ABOUT SHOEMAKING IN OKEHO

[Bravebold]

LET'S TALK ABOUT SHOEMAKING IN OKEHO

_Favour Adéwọyin,_
September 12, 2023.

Wearing of shoes is a part of human dressing that have come of age. Shoe wearing was not originally designed for fashion, it was designed for the elementary purpose to cover the human foot for the protection of his legs from sustaining injuries.

The history of shoes has dated back to over seven thousand years before Christ (7, 000 BC) when shoes were found in the Rock Caves of the United States of America. But, over the years, shoes have metamorphosed from one stage of development to another and what started as a craft to target personalities was later commercialised and shoes were mass-produced purely for economic reasons without particular personalities in mind.

Talking about the progressive development of shoes, someone has this to say:

*"Revolution of shoes went from hand stitched by a shoe maker to machine stitched, and then simply glued on together. The materials used in shoes were also advanced in a way that it went from leather to rubber or plastic to more biodegradable and comfortable materials".*

In the olden days, some of us met shoes that were made with 100% rubber cut from vehicle tyres. The Yorùbá name of such shoes which were in slippers or sandals form was "Jáláwọọ́tà" and they were commonly used by farmers and artisans.

I'm sure it is only few of us who lived before the 60s, in the 60s and 70s who will remember this type of shoes and I can see that someone is already smiling for merely hearing the funny name. Jáláwọọ́tà".

One thing about "Jáláwọọ́tà" was their durability. I'm not sure an individual can use them in his or her lifetime because, most often than not, most people who used them used to abandon them at the end of the day.

Today, shoes are being made for fashion and, also, as an expression of the social status of the users. Today, the shoes that the rich people are wearing are not the same as the ones the poor people are wearing. While the rich people go for new, foreign, imported and Italian-made shoes, the poor either go for fairly used, Tokunbo Italian-made shoes or for locally made ones whose prices are not as high as the imported ones.

For a very long time in history, there were no shoemakers in Òkehò and in many other places apart from the "Jáláwọọ́tà" manufacturers because shoes were imported items by the popular shoe-selling city-based companies in Nigeria like Bata and Lennard.

So, in the past, most of our people didn't start as shoemakers; rather, they started as shoes repairers who were called "cobblers". But, as time went on, many of them moved from shoe repairing to shoemaking or manufacturing and, part of the development was that, after a while, shoemakers were no longer using tyre rubber to make shoes, they advanced to leather shoes with Maco material as soles to match.

Certain leather palm sanders and slippers made by Bata or Leonard carried the Maco soles. I used to like any shoe made with Maco souls. Bọ̀dá Pọ́ọ̀lù knew that if he didn't use Maco sole for me, he was going to be in trouble in those days.

But, there was another common shoes that was popular among the students as school resumption shoes. The sole was full rubber, but the rubber was not Tyre black colour, the colour was between carton and champagne gold. The shoes I'm talking about was called  "Cortina shoes". I don't know the company that brought "Cortina shoes" out then, but they were widely accepted as the school main footwears then for those whose parents were able to afford them.

Another type of shoes were the white tennis shoes that often went with white socks with green round stripes at the opening which were commonly worn during the outing day of the OIGS hostel students or on the day of the school interhouse sports. Many of our people who were boarding students in those days will remember the white tennis shoes I'm talking about.

Growing up in Òkehò, in the 60s and 70s, the popular shoemakers were "Bọ̀dá Pọ́ọ̀lù Ońbàtà" whose shop was opposite the first motor-park that we used to call "Gáráàjì Ọ̀gán" which is almost opposite Late Pa. Láwóore (Baògán) house. Gáráàjì Ọgán is still beside the T-junction that goes to Gbọ́njẹ̀ market.

Children used to call him "Bọ̀dá Pọ́ọ̀lù Ońbàtà", but his real name was/is Mr. Paul Adébáyọ̀ who hailed from Ilé Ìkọ́làbà, Ọgán, Òkehò and he was very popular among the young ones because he was the main shoemaker in town for Christmas and school shoes in those days.

I learnt that Bọ̀dá Pọ́ọ̀lù Ońbàtà whose shop is now opposite his family house a little meter after the old motor-park clocked 70 years recently. I pray for many more years for him to keep enjoying the best of God in the land of the living.

However, if my memory does not fail me, I can remember there was another shoemaker namely "Bọ̀dá Sunday" (I'm not sure if I'm correct with this name) whose shop was between Ilé Elédẹ and Ilé Ajógẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ on the way to Ebenezer Baptist Church where Gbádé Photo who was contemporary to Charity Photo had his shop in those days.

