A popular businessman in Kano state, Alhaji Sammani Adamu, who goes with brand name as El-Samad has revealed that his late father, Alhaji Adamu Mai-atamfa is the brain behind his business success story.
El-Samad, who is the Chairman of El-Samad Investment and Resources, who had carved a niche in textile business in Nigeria, revealed this when he received an award at Mercado Business Icon Award in Kano recently.
The event was organized by Mercado Practical Entrepreneurship School to honor top businessmen in Kano state.
Speaking shortly after receiving the accolade, El-Samad said “let me express my happiness on behalf of El-Samad investment andy business associates. Let me also express my gratitude to the organizers of this blessed event for finding me worthy of receiving this honor.
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“Indeed, this award is a historic to me, which i dedicate it to my loving and caring father, as well as my mentor, late Alhaji Adamu Mai Atamfa of blessed memory, who was the brain behind my success story throughout my business sojourn,” he revealed.
Narrating his business life, El-Samad said it started in 1998, when he was being sent to deliver launch to his father at his shop in Kantin Kwari Textile Market in Kano state.
El-Samad in handshake with Prof. Sagagi after collecting the accolade.
“As a man born in Kano in the 1980s, my father was fond of seeing his children study up to high level of formal education, so he enrolede me at Gwale Primary School, thereafter, i moved Government Secondary Commercial School, Wudil. I then attended FCE, Kano.
“Right now, i am a final-year student at National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, where i am studying business administration. Let me say, mine is an experienced life filled with many encounters and travels around the world, as well as many more experiences,” he said.
Speaking further, El-Samad said “about my business, i started by going to my father’s shop. Just like how a kid would be sent to deliver food or to run some errand at his parent’s place of work after school hours. That is how I started; by running errands to or for him. So, while i was there, i used to also help him with what i could offer in running the shop, like sweeping, cleaning items or fetching water for ablution or washing dishes.
“I think it was around 1998. It was later on i realized that there was something i could contribute to the business of my father. At that time, the business was ran when customers would come to my father’s shop to purchase goods.
“They used to take the goods on credit and pay back the next week when they come to restock. I was keenly watching and realized that there were flaws in the way the business was being conducted, because there was no record keeping in the transactions.
” I learnt that there were arguments between my father and the customers, all because they didn’t keep record of the amount of items they collected and the money they supposed to pay.
XSo, I told my father that i was taught book keeping in school. I know how to keep records of every transaction and keeping a statement. My father ignored my advice because at that time, he wanted me to study only, not to be going to market.
“But I noticed that most of the times my father and his business partners got into ensuing argument because they didn’t keep records of their transactions. To be honest, I didn’t want seeing my father arguing with customers, so I didn’t give up and decided to start writing records of all the transactions that were made in my presence, no matter how little time I spent in the shop.
“One day, I brought launch to my father and found him arguing with customers over a transaction, so i presented them a book that I recorded the items they had collected and the amount they were supposed to pay. I told them about the color and quality of the items they had collected and the amount they would pay. After i presented the record, the customers were satisfied and settled my father.
El-Samad flanked with Prof. Sagagi and well-wishers while holding the award
“So, my father said from now on, he wanted me to stay with him at the shop, especially during school breakes because at that time, I was attending a boarding school.
“Seeing my loyalty, obedience and how I was trying to develop the business at that time, after graduating from secondary school, my father decided to allow me to run the shop, but not completely as he wanted me to continue my studies up to university and that I should only come to the shop after my classes.
“Unfortunately, at that time, I didn’t get admission and i was eager to start going to the shop for fulltime. I thought, by going to Bayero University Kano, BUK, i was going to spend 4-5 years, while on the other hand, i would spend only 2-3 years going to Federal College of Education, FCE.
I kept on being obedient and loyal and my father finally understood that my plan was a good one and for the benefit of us all, since then, he allowede to take over the running of the shop while he was watching and supervising the business. Glory be to God, we are now where we have been in business,” he said.
El-Samad so told the cheering gathering how he had revolutionized textile business to an ICT-based.
Amidst applause and cheer, El-Samad also received a standing ovation from the attendees of the event when he disclosed that he had sponsored 20 Kano indigenes for business study in India, Malaysia, Cyprus and some private universities in Nigeria, aimed at sustaining his business innovations.
