Serial entrepreneur, Barr. Aziboala Robert is one investor who has successfully invested in sectors not related to the profession he trained in. His latest project under the Zeetin Engineering brand is a multi-billion naira, multi-purpose factory. In this interview with Kemi Yesufu, he speaks on his plan to trigger a value chain with the establishment of the factory at the Abuja industrial district in Idu. He also explained why the factory is a fulfilment of his childhood dream.
At what stage is Zeetin Engineering’s factory project?
We have spent around N3.5 billion and we are still spending. We are only about 70 percent complete, we still have about N2.5 billion as estimated investment needed to complete the project.
Have you received funding support from government or technical assistance from the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology or the ministry of Trade and Investment?
To be fair to the ministry of Science and Technology, we haven’t approached them. But the Bank of Industry (BOI) and NEXIM Bank have been supportive though we haven’t gotten any facility from them. Both parties have been here and they have given us assurances that they are going to sponsor the completion of this project.
What are your goals, investing in such a huge figure in a project like this factory?
My long term goal is to die a happy man. My short term goal is to develop technology in Nigeria. I am so pained that in our country, we have to look outside to solve the problems of our teaming population. Any little metal you get is imported from abroad. Developing these basic metals is not rocket science and even when you talk about rocket science, we can get it done in Nigeria. So, what I am doing here is simply working to start a process that may catalyse others while I am still alive and energetic. When we talk technology or tech companies, most of them are basically importing computer technology (parts) and assembling them in Nigeria. We should be able to manufacture things fully in Nigeria. For instance, this machine (points to a machine) is made up sheets of metals, if I am to import it and assemble in Nigeria, I will need more than one container. But if I bring those sheets and cut them into this machine, I can bring ten metals worth to cut into a machine. So with one container, I can bring ten machines to cut metals and manufacture…so, what’s the big deal? X-Y axis is the same abroad and Nigeria, 10 millimeters abroad is 10 millimeters in Nigeria. When you talk about writing computer programs for machinery, we have tones of Nigerians in the US and Europe working with big firms. They are willing to work with us and I am in contact with a few of them.
What are the major challenges you’ve faced?
Power has been the greatest challenge for Nigeria. But you see the real challenge is that, you have to start something, create certain kind of industries, if not we will not surmount the challenge of power. You also have to think that if only Nigeria had invested in the right technology, we won’t be grappling with this old challenge. Then again, we shouldn’t rely on government for everything. So, if I have the capacity to build tank farms, I have capacity to build wind turbines, I can basically tell government, ‘look I am building wind turbines, can give me this area to install the turbines’. Why should government do everything? Why should government build power stations? Excerpt for nuclear power plant, the building of lower power installations should be the work of LGs, power companies. So, until we catalyse the technological sector, we continue to discuss these problems. Coming back to your question, yes, power is a big challenge, but I see general problems as something you should find a way to resolve it. AEDC is doing the much they can for us, plus we have generators and we will do solar. But at the end of the day, if power becomes so critical, we will start building turbines by ourselves.
You mentioned that you hope that your factory will attract allied companies. What kind of companies are you thinking of?
So, if you look at a car, it has about 3000 parts. No car manufacturer manufactures all of these parts. If I am here building cars and I am unable to manufacture the glass, maybe if an investor thinks he can break even by making glass for my cars, he will move here or set up not too far away. If I am not interested in making bolts and nuts, somebody could take notice that Zeetin Engineering consumes so much bolt and nuts and he builds a factory to produce it. He can even come here to ask that we make a machine to produce bolts and nuts. We do it for him and he goes into the business. Why should we import bolts and nuts? I am looking at Aba, thinking, I can ask them to make good leather seats for my cars? Can we open a competition for people in Aba to make quality upholstery for our cars? The fact is, if we don’t give local manufacturers a chance they will not improve. You talk about experience, but experience is based on being given the opportunity to start. We have a huge leather industry in Kano, why can’t we harness it to make good upholstery for local use and exportation.
Do you have time frame by which you will start rolling out your products?
Well, I’m relying on my bankers to give us the facility we are asking for and in six months maximum, we will start rolling out. I know that we will receive the facility in the next two months, when we do, we will import the remaining machines and close our window to importing machines. The first things we will be doing is asking people to bring their metals….I don’t want to import metals. This is part of the business chain I am thinking of. I will ask local businessmen to bring their metals, I don’t want to have a metals warehouse here.
You trained as a lawyer but you run an engineering firm that hosted COREN. Did you see yourself moving from Law to Engineering as child?
Yes, it was my dream to be someone who makes things. This is why I was best science student in my school. I was the Laboratory Prefect in school. I was excellent in Mathematics. I was the best in Add-Maths, best in Statistics, Physics. But I went for Law just to satisfy my parents, who wanted me to proceed to the university. My mum was worried that my mates were getting into school. But WAEC seized my Biology result and I couldn’t get in without the subject for courses like Medicine and Engineering. So, I looked at my result thinking what course I could read without Biology. I had A1 in Mathematics, A2 in Statistics and A3 in Add Math, I had Physics. So, I studied Government on my own for GCE on my own and applied for JAMB with Mathematics, Literature in English, English and another science subject. My combination of two science subjects with arts subject was odd, but it was acceptable according to the JAMB brochure. I got admission to read Law. I managed to graduates with a 3rd class and a Second Class Lower Division in Law School. But before then, I used to fill forms for scholarship and those days I would fill Aeronautical Engineering as my course of choice and I would pick Ukraine as country of study. These were the dreams I had. It was my mum who pushed me to picking law, but I happy she did. Where it not for my Law degree, I would probably be in a worse situation. So now, I am a lawyer and can still do engineering.
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