Femi LazarusCEO at Femi Lazarus Consulting

This story is the story of my sister @graceofure , one of the most inspiring stories...

1 Aug 2025 · 1 min

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In this interview, the entrepreneur (referred to as Grace) recounts her rise from selling used clothing, known locally as okrika, on the streets to establishing a multi-billion-naira retail empire. She describes how she began with tops, then added trousers, skirts, bags, and shoes, eventually transitioning from hawking to owning a physical shop. Emphasizing the importance of a larger vision beyond personal survival, she explains that continual growth requires ambition for future generations. When asked about influences, she credits her church and her pastor‑mentor, who encouraged self‑reliance and entrepreneurship when formal employment was unavailable. The conversation highlights themes of product line expansion, visionary mindset, and the role of faith‑based mentorship in driving business success.

Chapters

Who said church is scam? I'm a product of church.
This woman was able to move from selling okrika on the street, that is selling thrift, used clothes, and she's built an empire for herself worth billions of naira.
From the okrika, I started with tops. I later added trousers and skirts. I later added bag and shoes.
Wow.
I later moved from selling it and hawking it to having a shop. There's growth in everything. But I knew that if we continue like this, there is not so much we can achieve. And so it is either we continue like this and complain, or have a vision that is bigger than me and my next generation and just hope that this vision will come alive.
What kind of books were you reading then, and what kind of exposure did you have to information that was making you have that dream?
My church. Then I was listening to my mentor, my pastor, because he said, if they don't give you a job, you make