In a space of 19 years, Paul Orajiaka, chief executive officer of Auldon Limited, a toys trading company famously known for its African-themed dolls Unity Girl, has successfully grown a N5,000 start-up toy business into a billion-naira company that was recently recognised by Forbes Magazine. In this interview with CHUKS OLUIGBO, Orajiaka speaks on his journey so far, investment plans, the Unity Girl Doll Project, among other issues. Excerpts:
Tell us about your journey as a top-flight entrepreneur
I grew up in Warri and had my secondary education in Benin. After my secondary education, my sole ambition was to travel abroad and get the good life. At 18, with my mind set on my objectives, I set out, alongside my friends, to fulfil my dream, which saw me make countless unfruitful trips to the American embassy.
ventually everyone was granted visa except me. Dejected and ashamed, I did not want to go back to Warri. I told myself that the only way out was to stay back in Lagos. So I stayed back in Lagos to work with my in-law in Idumota market. Not long after settling in at Idumota, I came across young boys who were doing extremely well and I realized that my being denied an opportunity of travelling to America was a blessing in disguise. That was how I delved into trading. But importantly, I knew it was also imperative that I go back to school and get educated. So while I was working there, I enrolled as an accounting student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), after which I proceeded to get a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Lagos Business School, Pan-African University.
Expectedly, after graduating from school, I became better equipped for the journey ahead, which saw me take the management and administration of my business to a greater scale. Today, it is safe to say that what started about 19 years ago as a small venture, Auldon Limited, has grown into a leading company, importing and supplying top quality range of educational toys to wholesalers and retailers in Nigeria.
When we started in 1997, our capital base was just N5,000 but today, the company’s turnover has surged to almost N1 billion. We have also metamorphosed into a limited liability company, a status which we attained in 2002 employing well over 100 direct and indirect workers.
Your company, Auldon Limited, recently introduced the Malaika Unity Girl doll. What is this all about
The Malaika Unity Girl doll for Africa is an Afro-centric doll range beautifully dressed in local African attire and particularly fashioned out to depict Africa’s rich fashion, culture, lifestyle and values. As you know, we first introduced the Unity Girl dolls, a collection of three 14-inch dolls each representing Nigeria’s three major ethnic groups, uniquely projecting the country’s cultural heritage. Our vision from the outset has been to promote the girl-child’s education and inculcate in her positive African values and ethos, such as feminine decency, commitment to family, respect for elders, hard work, honesty, arts and crafts, unity of purpose, etc. Every African girl-child is expected to imbibe these values from infancy in order to make her that ideal woman of the future imbued with confidence and self-esteem. Now taking into consideration the remarkable success we recorded with the Unity Girl dolls range in Nigeria, we decided to replicate that same success with the purpose of ensuring we equip the African girl-child with the right values needed to take Africa to the height we all envisage.
As future mothers, it must be said that the girl-child plays a key role in shaping the African continent as a whole. We have portrayed the Unity Girl as far more than a doll, with a brand identity which represents the social concern bordering around the challenges of the girl-child, particularly her education and welfare.
The Malaika Unity Girl dolls will further spread the social relevance and impact of Unity dolls across Africa. We believe that this way we will be contributing to the fulfilment of the timeless dreams of the girl-child, inculcating good cultural values and promoting unity. Every girl-child who has held the doll and learnt the key lessons of culture is, in the process, being shaped to improve her society.
How did you come about the idea of the Unity Doll Project
When we first conceptualised Unity Dolls, our intention was to carefully detach the unrealistic psyche of some very popular brands that impacted no cultural or moral benefit to the Nigerian girl-child. You will agree with me that westernisation has continued to erode our cultural values in recent times.
Parents these days shy away from teaching their children about their culture but instead allow them to imbibe foreign cultures which rob them of their identity and very existence as Nigerians. And as you know, this foreign culture they learn from their cradle is not the best.
