individual.
Somehow, I am convinced that we will go far.