You can never get tired of hearing his story. Even if he is narrating it for the hundredth time in a day, each retell will be fresh and refreshing, not because Clement Mudiaga Enajemo is a fantastic storyteller, but simply because how he founded his famous fashion enterprise, Mudi Africa, is a classic grass-to-grace tale.
On a hot afternoon, inside the cool interior of his modern showroom in downtown Anthony, Lagos, Mudi rehashed the story of his humble beginning in the tough days of the 1990s, his distilled recount, full of valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. Excerpts:
Did you ever believe that you were going to be this big when you started?
No, but I always had this mentality that anything was possible. About 15 years ago I went to VGC, Lagos, for the first time to see a client. I was curious and wanted to see what VGC looked like and I was blown away and I said to myself: “All these houses belong to people and they wear clothes, that means there is a big market here.” I was like: “If I could be focused, I would make money.” If you are gifted in whatever field and you have the passion for the work, you must also have the drive and discipline in order to succeed.
At what point did you discover your gift?
I came to Lagos in 1990 and discovered myself in 1993. I came to Lagos by train from Ilorin where I had gone to hustle after I left Delta State. That was how I got my first job at a factory in Ikosi-Ketu. I was earning N3, 500 a month and I was living with my uncle, but we were retrenched in 1993. After I lost my job, I started living on goodwill. Then, whenever my friends wanted to buy clothes, they’d ask me to come along to Mandilas and I’d advise them on what to pick. I grew up with the mentality that one has to always look good and dress well. After buying, they gave me little tips. In 1992, one evening, I took a stroll in the neighbourhood when I saw two friends, Tunde and Emma sitting down discussing. As soon as they saw me coming they started talking in hushed voices. I walked close to them and Emma said, “Clement, why you no go fashion school?” The way he said it seemed like it came from above. Tunde buttressed his point. He said, “Emma, na wetin I wan talk na im you talk so.” And that was it. To this day I have been searching for those guys and I can’t find them. I sat down with them and we discussed. It had never occurred to me to go into fashion. Where do I start from? I kept asking myself. I went to see my elder brother and he agreed. That was how I ended up working at a roadside tailor’s place for nine months. He was well organized and thorough. During that period I went to offices of friends I knew back in Delta State and shared my complimentary cards and jobs started rolling in.
How much was your take off capital when you started?
After my nine months apprenticeship I started collecting jobs from clients, which I gave to tailors. I would design and they would sew. That way I tried raising money for my first shop, but I got stranded and RMD (actor Richard Mofe-Damijo) came to my rescue. He gave me money for my first shop in 1997. I was saving but demand was taking money away from me. Rent was N47, 000 and I had only N10, 000. Then RMD had just shot his Out of Bounds movie and was not buoyant. On the day he gave me the money he made a remark, probably out of past experience, which I will never forget. He said: “Mudi, this money I wan give you so, I no wan regret o.” Today, he is very proud of me.
What were your initial challenges?
After two years, renewing rent was a problem. I had money for six months but the landlord said I must pay for one year. I was under pressure until I went to see my landlord with a friend who was able to talk to him and he gave me a two-week grace period. By the grace of God, during that period I had some guys who gave me jobs and they paid upfront so I was able to pay up. As I was hustling to raise the money, something remarkable happened. I approached a senior friend of mine who always came to my shop to iron his clothes. I did not tell him that I was looking for money to renew my rent. I said I needed N20, 000 loan for my business. The guy said, “Mudi, this work you are doing will not pay you, forget it. You have style, dress well and you have taste. I will introduce you to a friend who goes to Italy to bring in ready-made clothes. He would give you shoes and ties to sell and you will be moving from office to office. You will make more money that way.” He started mentioning names, which are big today (but I don’t want to mention them) and he asked me, “are they making money?” I will never forget that moment.
How did you feel?
I felt very bad and almost cried. I was troubled. And unfortunately, my landlord also lived in the same building with me so I was always sneaking in and out of my shop. I was able to raise money and pay off. I knew another year was just around the corner and I did not want to be taken unawares so I started doing esusu (thrift) with N50 every day. At the end of the month I will take a bus to Ketu and drop the money in my account. I gave RMD my withdrawal slips, I said: “Bros, keep this for me, if they call you that I am sick, please don’t release it.” Things began to pick up and a friend said “Mudi, your level don dey change, you have to go to offices to drop your stuff. Look for one small car to buy.” That was how I withdrew N250, 000 to buy my first car. In fact, when I made that withdrawal, the bank manager was alerted (laughter). I bought a Toyota Corolla a.k.a. First Lady. Then the road to VGC was narrow, so whenever I went there to deliver clothes, there was always so much traffic and I would be sweating because the car was manual, it had no air conditioner. Once I got to Eleganza House, I would park under a tree; I used to have a bag of pure (sachet) water inside my boot. I would bring it out, clean my car, wash my hands and powder my face so I could look presentable. Because I had sweated, I would hang my shirt on a tree to dry.
Today, a lot of youngsters aspire to be like you. What are the success tips for fashion business?
You must have talent. When anybody comes to me and says I want to go into fashion, the first question I ask is, are you gifted? creative? If yes, do you have the drive? Above all you have to be disciplined. Let me break it down. Talent is to create; passion is to love the work. You can be creative but don’t like the job. Some people can be good writers but don’t have time to write novels. Some people can write songs and can sing but they don’t have the passion to pursue a career as singers, so you must be creative; you must have the passion which makes you enjoy the work—and when you love the work, money starts coming. Then you must have the drive to keep taking it to another level. Above all, discipline. You must have discipline. Discipline is key.
Photo by: Kelechi Amadi-Obi