In addition, part of the development in the shoe industry was that, as time went on, the shoemaking factories started to increase as many young ones began to venture into the business. Some of the  other shoemakers that I can remember who spranged up in Òkehò one after the other were:

1. Mr. Samuel Ọ̀jẹ́dòkun (late) from Ilé Ológun-òwu, Òkèògún, Òkehò,

2. Mr. Sàngótóyè from Ilé Sàngótóyè, Ìṣìà, Òkehò.

3. Mr. Aliu Mustapha (a.k.a ALIB SHOES) from Ilé Arówóló, Gbọ̀njẹ̀, Òkehò.

4. Mr. Gàníyù Láwòya from Ilé Láwòya, Gbọ́njẹ̀, Òkehò.

5. Mr. Mọǹsúrù Azeez Olúọmọ from Ilé Ọ̀fẹ́ Ògbíntẹ̀, Òkehò.

6. Mr. Mùtíù Adéníji from Ìṣìà, Òkehò.

7. Mr. Tairu Shoemaker from Ilé Ìyálóde, Bodè, Òkehò.

8. Mr. Mòyọ̀sádé from Ilé Ońlé-odò, Òlèlè, Òkehò.

Permit me to say that all the shoemakers in Òkehò were and are good in their crafts and I want us to renew our patronage for any of them whenever we find ourselves in Okeho so as to spur the local manufacturing sector with our support in order to creating wealth and jobs and, also, to use our patronage as an avenue to reduce Africa's biggest economy's reliance on oil sales alone. You little patronage has a long way to affect our IGR and this is the best time you make your own imput.

Today, I like to focus my searchlight on a young man whose life's vision and determination have not ceased to amaze me. This young man is no other person than COMRADE MUFEED Mustapha, MD/CEO of
DALLAX CRAFT & DESIGN of Ilé Láwoya, Gbọ́njẹ̀, Òkehò whose business shop is located at Shop A2, Àánú Olúwapọ̀ Shopping Complex, Kọnà Aké, almost opposite Yídì, Ìṣẹ́yìn Road, Òkehò.

A graduate of B. Tech in Biology Education from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria, young Mufeed Mustapha did his NYSC in Òsogbo, Ọṣun State where his interest to venture into footwear/shoemaking industry was shaped. This interest was fired up through the strong motivation he got from Lade Nigeria, a lady shoemaker that he met on social media who, incidentally, was also resident in Òsogbo around the same time he did his NYSC in the same city.

Mufeed who made up his mind not to go about to seek for jobs like many young Nigerians did after their compulsory Youth Corp programme came straight back to Òkehò to enroll himself in a shoe training school under one of his kinsmen, Mr. Ganiyu Aliu (a.k.a Alib Shoes International).

Today, Alib Shoe International is a household name in the shoemaking industry in Òkehò and its environs. People from Lagos and other cities in Nigeria are patronising him as customers and you can also join them. You will not regret you did.

Like young Mufeed, the MD/CEO of Alib Shoemaking International is also a young entrepreneur who had his appreticeship training under Mr. Samuel Ojedokun (late) from Ilé Ológun-òwu Ògbíntẹ̀, Òkehò. His shoe production and training centre is currently at Fọwọ́rọ̀pó area, opposite Ilé Alhaji Àjàdí of Pààkòyí compound, Gbọ́njẹ̀, Òkehò.

As said above, young Mufeed who is today a certified content creator, learnt shoemaking under Alib Shoemaking International and, since he gained his freedom to practice shoemaking on October 21, 2022, he has become his own boss after two years of training. If you want to become your own boss too, there are things you need to learn from this young man and you can reach him through his business number on 08169976962.

Furthermore, the first amazing thing about young Mufeed was that he humbled himself to undergo his apprenticeship tutelage as a shoemaker after he has obtained a university degree certificate which many young people cannot do. The second amazing thing about him was that he decided to establish his own shoemaking factory in Òkehò to contribute to the economy of Òkehò, his hometown. According to him, his main interest for taking this step was to promoting his town to the world through his profession.

So, in spite of all odds, Mufeed who has made up his mind to stay in Òkehò has joined those other young individuals who are adding values to the economic development of their noble town in the spirit of *"no one can develop our town for us than us".*

When I asked him concerning his decision to stay and do business in Òkehò unlike many other young individuals who have escaped to city centres after their training, this young entrepreneur I'm celebrating today captured his love for Òkehò in the following way:

*"It is time to patronize our own local entrepreneurs to make our economy grow as our neighborhood community prioritizes their own product".*

Young Mufeed whose role model in shoemaking is Taye Bámigbọlà of 313Eko said he has been facing a lot of challenges like lack of equipment and lack of stable electricity; but, because his philosophy of life revolves around courage and determination to pursue whatever dream God has put in one's mind, he has resolved to stay in Òkehò to weather the storm no matter the pressure with an expectation that life will soon become better for Nigerians and Òkehò people and town would not be left out when life becomes better.

