Ofobuike Udochukwu Maureen, a female shoemaker and CEO of Andra Footwear is proving that skills don’t know gender. This, she has demonstrated in smashing gender barriers in shoemaking.
By Eberechi Obinagwam
Ofobuike Udochukwu Maureen, a female shoemaker and CEO of Andra Footwear is proving that skills don’t know gender. This, she has demonstrated in smashing gender barriers in shoemaking.
With her trailblazing spirit, Maureen, a 2018 First-Class graduate of Agribusiness and Management from the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, makes shoes, sandals, heels and slippers for men and women.
Fear of job hunting
Unlike many entrepreneurs who started because of their passion, Maureen’s inspiration came from fear of not getting a job after the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
That fear grew through likeness, eventually to passion while training on the skill as a corps member, then to the birth of Andra Footwear.
She says: “At first, it was just the thought on how to survive life after NYSC. With the way the country is, I didn’t want to take chances with coming home from service and start carrying files around from pillar to post, looking for jobs. I decided to learn a skill. This is how Andra Footwear was born. With the training and all, it grew to likeness then to Passion. I only have to think of how to play with patterns and create comfortable Footwear.”
From the beginning
Before going for service in May 2019, Maureen had devised a plan to learn Fashion Design. But when she went to NYSC camp and after officials introduced each skill, she decided to give shoemaking a try.
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She started learning her shoemaking skills in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in 2020 and later attended a Footwear Academy in Aba in 2022.
Before furthering to learn more at Footwear Academy, she started practicing her skills in her father’s house in 2021 in Umuahia Abia State. That was where Andra Footwear was born.
Raising funds was not a challenge for Maureen because she saved up her Youth Services money for her business. “I saved up money during my Service Year in order to purchase a few of the materials and machine I needed for the work,” she said.
Penetrating the market
Maureen seems different from other entrepreneurs who find it difficult to penetrate the market. In her case, she had already made friends who were waiting for her to unleash her work. “I had friends who ordered immediately I made my first post on Facebook about my new skill and taking orders. So, I didn’t have many challenges penetrating the market. Although I am still struggling with marketing and content creation, I believe with time, I will get better at that,” she said.
She said business times can be draining and sometimes, she feels like quitting, “but, if I quit, there is nothing or who to fall back on. So, I have to continue pushing,” Andra Footwear CEO told TheNiche while speaking on what has kept her in business.
The challenges
Maureen listed high cost of raw materials and inadequate power supply as part of the challenges business owners face in the country.
As a young lady smashing gender stereotypes and defying convention, she said men would always ask her why she chose shoemaking and not hairdressing, makeup etc. Her answer has always been “Why not?”
She said: “I remember one time back in Uyo when one guy approached me with so much contempt and said, ‘didn’t you see sewing, makeup or even hairdressing that your fellow women are doing? Why is it that you choose shoemaking? And I asked him Why not?
“To me, there is nothing like this is a man or woman’s job. I have always trained my mind to achieve whatever I put it to. Women will always be discriminated against but one thing I will always hold dear is putting my all in whatever I find myself doing.
“Regardless of the stereotype, 80% of my customer base are males and I like it when I am being appreciated for my work, female or no female. I like the way they encourage me and also help me in marketing my products to their friends.
“I have met most of my male customers’ wives through their husbands and they appreciate my work too. My love for the craft drives me and as such, I am unperturbed by naysayers. The only time I will consider giving up is when I am tired of the job and not what people say or think,” Maureen said.
Japa
On the overwhelming japa syndrome among young Nigerians, Maureen asked the question, “who are we leaving the country for’?” She said not all who did japa are finding it easy over there. “I have to at least try all that I can here. I believe my country will favour me,” she said with firm conviction.
Recognition
Andra Footwear has received recognition from the CONNAK Foundation grant award of 2023. Maureen said she still has the dream of pursuing her agricultural sector career but will not for now because of the cost involved.