Ekocity layout August-1

AUTOMOBILE
Automobile solutions
encompass education,
empowerment and fleet
maintenance - Temitope Joseph
Mrs. Temitope Joseph, the Managing Director/CEO of Tebenaj, an automobile solutions provider is always passionate
in almost everything she sets out to do. The organization provides automobile solution to individual and
corporate organizations. Mrs. Joseph explains in this interview that automobile solution is not just about vehicle
repair but it encompasses education, empowerment, fleet maintenance, routine and regular servicing to major
repairs as well as driver training.
Primero: BRT operator reviews
its fares downwards
In its renewed efforts towards changing the paradigm in transportation,
Primero Transport Limited, (operators of the blue BRT
buses) has announced plans to review its fares downwards to reflect
the wishes and aspirations of commuters as well as making
commuting on their buses more affordable to Lagosians.
Speaking with select journalists at their office in Majidun,
Ikorodu, the Managing Director of the Company, Mr. Fola Tinubu
said that in line with the yearnings of commuters in Lagos, the company
has devised an ingenious method of fare reduction by dividing
the BRT corridor into five zones against the three zones it used
to be. The zones according to him include Ikorodu-Mile 12; Mile
12-Maryland; Maryland-Fadeyi; Fadeyi-Costain and Costain-CMS.
“The reviewed fare will now be charged based on commuting from
one zone to another as against the flat rate being charged earlier.
For example, a passenger commuting from Ikorodu to Maryland will
now pay N150 as against the current charge of N200, and Ikorodu to
Fadeyi, will pay N200, against current charge of N250, and Ikorodu
to Constain, will now pay N250, as against the current N300, while
passenger from Ikorodu to TBS will pay the same charge of N300.
The overall concept is that if you are travelling within one zone,
you’ll pay N100.00; two zones, N150.00; three zones, N200.00; four
zones, N250.00 while travelling across the five zones will attract a
fare of N300.00”.
“The reviewed fare will be a lot cheaper for passengers doing
shorter distances and it was done in line with the yearnings of passengers
using the corridor. Primero being a responsive company
had to make this review to make the customer happy and comfortable
as well as changing the paradigm of transportation” he emphasized.
Tinubu equally informed his guests that the e-ticketing platform
TRANSPORT
Mr. Fola Tinubu explaining the downward review of BRT fares to journalists in his office
being test run at the moment will soon be introduced in all their
routes to reduce the stress encountered by passengers. The overall
idea according to him is to make public transportation more enjoyable
as well as making people have value for their money. He emphasized
that Primero Transport Limited in partnership with Yutong
intends to start assembling of the buses using a facility at Ibadan
while intensifying efforts to complete their assembly plant in Lagos
in the next couple of years.
What influenced your choice of business?
I have always been passionate in everything
I set out to do. I am a career business person,
young versatile and a family woman as well.
I am in this business with my husband; while
I run the administrative part of the business
he takes care of the technical aspect. Having
being trained in the United States as an automobile
technician, my husband has a very
good technical background. We have not
always done this commercially but we’ve always
find ourselves giving advisory services
to family and friends who have challenges
with their vehicles. It was the point we started
having issues with our mechanics that
we decided to go commercial. We enjoy
what we do and people equally encouraged
us to take it to the next level; that was how
the business started on a commercial level
five years ago.
What has been the most challenging experience
in doing this commercially?
The biggest challenge in running this business
commercially is that people are not
empowered in terms of knowledge and the
use of technology as a tool to solving societal
problems. As you know we are still far
behind in the application of technology to
solving problems. People tend to disagree
with this assertion because of the wide use
of mobile gadgets and technology but when
you talk about automobile technology, we
are still very far behind. We need to educate
our people to understand that automobile
solution is not just about vehicle repair but
it encompasses education, empowerment,
fleet maintenance, routine and regular servicing
to major repairs as well as driver training.
Although we’ve been driving since the
beginning of the century in this part of the
world, we have not been empowered in
terms of education and that is the biggest
apart from infrastructural challenges.