As someone who made up his mind to be his own boss instead of seeking for jobs that are no longer there, when he was asked to give advice to the upcoming young people who are about to graduate from higher institutions, he gave the following advice:

*"My Advice for young people who are roaming around the streets seeking for jobs is to discover themselves because everybody is born with different talents. We should all have the believe that Government can't provide job for all but through talent discovery one will become the master of himself or herself. And going to school doesn't mean one will be employed, but been an educated fellow will have a significant impact in area of preferred specialisation".*

With educated individuals like Mr. Mufeed in the shoemaking industry, there is already a paradigm shift in the styles and designs of shoes in tune with the modern realities. What we are seeing in the industry today has shown that our locally manufactured shoes can favourably compete with foreign shoes like the popular Italian shoes that we have been hearing over many years now.

In other words, the samples of shoes that are coming out from our indigenous shoemakers like Mr. Mufeed, Mr. Alib, young Ọ̀jẹ́dòkun (from Aṣí who resides in Lagos) and those coming from our Ibo brothers that we often refer as "Aba made shoes" can compete favourable with foreign or imported shoes. It means, you don't have to spend big money to go for Italian shoes when you can promote indigenous products that will serve the same purpose and give the same customer's satisfaction.

And, as I hinted somewhere in this article, the good thing is that, such patronage of indigenous products will go a long way to boost our economy.

As I attempt to wind up my article, to buttress the position of the MD/CEO of Dallax Craft and Design, I Iike to advice our young people to look within themselves or travel "inbroad" so as to understand who they are (self-identity), why they are (purpose) and what they have (potential) to become contributing members of the society instead of being liabilities and dependent consumers.

The truth of the matter is that God didn't create anyone to  just be empty without gift or talent. God created everyone with ability, capacity, capability and potential to deploy instead to seek to be employed.

To say the above differently, Bishop David Oyedepo said: *"Everyone has a divine deposit in him. It takes vision to locate it and it takes vision to accomplish it".*

Therefore, before anyone can succeed in anything in life, he or she must understand himself or herself because, according to Dr. Myles Munroe, what you don't understand is not yours including yourself.

Listen to me if you are a younk folk, you don't have to go for shoemaking, you may go into automotive industry to specialise in mechanical, electrical, electronic, panel beating, painting, etc. You may not go into  automotive industry, you may go into fashion industry and become a clothe-maker, hair stylist, make-up artist, etc. Whichever industry you choose to venture into, make sure you become proficient and skillful in it so as to make success out of it.

Certificate cannot make you. Talent is good, but talent is not enough. You need to add skill and keep upgrading or keep honing your skill from time to time to keep abreast with modern realities. This is my heartfelt advice to every young person from Òkehò town in particular and Òkèògùn region in general.

Enough of dependence on governmment for job. Stop jumping from one company to another wasting your time to look for jobs. Let us begin to think of how we can use our head for clearer thinking and our hand to acquire skills to provide larger service to move our the economy of our community forward.

Don't forget that the Yorùbá people said: "Àtẹ́lẹwọ́ ẹni kìí tán ni jẹ".

Don't forget the Yorùbá people also said: "iṣẹ́ dé ọmọ aláṣejẹ́, òwò mà ré è ọmọ aláṣẹlà".

Go and find the meaning of the above Proverbs and apply them to your life and living.

Finally, can I tell you that the shoemaking industry is not only a business for today, it is also a business for the future because there is no time that human beings will advice themselves to stop wearing shoes.

So, it is advisable for any young person who wants to choose entrepreneur as his or her life pursuit to venture into shoemaking. A good information you need to know about the shoemaking is that, in 2007, Government placed import restrictions on shoes and the effect of that alone made the shift to locally-made goods to affect the sales of locally manufactured shoes to the extent that, in 2010, statistics showed that Nigeria imported $180 million worth of footwear.

Though, by 2018, this figure dropped to $100 million because patronage has shifted to Chinese products; but, with the way things are going in our country today, the wisest thing government should do is to shift the focus of the citizens to believe in home-made goods. Certain things that we can produce very well like shoes and cloth should be banned to encourage indigenous manufacturing. This wil boost our IGR as a nation and it will help us to come out of our economic doldrums in no distant future.

With this policy that support local manufacturing in place, people like Mufeed, Alib and other shoemakers will not need long prayer session before they can make their millions. As a young man or woman, if you really understand what I'm saying, this is the time to join them to prepare in advance to become one of the future millionaires that Òkehò will produce.

*"If you want to be a millionaire, think like a millionaire. And, in addition, if you want to be a millionaire, act like a millionaire".*

Thank you and see you at the top

[Bravebold]