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Jos, Plateau State recently hosted the 16th edition of Startup Grind Jos to provide opportunity for the entrepreneurial community in central Nigeria to meet, connect and learn.
The event focused on the testimonial of the CEO of Wilval Global Resources Limited, Mrs. Sarah Pam-Dagah. She shared the story of her life and entrepreneurial endeavors during a fireside chat. Wilval Global Resources Ltd. is made up of three subsidiaries – Wilval Polythene, Wilval Restaurant and Wilval Recycling.
In the one hour chat moderated by Eseoghene Hepzibah, Pam-Dagah stressed the importance of hard work with persistence – a quality that was imbibed in her by her mother, who ensured that as a little girl growing up in Jos, she was involved in her buying and selling business at the Jos Main Market.
She learnt at an early age to make her own money by dealing in commodities like corn, groundnuts and other agricultural products whenever she was on holidays and from school.
She later progressed into selling clothes in 2001 when she raised a seed capital of N20, 000 to support her new venture. This saw her travelling through the length and breadth of Nigeria in order to meet demand and supply.
By 2006, her supply business had blossomed – in addition to clothing, she was also supplying food items to schools and institutions and with it came the need to register her business outfit to be able to access big contracts, hence the decision to incorporate Wilval Global Resources Limited. In her words “I knew we were going to go beyond supplying food items, and we were going to go global. The word ‘global’ had to be included in the company name”. ‘Wilval’ is a contraption of Wilson and Valentino – her two sons.
Birth of Wilval Restaurant
Wilval Restaurant, one of the subsidiaries, came into existence in 2010 in Benin City and still operates there servicing a clientele of elites. She said “at the Nigerian Officers Mess 4th, Mechanized Brigade, Benin, I saw myself developing the Mess of the Nigerian Army, supporting them, functioning more than even the officers. This earned me the title of Madam PMC (President Mess Committee), the first to be recognized nationwide by the Nigerian Army. I then thought to myself that if I could pull this kind of crowd to the Mess, then I can put in my energy and my resources, and start something to generate even more income.” This saw her launching Wilval Restaurant.
Wilval Polythene was birthed in 2013 in Benin, manufacturing and supplying polythene bags. This later gave birth to Wilval Recycling in 2016 in Jos – a business Pam-Dagah said is the best part of all her business ventures because of the social impact.
The transition to business of Reduce, Recycle and Reuse
“I never knew I was going to be helping the environment. We recycle waste in tons. On weekly bases, we recycle about 10 tons of waste, and you know what that 10 tons can do on the street.”
She stressed the 3R principle of Reduce, Recycle and Reuse and used the platform to promote the need for societal awareness on proper waste disposal and management practices, saying that “waste should always be converted to wealth”.
She also talked about some challenges she faced on her business journey and how she almost gave up along the way but was steadfast and hopeful to keep soldiering on. She encouraged entrepreneurs to be strong, inspired and motivated in their endeavors, because nothing good comes easy.
The occasion which had a sizable number of Wilval Staff in attendance was an opportunity for the CEO to appreciate two members of staff, who both received One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000) Cheques each for their loyalty and long-term service to the company.
Pam-Dagah advised women to continue to be good keepers of the home irrespective of being business owners or career women. She also advised youths to go and start a business no matter how little, encouraging them to be useful to themselves and the society.
Startup Grind Jos hosts monthly startup events to teach, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs within Nigeria focusing on seed-entrepreneurs in central to north of the country.
Startup Grind – largest independent global startup community
Startup Grind Jos is part of the global Startup Grind, the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting more than two million entrepreneurs in over 600 cities, nurturing startup in ecosystems across more than 125 countries through events, media, and partnerships with organizations like Google for Startups.
Founded in Silicon Valley, Startup Grind has helped millions of entrepreneurs build their businesses, connect with strategic partners, and secure funding.
The cornerstone of the global community that make up Startup Grind are monthly events featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share lessons learned on the road to building great companies.
Everyone is welcome to Startup Grind Jos, said Director of Startup Grind Jos; Mayokun Adeoti.
You can become a member of Startup Grind Jos by following this link – https://www.startupgrind.com/jos
