By BON PETERS, Port Harcourt

A Port Harcourt-based fashion designer, Angela Wells, has expressed optimism that 2024 would be a good year for business even as she admonished the federal government to redouble efforts to ensure exchange rate stability.

Speaking to journalists on the sideline of her annual event tagged “Shop and Chop” in Port Harcourt the Rivers state capital recently, Wells maintained that 2023 was a turbulent year for business adding that it was by the grace of God that many businesspeople survived.

On the reason behind such assertion, Wells noted that the exchange rate was not stable insisting that the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should redouble efforts to ensure that naira is strengthened.

“Those of us who deal in imported materials for our attires, did not find it funny in 2023. A situation you will wake up and your supplier tells you Dollars today is exchanging for N1, 000 or above, only what you do is to struggle to survive” she said.

“In a situation you have already agreed with your customers on the price and quality of the materials, you would still have to design according to agreement and specifications despite the increase in the purchasing of the materials for the work” Wells noted.

Angela Wells, the Chairman and chief Executive Officer of Precise Look, International, a fashion designing business concern, who hails from Ugwunagbo LGA, in Abia State and runs one of the exquisite traditional fashion shops in Port Harcourt, said her thrust for organizing an annual fashion show was to draw the attention of the state government on the need for a fashion tourism, insisting that such can attract more revenue to the state government and generate employment for the youths even as she called on people of the same vision for collaboration for fashion exhibition in Rivers state.

It would be recalled that the event which featured a fashion exhibition, masquerade displays, high life music, 50% reduction on every traditional attire purchased, free food for every buyer and free gifts for all the children that attended the occasion attracted many people from all walks of life in Rivers State and beyond.

Giving a historical account of her business, Wells, said she started her business in the year 2000, with N10, 000 she made from selling Oranges.

“It was in the year 2000, here in Oruworukwu Rivers State, that I started this business with only N10, 000 which I saved from the sale of Oranges.”

“I was pushing wheelbarrow around, hawking traditional dresses and others but today, when I look back and see what I have achieved so far, it is only God that I give all the Glory.”

On the challenges faced during her early stages, she explained” It wasn’t easy for me, a young girl hawking dresses in a wheelbarrow, and you know, my customers were mainly men, most of them who patronized me, would always want to go down with me, but in all these, I was able to overcome because I was focused, committed and resilient.”

On the get – rich – quick syndrome in the Society now especially among young girls who depend on selling their bodies for money, Wells admonished that the youths both boys and girls, should learn trade to sustain themselves.

“Youths should be entrepreneurial driven, the era of white-collar jobs are gone even if you didn’t go to school, please learn something, as a girl depending on men for your daily survival has its adverse consequences.”

She continued, “if I can survive with N10, 000, only then, you can also survive no matter the amount you use in starting the business, I assure you determination is the key.”

Looking into 2024 business climate, Wells noted that though it will not be rosy at the beginning, but according to her, “this year will be better than last year.”

She said “with a new government in place, what the president and his team need is to restrategise, remove some economic bottlenecks dragging the economy down and introduce measures that will favour business.

She insisted that the government should work the talk by making sure the nation’s refineries work hence according to her” such will reduce transportation cost. “Business is always affected by transportation.”

“That is why when petroleum products, especially PMS Premium motor spirit (Petrol) and AGO, Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) are high, definitely every other product and service will equally do the same,” Wells said.

She also reiterated that the level of corruption in the society is much coupled with insecurity, insisting that when such problems are cleared, every business in Nigeria will see the light of the day.

Wells who said she was in Dubai, United Arab Emirates recently for a business survey stated that her vision is to take the African traditional attires to Europe, America, Asia and the rest of the world even as she advocated that those in business should be more focused, committed, proactive and professional for them to survive in 2024.

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