Why 70% of My Staff Are Women – CEO of FAE Limited Explains Her Success
Layo Bakare-Okeowo is the Managing Director and CEO of FAE Limited, Nigeria’s largest envelope-making company. She is also the Vice-President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
She believes a major reason for her company’s success is that 70% of her workers are women. In an exclusive chat with Naija Eyes, she explained why women are better suited for the envelope business, why the envelope industry is still thriving, and the major problems frustrating Nigerian manufacturers today.
Why Women are Great for the Job
When Naija Eyes asked why her company has thrived for over 50 years, Layo Bakare-Okeowo said it comes down to two things: being in a unique industry and focusing on quality.
“Everyone asks me why 70% of my staff are women,” she said. “The reason is that envelope making needs you to be very detailed. If an envelope should be 4×9 inches, it must be exact. Women are very finicky and conscious about quality. I also use the best German machines in the world. My attention to detail and top-notch quality are why I succeed.”
Making Envelopes for a Digital Age
Many people think envelopes are no longer useful because of phones and social media. Naija Eyes asked how her business has survived.
Bakare-Okeowo explained that her company has created new and innovative products:
Safety Envelopes: “We make tamper-proof envelopes that can’t be easily opened. We also make RFID envelopes. The gold chip on your ATM card holds all your information. If a thief with a card reader gets close to you, they can steal all your money from your pocket without you knowing. Our RFID envelopes block this and keep your card safe. We are the first to bring this to Africa.”
Anti-Forgery Paper: “If someone forges the signature of a governor, it’s a big problem. We can create paper with a secret, embedded watermark. To check if a letter is real, you just hold the paper up to the light to see the secret mark. FAE is proud to bring this technology to Nigeria.”
She added, “When I tell people I make envelopes, they are surprised. But we are doing fantastically well and growing every year.”
The Problems Facing Nigerian Businesses
As a top business leader, Bakare-Okeowo shared her frustrations with the challenges of running a business in Nigeria.
1. Trading with Other African Countries is Too Hard She supports the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is meant to make trade between African countries easier. But in reality, it’s still a big problem.
“Do you believe it is cheaper for me to ship something to Germany than to Ghana?” she asked. “Transportation is a big problem. On the roads in Nigeria, there are too many checkpoints, with a lot of bribery and corruption. The problems at the border have not changed either. The Nigerian government needs to fix this.”
2. “Ease of Doing Business” is Not Working She shared a personal story of how government agencies frustrate business owners.
“I have had my raw materials stuck at the port since July 18th, and today is August 12th. I can’t get them. It’s not my fault. It’s because of bottlenecks with the customs. They said they changed their computer system and now they can’t even load documents.”
“I am going to pay extra fees for storage (demurrage) for a problem that is not my fault. My staff are at the factory not working because there are no materials. How can you shut down the whole economy because you want to change a computer system? This is very wrong.”
When Naija Eyes asked if customs gave a timeframe to fix the issue, she replied, “Are they even talking? They are faceless. They are not talking to us.”
How to Make Nigeria a True Manufacturing Hub
Bakare-Okeowo believes Nigeria can become a great manufacturing country if the government is serious.
Start Early: “We need to add technical education to our school curriculum right from kindergarten. In China, they start teaching technical skills from a young age. Let’s catch them young.”
Listen to Business People: “The government should stop taking only politicians on business trips. They should go with real manufacturers who know how to run a business.”
Support Women: “Men have more financial power. The government should help women in business by guaranteeing our loans.”
She concluded by saying that to succeed in manufacturing in Nigeria, you must have a deep passion for it. “When I go into my factory and hear the sound of my machines, it motivates me. That is why we are still here.”
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