Comfort Badmos is a purpose-driven social entrepreneur who is passionate about innovation and creativity. She has over six years of experience as a footwear designer and two years of experience in plastic recycling and innovation development. She is the creative founder of Baams and the lead director of EcoBaams Recycling, a brand nominated for the African Green Award in 2022. She’s highly impact driven and enthusiastic about empowering her community with creative and sustainable skills.
Comfort has participated in various entrepreneurship programs with renowned organizations, including the Pan African Women Entrepreneurs Network, Coca-Cola Foundation, and Enterprise Development Centre.
In this Interview with MSME Africa, she shares tips on how she overcomes the challenges she encounters as a young female working in a male dominated industry,
Can we meet you?
My name is Comfort Badmos. I’m the creative founder of Baams footwear
What inspired your entrepreneurial journey?
My vision for impact through leather craft and fashion inspired my entrepreneurial journey.
Kindly share a high moment for you as an entrepreneur.
The time when my business started gaining national recognition through award nominations and press interviews These were moments when I actually realized I was doing something right and shouldn’t stop. I felt really motivated and had some sense of achievement.
How have you been coping with the challenges of being a female entrepreneur in your space?
A major challenge I face as a young lady working, especially in a male-dominated industry, is gender stereotypes- usually with suppliers and workers. I have been able to deal with this by learning to speak up when I have to, forming allies with other colleagues in the space who are men, and not seeing myself as a lesser being. I literally learned to be assertive regardless of the gender I’m dealing with.
The focus of this year’s International Women’s Day is to get the world talking about ‘Why equal opportunities aren’t enough.” What do you have to contribute to this?
Having equal opportunities for women isn’t enough; we also need to empower them to take advantage of those opportunities.
What do you hope to see improve in the MSME ecosystem in the next 5 years in Nigeria?
I hope to see more women participating in entrepreneurship, striving for knowledge and professionalism in their fields so that their competence will not be questioned.
Your final words to everyone reading this and hoping to start something like this.
Entrepreneurship is great when you find a purpose or vision for your business, it’s a driving force that will keep you going.
