Joseph Ezigbo and Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, co-founders and executive directors, Falcon Corporation Limited, co-winners of the emerging entrepreneur category of the Ernst & Young West Africa Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 award, spoke with Josephine Okojie on what their driving force was and what made them outstanding among other finalists. Excerpts:
How critical are entrepreneurs to the Nigerian economy?
Entrepreneurs are the drivers of economies anywhere in the world; because they have the persistence, the courage to run things through. We had that unity of purpose. They are critical; they are the basis for developing any economy.
What is the most difficult challenge you faced in the course of your business?
I cannot pick out what is the most difficult problem; the challenge came and we went through it one after the other. My wife was critical, she made everything possible. You need knowledge, if you have knowledge you will always find a way around it. I really don’t have any challenge because when the challenge comes I give it to God and go to bed without worrying about it.
What is your driving force in business?
I think it is important to realise that we started the company together, we were both business people but came together to start a business.
Our driving force collectively has been a conviction that we can make a difference, we are both people that are so passionate about the country. We just believe we will achieve much coming together. The fact that we are working together, we are each other’s encouragers, championing our causes also gives us a balance that makes us to be able to support each other through trisls.
From the beginning we made up our minds that we are going to invest in Nigeria, everybody is celebrating going global but we want the global to come here. It has been all about passion, the passion to make the difference.
There are so many finalists tonight, what did you think you have done to be outstanding among others?
It is important I say this, the other finalist are such remarkable people. We were at a retreat, we were privileged to listen to their story more detailed than we did today and I found myself thinking, wow, incredible, they are fantastic people, they have done so much work. But if you ask me what I think is unique, this is a husband and a wife that have run a business together for more than 20 years and we have made a success of it. I think that is what is it, so clearly we are making a success of our own, our children, and we are making a success of our business. There is a lesson here not just to entrepreneurs, but to families, to generations that it is possible to have it all and still make a difference.
What is your advice to other entrepreneurs?
Seizing opportunities as they come and staying with them. Keep God in focus, never look at your problem, look at your God who is bigger than your problem and he will see you through.
You must have that strength of power, integrity to drive through and pursue it and get to the end.
Josephine Okojie
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