Closing the poverty gap is why I am committed to humanitarian works – Swag Omoluabi

Ipadeola Abiodun Oriyomi, also known as Swag Omoluabi, a young and accomplished entrepreneur, has attributed his humanitarian and philanthropic works to his desire to help close the gap between the rich and the poor in Nigerian society.

Swag Omoluabi stated that giving comes naturally to him, noting that it is a virtue he embraced long before fortune smiled on him and Swag Omoluabi appeared. He believes that assisting those in need, particularly those who are unable to afford basic necessities of life, is a worthwhile endeavour.

According to Swag Omoluabi, reaching out to this group of people is one way to give them a sense of belonging and integrate them into society.

“I love giving. No matter how small it is, I give out because all fingers are not equal and we all need to sustain this,” he said, when asked of the philosophy behind his philanthropy. “I just love giving right from time. I feed the people on the streets as well as homeless people. They are part of us. Their story may not just be the same with us what we can do is to support them in every little way we can.”

Armed with an unwavering determination to make a name for himself quite early in life, Swag Omoluabi also revealed how a combination of discipline, focus, and drive culminated in him becoming a success storey today, such that he has also become a renowned brand influencer in the last few years.

“I have always loved to be an entrepreneur right from when I was a child. My mum always told me, ‘son no matter the education you have, no matter the degree, make sure you also become an entrepreneur, because that’s the only way you can become your own boss.’

“My mother and the environment I grew up motivate me a lot.  I grew up in a place called Ghetto Badia. We had lots of hustling mothers and fathers that work very hard and smart, and they ended up motivating me to do well.”

Swag Omoluabi, a graduate of the Lagos State Polytechnic where he studied accounting, encourages young and aspiring entrepreneurs to develop the habit of saving money for rainy days. According to him, he regrets not instilling a habit of saving early in life and does not want the younger generation to make the same mistake.

“I didn’t start savings on time. Saving is very important; immediately you gain admission to an institution of higher learning, start saving for the rainy days. I worked with a construction company in Lagos known as BCL at a time and I started saving,” he recalled, adding that the quest to push for more success is one of the reasons he keeps learning at every opportunity.

“Make sure you gain something every day to add to your knowledge, do research and learn more,” he counsels.

To those with little knowledge on what it takes to be a brand influencer, Swag Omoluabi decried the frequent manner people use the phrase as if it is an all-comers affair.

While acknowledging that there is a lot that comes with the territory of brand influencing, he encouraged those interested to have a passion for social media and make their presence felt there.

“As an entrepreneur and also a brand influencer, I influence companies’ brands, more like a brand ambassador. Being a brand influencer has a lot of steps attached to it; everyone can’t be a brand influencer. It is totally wrong. The responsibilities to become an influencer are legion, including, making sure you are trustworthy and a notable person; letting brands know you are open to collaborations, as well as being regular and consistent in the use of social media,” he explained.

On the struggles he encountered before he struck gold, Swag Omoluabi said lack of money to start off was an impediment, saying, “there were lot of challenges but the main one was capital. It wasn’t easy but I had to try my best to save with the money I made from one of the companies.”