Adaeze Onu is a fashion entrepreneur, social innovator, and certified business mentor who has served in different capacities and projects within and beyond Nigeria. She is the Creative Director of Dexy Creation and the Principal of Dexy Creation Academy. She owns a community called The Unusual Woman, where she helps women understand their purpose. She is best known as Dexy, The PushMistress, because of her impact on empowering women. She loves teaching and has been passionately impacting lives through fashion, skill training, and mentorship.
In this interview with MSME Africa, She bares her mind on what it takes to be a female entrepreneur in Nigeria.
Can we meet you?
My name is Adaeze ‘Dexy’ Onu. I am a fashion entrepreneur, social innovator, and certified Business Development Service Provider who is revolutionizing the sustainable fashion industry through Art, skill training, public speaking, and mentorship. I am the Creative Director of Dexy Creation and The Principal of Dexy Creation Academy.
What inspired your entrepreneurial journey?
My deep passion and quest for excellence and transforming the face of fashion entrepreneurship, wherefore fashion entrepreneurship does not begin and end with cut and sew but with holistic and more sustainable measures.
Kindly share a high moment for you as an entrepreneur.
My high moment was receiving my first award for my contribution towards Youths and Women’s empowerment. I was not aware of my selection. So it took me unaware and remains a high moment for me as an Entrepreneur
How have you been coping with the challenges of being a female entrepreneur in your space?
Being a female entrepreneur in Nigeria requires extra effort to cope with financial, domestic, managerial, and environmental challenges, but my formidable team, which also understands the vision of the brand, has been helpful to an extent.
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?
Thorough sensitization and increased financial assistance should go hand in hand with equal opportunities to achieve a better and greater result
What do you hope to see improve in MSME ecosystem in the next 5 years in Nigeria?
I hope for flexible agreements and terms among MSMEs for improved collaboration.
I also hope that the Nigerian government looks into numerous costs, including trade costs, numerous associations, and association dues burdening MSMEs in Nigeria.
Your final words to everyone reading this and hoping to start something like this.
Wear courage as your everyday cloth, and do not forget Confidence and your personality while on the move
