By: Adekunle Victoria
In this exclusive interview, FirstNigeriaTV’s Adekunle Victoria speaks with a legal practitioner, Opeoluwa Ladeinde who has successfully combined a career in law with shoemaking.
This interview explores what inspired him to take up shoemaking, his free programme for upcoming youth in the trade, experience of balancing both professions, and the lessons he has learned along the way.
Question: Sir, please can you introduce yourself?
Answer: My name is Opeoluwa Ladehinde. I am a shoemaker, among many other things, and I am also a lawyer by profession.
Question: I am so happy to hear that you are a lawyer who is also a shoemaker. Many people do not realise that formal and informal education can work hand in hand. Some people see formal education as a waste. What is your view on education beyond the classroom?
Answer: Education goes beyond the classroom. Formal education gives you knowledge and a foundation, but learning a skill also gives you practical experience and the ability to become independent. I believe both formal and informal education can work together. What you learn outside the classroom can complement what you learn in school and help you solve real-life problems.
Question: When did you finish Law School?
Answer: I finished university in 2019, but because of COVID-19, I completed Law School in 2021.
Question: This shoemaking business involves building shoes from scratch. When did you start? Was it during your university days or after you finished university? How did you manage learning shoemaking while attending classes regularly as a law student? Was it easy for you to combine the two?
Answer: I started in 2016. There was a long holiday, and my mother told me, “I want you to learn a handiwork. Which handiwork do you want to learn?”
I chose tailoring, but I stopped after two months because the work was stressful for me. Then I told my mother that I was interested in shoemaking, and she took me to Aba, which is a hub for shoemaking.
I started learning there in 2016. Later, I went to Lagos, Mushin, to learn for two months before returning to school.
I told myself that learning something without making money from it was not good enough. So, I started advertising other people’s shoes and selling them under my brand name.
From 2016 to 2023, I had only about two months of formal shoemaking training. I wanted to have my own workspace where I could easily control what was being produced. So, in February 2023, I moved back to Lagos to learn from one of the fresh shoemakers in Nigeria. The first three months were unofficial, and then I started officially. There were five people in the class.
Meanwhile, someone would look at me and asked, “Why is a lawyer here learning shoemaking?”
But being a lawyer gave me an edge. Anytime my boss was going for a meeting, he would take me along. Being a lawyer has also made people take an interest in me and trust my business. However, learning in school is two-sided. If you are learning in school and cannot multitask, you may easily become distracted.
I would advise young people to learn a skill after school or while they have someone sponsoring and supporting them. When you are learning a business, you have the ability to start a small business to take care of your needs. But after finishing school, you may want to learn on your own, and it may be difficult to concentrate.
Question: You mentioned how you used your holiday to learn a skill. Some young people do not use their holidays wisely because they spend the time sleeping, watching movies and videos, or playing games. Why did you choose shoemaking? What made it your passion?Answer: I love shoes.
Question: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?Answer: In 2023, I made a five-year plan, and by 2028, I do not want to have to sit down and make shoes by myself. I should be able to do something else and recreate myself to focus more on young people.I also want to have multiple outlets, two in Lagos and one in Ibadan.
Question: So, how do you make a profit from the business?Answer: I have fixed prices now. I am charging properly, and I am also taking my time to produce the shoes.
Question: How did you get the instruments and machines you use to produce the shoes?
Answer: I collect loans and use the money to purchase machines. Then, I refund the money to the owners.
Question: How many people do you have working with you?
Answer: I run two programmes: apprenticeship and student training.An apprentice can stay with us for five years or more, while students have a specific period for their training, which can be from three months to six months or even one year, depending on the programme.An apprenticeship does not have a specific duration. Most of my apprentices are people from the streets. This is my way of giving back to society and helping to get them off the streets because they are not paying.
Question: How do you cope with electricity challenges when there is no light to operate your machines in this area?
Answer: We use a generator from morning till night. However, it got to a point where we would turn on the generator once and do everything we needed to do at that time because of the cost.I also sell at affordable prices, so we sometimes divide our work into two sessions, morning and night shifts. But when the expenses become too high, we stop the night shift.
Question: Do you have plans to register with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)?
Answer: For now, I do not have plans to register with SON.
Question: How do you create awareness for your business and attract customers?
Answer: My business has mainly grown through referrals. However, we got to a point where we needed more awareness and sales, so we started creating content with the shoes every day.It has been doing very well because the shoes are handled and presented properly.
Question: Do you have a quote or saying that motivates you?Answer: “As you lay your bed, so you will lie on it.”There is also a song that says, “I know, I know I’m gonna be what I’m gonna be, what I wanna be. If I work hard a little bit, I will be where I wanna be.”My mother used to tell me, “In this life, your life is in your hands, and you will decide what you want to be.”You are the one who decides. Do not give up. Each day comes with better opportunities.
Question: Apart from being a lawyer and a shoemaker, what else would you like to be?
Answer: I would like to be a lecturer.
