Hon. Kevin Olu says he horned his business drive from an early age and on the strong influence of his father, who was a business strategist.
“I got my inspiration from my father. He built a lot of boats, vessels, and parts. That is why I went into that lane and that is where I got my strength to do business, and I want to be strong in that field,” said Olu.
The business entrepreneur and Senior Special Assistant to Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, said his business breakthrough came when he won the hospitality contract to house an oil company for four years.
Just like his father, Olu used the money he got from the hospitality business judiciously. According to him, he built a house in Delta State and used the rest for business.
Speaking on how his father inspired him from childhood and helped shape his business trajectory, Olu said: “Actually, I learnt everything about business from my father. I want to be strong like him and that’s where I drew my first inspiration to start my first business during my secondary school days.”
The public administration graduate from Ambrose Ali University, Edo State, is the CEO of Orit-Winors, a Nigerian-based company which deals in marine equipment, a line of business he was exposed to by his father.
Business and politics aside, Kevin Olu is known for making positive impacts. He owns a charitable home and company that specialize in giving back to the less privilege.
“Every year in some parts of Delta State we pay some children’s school fees, and we go as far as the remote village to give them what they need at that point in time. I did borehole and did some things for the villagers in my place,” he said.
Olu, the Kishele 1 of Warri, finished with some advice for Nigerian entrepreneurs on how best to imbibe the spirit of risk-taking as part of the strategy to sustain and get optimum yields from their businesses.
“Risks are inherent to every environment and business sometimes. Even me who owns a car dealership, I sometimes go to Germany to buy a car that is a bit accidented. I will fix it by myself and sometimes bring the car here to fix.
“Sometimes the mechanics can’t fix the car or see the car parts and that money will go like that. I will be forced to convert the car for my personal use till someone brings a good buyer. Sometimes we go to buy parts in Amsterdam to give to companies and the companies will say they don’t want it so they reject it” added Kevin Olu.
