By Ebele Orakpo

Ms. Nonyelum Arinze is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ben ‘N’ Glad’s Haven (BNG Haven), a childcare centre based in Enugu, Enugu State. In this chat with Financial Vanguard, Nonny, as she is fondly called, speaks on why she left the banking industry to follow her dream and also the challenges and her vision for BNG Haven.

Excerpts:

Background:

*Nonyelum Arinze…Working in the banking sector helped to prepare me and gave me the needed experience

Nonny, a graduate of Medical Parasitology and Entomology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, is a graduate member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and has a Diploma in Children Studies and Human Resource Management. She will be rounding off her Master’s in Business Administration at the ESUT Business School in September.

Upon graduation from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nonny did her one year compulsory service to fatherland at the General Hospital, Suleja, Niger State. While still serving, she got employment at the First City Monument Bank Plc in Minna, having passed the relevant tests. So as soon as she completed her service year, she resumed work in the bank and was there for over six years.

Why I left banking:

According to Nonny, being an entrepreneur has always been her ambition so while she really enjoyed working in the banking sector for over six years, she was always conscious of the fact that she was going to leave to start up her own company. She said: “Working in the banking sector helped to prepare me and gave me the needed experience.

“I’ve always known I had business, leadership and administrative qualities so working in a corporate organisation like the bank helped to fine-tune those qualities coupled with the fact that I have a burden to impact society positively and be a part of the much needed change. The banking industry didn’t give the platform I needed to express that desire so I knew it was inevitable to leave at some point.”

Motivation:

“I have always had this strong connection to children and my love for music helped to make the passion strong. The motivation to start a childcare centre for children of all ages was born out of the burden I have whenever I looked at most children born in this generation where parents are so career-driven and most times don’t have enough time to spend with their children.

“My motivation for this business is to help bridge the gap and assist parents in the moulding and shaping of their child’s overall behaviour, attitude and character. It is a good thing that parents have careers to pursue and all, but on the flip side, our children (who we always say are the custodians of the future), shouldn’t have to suffer for it. If they are truly the custodians of the future, then there is need to invest in them.”

Why BNG Haven:

“The name is a combination of my dad’s (Ben) and Mum’s (Glad) names. The Haven part of the name simply means Safe Place because my desire is to provide a safe place for children to have fun, learn and interact with their peers.

It was a vision that was inspired by my mum before she passed on in 2009 so after years of grieving and struggling to raise funds to start it after she died, I decided to do it in her honour,” she said.

The outfit which was officially opened and dedicated towards the end of September last year, started full operations in January.  “I started with one pupil and as at today, we are 27. Five pupils in the creche, two in pre-school and 20 students in Ballet Dance School. Presently, I have four staff including myself.”

Initial capital:

*Some of the children having fun

“Initial capital which includes start-up funds and rent was N2.5m which I raised from my savings, family and friends. My dad and siblings helped a lot especially my dad at the setting up stage.”

Challenges:

For Nonny, the major challenges are funding and publicity. “Being a one-man business per say, money for working capital and possible expansion is very tight. Publicity and funding actually go together because without money, it is almost impossible to effectively publicise the company and being a new business, good publicity is very essential.

Another challenge is not being able to get people that will buy into the vision enough to support, partner or invest. Being a start-up, most people in the position to invest are sceptical and a bit averse to the idea of supporting a new business.”

In the next five years…

“In the next five years, I see this business expanding to the point that it will be a complex of some sorts. By this I mean, we will now be located in our own complex large enough to contain the enormity of the vision with its various services.

I see the business having branches in major cities in Nigeria because the saying that it takes a whole nation to raise a child, is true. I see this business having a prominent voice in all things children, education and childcare. I see it financially stable enough to offer employment to thousands of Nigerians and I see it grow beyond the boundaries of Nigeria,” she enthused.