Residents of Kano, the second most populous state in Nigeria and commercial hub of Northern region should brace up to the new development that would be seen and felt in the entire state.
Auwal Sanusi Aminu, the Chairman of Sky Scrapers Global Investment Nigeria Ltd., is the one to spearhead the development by setting a target to establish shopping malls in all the 44 Local Government areas in the state.
In this interview with BizPoint, Aminu gave insight about his business and how the company, which has established some shopping malls in the city of Kano.
BizPoint– May we know your brief biography?
Auwalu– Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi ta’ala wa barakatuhu. My name is Auwalu Sanusi Aminu Yakasai. I was born in Kano in 1979. Like every child in Kano, i attended Islamiyya schools. I also began western education at Kofar Nassarawa Special Primary School. Afterwards, i went to Kano Capital School for my junior secondary school studies, thereafter proceeded to Rumfa College.
I then returned to Kano Capital School where i completed my secondary school studies. I continued with my studies until i obtained a qualification in diploma. After a hiatus, i decided to further my study up to university level. So, i am currently a student of Political Science at National Open University Nigeria, NOUN. I also obtained a qualification in Diploma in Business Administration in NOUN.
Bizpoint – We would like to hear a brief history of your business. How did you start?
Auwalu – I started learning business from my father. He was a trader at a popular grocery market, Singer Market in Kano state. I used to go there on Thursdays and Fridays before to learn the business before i later became full-time trader at the market.
This for at least 30 years ago. I started doing business at Singer market independently since 1992. Later in 2006/2007, i diversified my business into textiles at Kwari Market and i am still running business there.
Bizpoint – People have been hearing about “Sky Scrapers”, not everybody knows what that means. Can you to tell us what is it?
Auwalu – The name of the company is Sky Scrapers Global Investment Nigeria Limited. Basically, we are into selling groceries. Most of our items are foreign products. We import our items from India, Turkey, China, Dubai and the UK.
Bizpoint – Does the company operate as a single supermarket or are there branches?
Auwalu – We have three branches so far. Our main branch is located at No.99, Lungun Gidan Wanka, Murtala Muhammad Way, Singer Market. We have a second branch within the market and a third one on the outside the market. We also have a supermarket behind AKTH. And we are currently in the process of building two more in Kano.
Bizpoint – So, if i understand you correctly, these branches you have at Singer Market are wholesale stores?
Auwal – Yes, many supermarket stores from Kano, Abuja, Gombe, Bauchi and Maiduguri, buy items from us.
Bizpoint – What is the dream of Sky Scrapers ?
Auwalu – I am grateful to Allah. My dream is to provide jobs to youths. We have youths working with us, and we have about eight of them who are university graduates. The manager of this company has a Masters degree. But my biggest dream is building a production company of my own to produce locally.
Bizpoint – How many of these youths working for Sky Scrapers?
Auwalu – I have over 38 people working under me.
Bizpoint – Every business has its own innovative ways to promote productivity, tell us your innovations.
Auwalu – Most people you see are running their businesses locally. They do not make any efforts to promote or to run the business in a modern way. But here, we do things in the modern way and in tandem with global practice. You can find everything about us online, and you would be amazed on how organized our supermarket outlets are.
Bizpoint – Mostly, supermarkets are established in cities, but in other countries you can find them in rural areas too. Do you have plans to build them in rural areas?
Auwalu – Well, my father hails from a town called Danga in Kura Local Government. We are currently working on building a supermarket in the town. This effort was endorsed by the town’s chiefs and elders and they have contributed a lot in giving me advices.
To mention some; there is one Alhaji Danjuma Ali Garko, he helped me a lot. And especially, the chairman of BBY Multitrade, Alhaji Haruna Ibrahim. He is a father, figure, an elder and a mentor. He supports me tremendously in developing my business. He encouraged me to build a supermarket in the ancient city of Kano, along the main street in Kofar Nassarawa, Kano State. It is right next to Shekara Boarding School.
Bizpoint – You made mention of one local government out of the 44 we have in Kano, do you think one day you would establish supermarkets in each of them too, especially in the five emirates ?
Auwalu – Yes, that is why as an experiment, we started with my hometown. But as you said, we have plans to open branches in Rano, Bichi and Karaye. We have plans to have outlets in all of these areas. This will make it easier for people of those areas to have easy access to grocery items.
Bizpoint – If i understand you correctly, you are saying you have plans to have branches all over Kano?
Auwalu – Yes, i have this dream.
Bizpoint – What challenges have you faced in your business?
Auwalu – Life is always full of challenges, and only through adversity, you will find your strengths. That is why I will never forget my friends who helped out of trying times. I can never repay them. They include Alhaji Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim, popularly known as Gambo BBY. Then there is Alhaji Munzali Muhammad Zakari, popularly known as Munzali Mazaf. Alhaji Yusuf Usman Anto, who was a childhood friend, and a friend in need.
I will never forget what they did to me. They are the kind of friends and counsellors who will confront you and tell you the truth when you do wrong. Especially this one friend, Abba Bamalli Nuhu, he never shy away from telling me the truth. And I’m grateful for having smart friends who always try to include me in anything advantageous, even when it’s not in their favour.
Bizpoint – Finally, with the current economic hardship, what efforts do you make to make your business affordable to people?
Auwalu – This is the reason why we offer free delivery of all bulk items purchased by customers who came from a far, and also our prices remain fixed. That way would make our customers get to maximize their profit and redue the prices of their goods. We also offer the lowest price possible for retailers to boost their businesses.
Bizpoint – So you offer free delivery to customers from afar?
Auwalu – Yes, when they make purchase from the supermarket, we deliver their goods free of charge. Some of our customers make their purchase online and we deliver it to them for free.
