She is known as the Auto Queen in the automobile dealership business in Nigeria. Mulikat Fehintola Sanni, Chairman/Managing Director of Mulifelong Motors derived joy from what the male gender enjoys as a hobby even as a child. She loved boxing and soccer. Little wonder she settled for a business that’s predominantly dominated by men. In this interview, she reveals how she ventured into the auto business as well as her life generally. Excerpts:
Could you tell us about your journey into business?
I’m from a background of business people. My late father was into stationeries and he was one of the competitors of Onward Stationery Stores. His shop was named Owode Stationery Store. My mother was into textiles and her shop was on Lagos Island.
I attended the University of Lagos and Yaba College of Technology for short courses in transport management.
I incorporated my own business subsequently with peanuts. I have been in the automobile business for almost four decades. I am a member of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I am one of the accredited Peugeot distributors in Nigeria. Some call me mama transport and others call me auto queen in the industry.
At Yaba College of Technology, I was admitted to study horology, but I said no. I opted for mechanical engineering . Later, I started dealing in auto spare parts with one of the pioneers at SCOA and Nissan. I supplied auto spare parts to Central Bank of Nigeria, NDIC, National Bank, Federal Housing Authority, Police Affairs Commission and State House Marina.
Along the line, I applied for distributorship with Peugeot Automobile Of Nigeria and since I had been dealing in various spare parts, tractors and other agricultural equipment, my application was granted by the late Chairman of Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria, Mr. Daniel Lanch. I set up my dealership in Lagos and Ogun states.
I acquired land in Ogun State , but we are yet to commence full operations because of economic constraints.
At the Lagos office, we have our workshop where we offer after-sales services as well as sell cars.
We believe that customer service is the keyword to business. Once you are trustworthy and with integrity, customers can always count on you.
We train people from NDE and we add value to their lives.
What’s your vision for Mulifelong?
Right now, I’m planning to set up another auto assembly in Nigeria and we’ll brand it, Mulifelong Cars.
That is what I am focusing on now. No transport no business.
In any country, if the transportation sector is not stable, you can’t do much. Vehicles are not a luxury. They’re a necessity.
What’s your assessment of Nigeria’s road transport sector?
We lack so many things in transport. Commercial drivers should know they are in serious business and should undergo regular training. Governor Babatunde Fashola has done well in creating The Nigeria Institute of Drivers , I think it’s very good. It will give drivers some kind of decorum.
Are you into automobile dealership only?
Not at all. I’m also involved in the waterways and aviation. Anything called transportation is my area and I can defend it to the core.
Do you still work on cars?
Yes, when there is a major problem I wear my overall and fix it for customers. An engineer shouldn’t lie under the vehicle before you know he’s working. When I wear my overall, I can do many things like replacing defective and old parts. We have five departments in my workshop which include mechanical, body shop(which does panel beating), electrical and re-spraying and what we call vulcanizing. It’s a complete workshop. Mulifelong is our trademark and we’ve been in this business for almost four decades.
Do you only repair the Peugeot brand?
The manufacturer would not want you to dabble into other brands. When you are their distributor, they wouldn’t want you to promote a business outside theirs because they have their trademark and logo and wouldn’t want people to mix them up. If you want to be a Toyota dealer, you stick with that brand. That is the trend in the business, so you don’t mix them up.
I can work on other brands but being a Peugeot distributor, I don’t and that’s why I decided it’s high time I had my own brand too. They are just like me. Toyota is a brand name like Mulifelong Motors and so also is Nissan . If I can design why not have my own brand? We are already working on it with my engineers and it’s almost in the final stages.
How do you cope in a trade dominated by men?
Some of them are friendly and some feel somehow seeing a woman on the job. They just hail me. When we are tendering for business in any sector, they know that I’m going to be the winner. The economy has already turned things around but when they see me, they hail me saying Mama mulifelong. Elizade tells me “I trust you”.
They love me so much, being the only woman among them. Representatives of Elizade, RT Briscoe, and Toyota hold the meeting of Auto Allied Trade Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry in my office.
How has Mulifelong impacted on the youth population?
When the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) was commissioned , my company was among the first to train its candidates, but the problem with their students is that they are not ready to learn. They are only interested in the money given to them by the government. Some will take money and not come for the training. They want fast money and that is what actually lured some of them into okada business. This is because they want quick and fast money. When you have a job at hand, the sky is the limit.
Academically they are not sound so they should go for training, but they’re still not willing. Where do you go from there?
Could you tell us about your childhood?
My childhood was very interesting. I was brought up in a disciplined family. This is actually a motivator for me.
Before my parents died, they said they would teach me how to fish , so they taught us how to trade very early in life.
Schooling didn’t disturb me from helping my mother. I gained a lot from her and it enhanced my own business acumen and added more value to my life. I love to enjoy myself. I love reggae, Donna Summer, Fela, Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey as well as dressing well. My father and mother taught us that a man or lady should be able to dress very well. When you dress nicely, good things will surely come.
When I was a young lady, I loved riding bicycle and I learnt how to drive on my own. I played football in those days and I was into boxing. I could have been the first female boxer in this country. I trained for it. I had passion for boxing .
My children call me “Margaret Thatcher”, because they see me as “an iron lady”. I have four boys and a girl. I don’t take rubbish and they know it. I even taught them how to box when they were young.
How do you relax?
I believe that all work and no play is bad business. So, when it’s time for me to enjoy myself I do and when it’s time for me to enjoy at parties, I do. Friends invite me
to parties and
I relax, discuss and make myself happy there at the same time.
I let down my hair and dance.
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