I was saddened to see that most toys in Nigeria had no social and cultural relevance to children. For me that was a vacuum that needed to be filled urgently, so I swung into action in order to make that pertinent change. That process gave birth to the Unity Girl Doll Project.
My passion is educating children before time with positive values and that’s why all the dolls have contents which teach them all the positive stories and values they need to imbibe as they grow. It is important for girls not just to have dolls that look like them, but they also need to have a positive cultural message. These positive message are embodied in a concept called Prettie girl power. “P” stands for positive; “R” is respectful; “E” is enthusiastic; “T” is talented; “T” is truthful; “I” is inspiring; and “E” is excellence. None of the characteristics are based on physical attributes, but are all embedded in the true African values which show little girls that being pretty is about being proud of who you are, what you represent and the values you exude.
Furthermore, we asked ourselves what will unify us as a country. Although we have diverse cultures, our strength comes from our diversity; that is why we decided to inculcate in our infants the need to embrace their indigenous culture and that of others early on. By so doing, it becomes easy to love others. We are also mindful of the fact that the girl-child is a future mother and would be a home-keeper someday, working to keep the home and the nation together; it is only wise that we give them the needed positive start that would make them great mothers, with their very first doll.
We have created a doll that is bound to inculcate in them moral values, social values, social relevance and natural uniqueness which distinguishes us from foreign cultures. What we have done is to create dolls that have relevance to us, look like us and portray our image in the right manner. In terms of age bracket, we try to create a doll that a child as young as one year can use, though the dolls have other features that older kids can use also.
The Unity Doll also possesses beads which children can customise and wear on the dolls or on themselves. They can plait the hair of the dolls. We tried to make the dolls fit for any young girl to use so that at every stage of her life, she finds something relevant to her age in the dolls. But our targets are children between ages 1-10.
What is the acceptance level so far, and what plans do you have for Auldon Toys in the next five years
Acceptance of these dolls and our other toys all over the country has been massive. And this is because of reasons of affordability, premium quality, availability, uniqueness and, most importantly, the educative value the dolls offer. So it is safe to say we are a market leader with strong prospect for increased growth. Our visibility level is very high and that’s because there is a growing level of attachment between the dolls and our target market.
Teachers also appreciate it for the educational value it gives and the fact that children learn faster when they are taught with fun things that easily capture their attention.
That is why if you observe these days, most things in nature are replicated in toys. For instance, when teaching a child about fruits, say, an apple, you show them a replica of that fruit so they can grasp easily. Same goes for animals, e.g., zebra. You must show the child a zebra toy because children no longer go to zoos to see animals. In the same vein, you find children learning how to become engineers by dismantling and assembling toys.
To your second question, yes, the answer is very simple! We want to build Auldon Toys into a global brand reputed for African-themed toys. We have a true African story to tell, right from the initiators, to the symbolism our dolls themselves represent. In the next couple of years we are planning to replicate a family fun resort, in the mould of Disney. We have already expanded into other parts of Africa with the launch of Mailaka Unity Girl, and our eyes are set on expanding to other frontiers, such as Europe.
Having attained this level of success, are you thinking of giving back to the society in any way
As part of our policy, my company ensures that part of the proceeds from the sale of our toys is donated to some reputable non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for the promotion of the girl-child education.
If you look at UNICEF statistics concerning the girl-child, you will find out that the Nigerian girl-child is one of the most disadvantaged in the world. We are aware that little contributions like this, as well as working with reputable girl-child foundations, would make a great difference. Just recently, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB).
The partnership is intended to empower graduate apprentices of the board with sustainable source of livelihood immediately after graduation by making them gainfully engaged.
Already, under the Graduate Apprenticeship Programme in dress-making, the graduates have been hired to make 40,000 pieces of Unity doll dresses for the entire project in batches of 5,000. Also, Auldon has set in motion plans that will see it renovate some schools in dire need of refurbishing. I also take it upon myself to lecture students in all technical colleges across Lagos State, imparting to them business skills that would see them become independent after graduation.
