Opinion
By Val Obienyem
SEVERAL days ago, Hon. Chukwudi Orizu, the former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, paid a visit to Toga Fashion. During his visit, he made purchases of clothing and bags, placed orders for custom-made garments, and concluded his outing with a stop at Cibus Kitchen.
As he prepared to depart, he inquired, “Val, how do you promote your products, such as the bag I just purchased? I must say, I’m thoroughly impressed; that bag could easily rival any worldwide.” His tone turned serious as he continued, “Are you collaborating with major retail chains like Roban, Radopin, Zara, and Everyday?” In response, I informed him that we have an existing partnership with Zara and Radopin and are actively working to establish connections with Roban and Everyday Supermarket.
At that moment, he reached out to Roban and conveyed that a young man was engaged in fashion production. He expressed his desire for Roban to extend an invitation for them to meet and explore potential collaboration in promoting these products. He emphasized that the young man was creating an authentic Nigerian brand and was in need of support. As their conversation drew to a close, he generously shared his contact number, reassuring me that I could contact him at any time. He also mentioned that presenting samples of our work would likely involve a trip to Enugu.
Just yesterday, I reached out to Roban once more, reintroduced Toga, and jogged his memory about the previous conversation involving the former Deputy Speaker. I inquired if it would be feasible for us to visit Enugu this Saturday to showcase our samples. Remarkably accommodating, he shared that he would be in Awka by 10 am today.
Precisely at 10:21 am, he reached out to let me know of his presence. Meanwhile, I was contemplating how to entice him to visit Toga and experience the entirety of our operations. Hence, I crafted this message: “Good morning Sir, Thanks for the fruitful discussion yesterday. Permit me to humbly request if you could stop by on your way to your place, so that you have a full view of all we do for anticipated mutually benefiting relationship. I will call you shortly. Thanks.”
At 11 am, he arrived at Toga. He dedicated time to meticulously reviewing our wide array of products, which included diverse bags, shirts, Toga boxers, traditional attire, jackets, cardigans, polos, and more. For each item, he requested to examine the Toga Label. However, he found the internal labels unsatisfactory and strongly recommended that we incorporate external labels as well. He expressed, “Val, I am thoroughly impressed by your team’s work. I urge you not to use labels from other designers. Although it might be challenging initially, it’s the key to growth. Supporting and valuing our own products is a message I’ve advocated for over the years.”
I believe he was overwhelmed with delight by what he witnessed. He mentioned that Roban operates with a central purchasing system and requested that we bring samples of our complete range. He emphasized, “Make sure not to leave anything out. We need to support ambitious individuals like you, fostering both excellence and economic growth. This aligns perfectly with your boss’s idea of shifting from consumption to production.”
As he prepared to depart, I mentioned one more request—to tour our production section. He accompanied me and displayed even greater admiration. He reiterated his contentment at having visited in person and commented, “Your prices are reasonable as well.”
Prior to his departure, he made purchases, and we took comprehensive measurements with the hope of eventually becoming his tailors.
A.
– Aug. 10, 2023 @ 17:03 GMT |
Tags: Hon. Chukwudi Orizu Val Obienyem