What is your area of specialization?
We provide automobile solutions to all
brands of vehicles. The reason is because automobiles
have the same engine principle.
If you look at the brands like Toyota, Nissan,
Hyundai or Mercedes Benz, the automobile
system is basically the same in terms of the
suspension system and the engine system.
The basics are the same; it is just in little areas
that are different. Beyond that, we have
technicians that specialize in diverse areas,
the tools, diagrams and technology which
makes it easy for us to provide solutions to
diverse automobile brands.
What stands your organization out?
The value you place on your automobile will
definitely determine where you take it for
repairs. The truth is that most often than not
we entrust our life in the hands of the vehicle
as we spend an average of three to four
hours daily in the vehicle. If we place a good
value on the vehicle, it simply behooves on
us to take the vehicle to professionals who
are empowered. The most important part of
this empowerment is the knowledge base.
Our knowledge base is second to none. Unfortunately,
I’ve been opportune to relate
with products of our technical colleges and
what I see is not encouraging at all. We have
not really invested in technical education in
Nigeria and it is affecting the whole gamut
of automobile engineering. What you find
everywhere is substandard personnel but
we have taken it upon ourselves to bridge
this gap through educational empowerment.
The unique selling point of our organization
is that constantly our emphasis is on
training. So, the quality of our technicians
sets us apart from others.
Can you enlighten us more about this
educational empowerment programme
of your organisation? Basically we have diverse
offerings especially for our corporate
clients. We have tried in so many ways to
add value to their operation like a seminar
we call ‘know your vehicle’. The idea is to
create an emergency learning programme
to keep them abreast of what to do in an
emergency situation. Apart from that, we
have different classes in our training school
for school leavers who cannot afford to further
their education. We equally have programmes
for graduates who have passion
or want to acquire a skill in automobile engineering.
There’s also a kiddies automobile
club that is geared towards empowering
children as well as enable them learn a skill.
In the next five years, what is your Projection
for the Organization?
We are hoping to take our service from the
small corner where we operate at Ibeju Lekki
area of Lagos State to other states of the
federation as well as globally, going forward.
We are equally hopeful that the people that
have passed through our tutelage and training
school will also be well established to
make the automobile solutions industry
more robust.
Ibeju Lekki is emerging as the business
hub of Lagos how prepared are you for
this implosion? I can tell you authoritatively
that we are very much prepared because research
is something I do all the time. We embark
on research to keep ourselves abreast
of the latest technology as well as what is
happening in the industry globally.
Is there anything government can do differently
to help the industry?
There are so many things government can
do as we rely on government to run our
business successfully. For example, the
infrastructural challenge is really slowing
down enterprise development in the country
as the funds you would’ve used in expanding
your business is being channeled
towards the provision of infrastructures. In
our operations, we spend millions of Naira
to put palliative measures on the road that
leads to our office to make it motor able, not
to talk of the amount spent on generators
and security. The road to our workshop that
I mentioned earlier that is about three minutes’
drive from the Lekki-Epe Expressway is
in deplorable condition and every year we
spend money to put paving stones/broken
blocks to fill the road. We will appreciate it
if government steps in and help us fix the
road to ease the challenges we encounter
annually on that road.
But the present administration is touted
to be embarking on massive infrastructural
development in the state, what’s your take
on that? The current administration led by
Governor Akinwumi Ambode has done
quite well, but then again, when I look at
the resources available to Lagos state government
and juxtapose it with what’s on
ground, you’ll agree with me that they need
to do more. To be sincere with you, Ibeju-
Lekki local government area has not benefitted
as much as other local governments
in terms of infrastructural development. For
example, most inner roads on the Mainland
are tarred whereas internal roads in Eti-osa
and Ibeju-Lekki are nothing to write home
about.
What drive you?
Passion is what sustains any enterprise especially
in this part of the world that challenges
will affect the return on investment.
We access credit facility at 25% interest, so
what kind of profit will be made in such circumstance.
The driving force is simply passion.
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