“I’m selling it for 30k” – Student who’s using ASUU strike period to make shoes

A Nigerian man identified as Olayinka, who is also an undergraduate at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has spoken in an interview about his shoe-making business and how his tweet which went viral days ago boosted sales for him. 

In explaining how it all began, Olayinka revealed that he has been making shoes since 2016 after he finished secondary school. 

The hardworking Nigerian man said that he already had shoemaking in mind before graduation. Olayinka revealed that his first interest was in bag making but that changed when the cost of apprenticeship was high. 

Combining undergraduate studies with business:

Olayinka stated that it has truly not been easy juggling the two tasks together. 

READ ALSO: “Schools Rejected Me, Because Of My Disability” – Successful Shoemaker

He always makes use of the free time holidays and lecture-free weeks offer to work more on his craft. 

In his words: “Yeah, I won’t lie, it’s not easy especially when you’re in session but it’s a bit easier when we are on holidays, even when we’re in session, I do night shifts to meet up with customers demands and I work on my lecture free days too. I try all my best to balance school and my work, I don’t allow anyone affects each other.” 

Olayinka’s viral tweet that brought him to the limelight 

The UNILAG undergraduate said that when he made the post on Twitter, it was done with high hope that it would have a wider reach, and it did.

According to him, the tweet made orders flow in for him and people started giving him more attention. He said: “It has just been awesome after that post and I hope my next post blows up too. And I hope ASUU calls off the strike soon.” 

Speaking about the photo of the shoe he shared on Twitter, he said that placing a price on the footwear came from him looking at the materials involved in the making of the shoe. 

I hope Nigerians love local brands more

Olayinka stated that though the price may change in the future to reflect economic realities, it is selling for N30,000 presently. His brand is different from others because he does not waste precious time copying from others. 

This is what he said he would rather do: “I’d rather draw inspiration from them and I create mine.

” How long does it take to finish a pair? Olayinka who said it takes 10 working days to get a pair of shoes ready added that one of the challenges he had in the past was why he never posted anything about his works. He said he felt Nigerians prefer foreign brands to homegrown designs. 

READ ALSO: Father storms Varsity, drag son home after he refused to leave despite ASUU strike

CREDIT: ALLSCHOOL, Legit