BEADING TO WEALTH

Bead making is fast becoming a profitable venture as some women in Nigeria are smiling to the bank with proceeds from the business.

Evelyn Akpa, owner of Eve Craft, a Lagos-based bead making outfit, is an accomplished entrepreneur. Her shop, located at 24 Kings Avenue, Ojodu Berger, Ikeja, Lagos, caters for well heeled society women who daily patronize her, especially during the festive periods such as Christmas, exhibitions and other important events. They are bankers and other career women. From the eye-catching ,expensive beads such as coral beads, crystal beads, tiger head pearls, magnetic beads, mercury beads, broken beads, and angel –like beads, to the less expensive beads such as costalic beads, sand beads and e-beads, Eve Craft is a must visit for most fashion buffs. And with proceeds from the business, which she started only two years ago with just N10, 000, she has been smiling to the bank.

Akpa, who learnt bead making two years ago from a family friend with N30, 000, now produces coral beads, one of the beautiful and fairly expensive beads with materials of N16, 000 but sells them for N35,000,or more depending on the design. Coral beads, which she said originated from the ancient Benin Kingdom, present day Edo State, are suitable for occasions such as coronations, traditional marriages, birthdays and so on. The lowest grade of necklace costs N5, 000 while some go for N10, 000. Bags made with beads cost between N2, 000 and N3, 000, while the expensive ones cost between N20, 000 and N30,000,depending on the design. On the other hand, crystals, which are mostly used by young ladies, cost between N1, 500 and N3, 000.

Akpa, however, pointed out that all the beads come in strings to various designs depending on what the customer wants. She noted that apart from her shop, customers could also acquire high-quality beads from Idumota, Lagos island, Ogba Retail Market, and Alade Market (along Allen Avenue),among other popular markets across the city. The beads come in various colours, shapes, designs and grades, depending on the occasion or event the customer wants to use them for. Akpa listed some of the tools used in bead making to include fishing lines or tiger tails for stringing the beads, wire for making beads, earring tops and jump rings, and head pins for the earrings and neck hooks, among others.

She is not the only person making a fortune from bead jewelry. Seyi Abdullahi, chief executive officer, Crafties Hobby Craft Limited, another Lagos –based bead making outfit, is also counting herself lucky for venturing into the business about five years ago. Her office, located at Isaac John Street, Government Reservation Area, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, is also a beehive of activities, attracting women on the upper rungs of assorted beads for various occasions. Abudullahi informed the magazine that she has always been in love with bead making right from her youth, creating things on her own. She attributed her success over the years to creating things on her own. She attributed her success over the years to creativity and the ability to get mew ideas and development.

She explained that some beads, like the Swarovski crystal and some coral beads are imported from Austria. While the Swarovski costs about N3, 000 or more, the coral beads cost between N3, 000 and N6, 500.However, the cost of broken beads vary according to the grade. For instance, Grade A, B.and C broken beads cost N400, N600, and N800, respectively.
Afolake Kalejaiye, chife executive officer, Teks Tola Enterprises, dealers in beads, jewelry and fabrics, is also a beneficiary of the booming business of bead-making. She said that she learnt the business from her mother 20 years ago. She makes thrice what she would have made in any paid employment. At Kalejaiye’s shop at Alade Shopping Center, Allen Avenue, Lagos, a bead made with as little as N2, 000 is sold for between N5, 000 and N10, 000, based on the style or design the customers wants.

In terms of durability of the beads, Kalejaiye said that coral beads are the oldest and most preferable since their colours do not fade easily like the new ones. She also advised that those venturing into the business should place emphasis on creativity because “bead making is all about creativity and the ability to come out with unique deigns that are not common”.
While agreeing that bead making is profitable, Abdullahi says that it is more for those who invest in the future. This, she said, depends on the creativity and knowledge of the owner of the business acquired over time through proper training. Abdullahi has some advice for those who wish to go into the business:”start well. Move one step at a time and remain focused”.

According to some people who use beads, Mjekodunmi Olamuyiwa, a business woman, said that for her beads are must –use.”I got to know about beads through my friend and since dumped gold for beads and I don’t think it would go out of fashion as people are coming up with more unique desingns”,she said.