My Secret Life: I Don’t Let Obstacles Deter Me In My Drive For Success – Agbese

LIFE IN BRIEF

Born in March1981. Mrs Patience Agbese has dedicated over 7 years of her life in training and improving the lives of Nigerian girl-child. She frowned against girls who go abaut prostituting selling themselves out to blood testing men who most at times use them for money making ritual. She also and married women who folded their hands to become completely house wife without finding anything to do to support their spouses .
Mrs. Patience Agbese is currently the CEO Threads by Kwete, one of the largest fashion training house in Jos the Plateau state capital were she impact young girls with the necessary skills to be self sufficient and and become employer of labour in the society.
She has trained over 100 girls who are doing in Nigeria, US, Uk and Canada. She is a reciepient of so many awards from NGOs and Nigerian Council of women societies

 

BACKGROUND

My name is Patience Agbese. I was born in March 1981, in Gyawana , a  town that was formerly in Numan local government in Gongola, but now in Lamurde local government area of Adamawa State.

I am  Bachama by tribe,  and  the first child from a beautiful family of three children

My parents, late Mr. Audiel Kpakai  and my beloved mother were accomplished accountant and a civil servant  respectively.

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EDUCATION

I started my early education at the defunct Nigerian National Paper Manufacturing Company Staff School , Iwopin, Ogun State moved to Lagos State , where I completed my primary education in St. Agnes Primary School , Maryland Lagos.

After that, I moved to the famous Immaculate Heart Compressive School ,Maryland Lagos, before proceeding  to Kano State where I completed   my Secondary education at Baba Alhamdu Secondary School, Kano in 1998, following my father’s redeployment. After my secondary education, I gained admission into the university of Jos, where I studied Theatre Arts and graduated in 2004.

CAREER

After my university education, I was jobless for a while but with the help of the Almighty,I later got a job with CNSSL, a company that outsourced to MTN Nigeria. I worked as a call centre representative for two solid years before the company left Jos city due to tax issues with the state government. I was left with no job and became a full time house wife. In fact, life was difficult for me because I depended solely on my husband who was self-employed. I needed to help myself and the family. I was deeply disturbed to the point that my mental health rocked bottom low. So in 2014, after deciding to brazen up to all the challenges I was faced with, I ventured into tailoring since fashion was making wave, coupled with the fact that I had passion for the profession. I also put into consideration, the fact that Mr. Usar of “Innocent Minds Network’ once trained me. I realised immediately, that his work and tutelage was more of a personal development and leadership empowerment tool so I quickly grabbed it. For me, it was important to pursue a career driven by my passion. After all my calculations, I immediately enrolled at a fashion School after which “Threads By Kwete’ was birthed in October, 2014

MENTOR

My mentors are numerous but among them are Kunbi and Adenike Ogunlesi.  Kunbi is so innovative, driven and motivated. I would also say that lately, I have had to love and respect Adenike Ogunlesi for her consistency, her distribution strategy and growth possibilities. She is a proof that a Nigerian fashion brand can grow over the years and aspire to be in many cities per time.

She makes owning a world class brand look possible.

INSPIRATION

My greatest inspiration are my kids. I want them to grow to the reality that life is about struggle, determination and commitment. That it is possible to start at nothing but build a brand that is worth passing down to them.

FEARS

My greatest fear is that the federal government isn’t seeking ways to safe proof small and medium scale enterprises. Government at all levels are failing to realise that these small businesses can possibly be the safety nest of the economy.

CHALLENGES

My challenges are many.  The major one is power outage or call it total blackout. Leaving us to source for alternative power supply makes production cost extremely high

REGRET

I have no regrets so far. We either learn or we earn. In this case, I do both. If it is not going well, I will find something that I can do differently.

WHAT STANDS YOU OUT

My staying up, the ability to keep struggling until it gets done makes me different from other women.

While so many fashion entrepreneurs focus majorly on the Asoebi trend, I focus on everyday consumption of basic clothing needs. I do this to ensure that even if I am opportuned to win a contract as a forerunner in mass production, I will be equal to the task.

FUTURE PLANS

I will like to eventuallyhave my clothes in major stores around the world . To just walk into any African store and make sure there is stock from ”Thread By Kwete on their racks.  I do not have to owned the stores, but, I can have my clothes in the store, that is my greatest projection.

HOW DO YOU COMBINE BUSINESS WITH FAMILY LIFE

The secret is that I have a very supportive husband. He understands that I do not have to be totally dependent so he allows me hustle .Though it is difficult  to combine  family and business , we both decided to see what I do as an ultimate sacrifice.  We see it that I am raising leaders at my place of work. This aspect of impacting on others has remained my big dream.

ACHIEVEMENTS

By the grace of God, I have trained over 100 persons. I have them across the country. I have trained people who are now  in  UK, Canada , US  and in so many other part of the world. Like I earlier stated,   this vision is for me to get to the end of the world . This , I am already achieving.

ADVICE TO WOMEN

Every woman should be meaningfully engaged. To do this, they first need to find their passion and start working on it until it materialises just to make sure that they are  at least , work in progress. Note that no one cares about your wellbeing but you, so yourselve. Define your future and hold onto it

LIFE IN BRIEF

Born in March1981. Mrs Patience Agbese has dedicated over 7 years of her life in training and improving the lives of Nigerian girl-child. She frowned against girls who go abaut prostituting selling themselves out to blood testing men who most at times use them for money making ritual. She also and married women who folded their hands to become completely house wife without finding anything to do to support their spouses .

Mrs. Patience Agbese  is currently the CEO Threads by Kwete, one of the largest fashion training  house in Jos the Plateau state capital were she impact young girls with the necessary skills to be self sufficient and and become employer of labour in the society.

She has trained over 100 girls who are doing in Nigeria, US, Uk and Canada. She is a reciepient of so many awards from NGOs and Nigerian Council of women societies.