Oludoyi Julius Juwon, a Nigerian born Texas-based Auto Dealer, Oil & Gas Investor and Realtor, better known as Mr. Jay Autos recently took it upon himself to distribute palliatives to the less privileged in Lagos slums. Explaining the motive behind the gesture, he said; “The Mr. Jay Autos LLC. Covid-19 free food outreach is an Idea of the CEO of the Company, Oludoyi Julius Juwon. The idea was born out of the love to see everyone out there able to eat at least one proper balanced diet meal in a day. We reached out to over 500 families in the slum and ghetto areas of Lagos by providing them with food items like rice, semovita, spaghetti, noodles and other essential items.”
“It was to help ease the high level of hunger in our Nigerian communities, caused by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and as a result of the stay-at-home order of the Federal Government. The outcry of massive starvation is no longer a thing to be told, as such, I felt the need to reach out to as many families as I can by providing them with free food items with the help of the brand ambassadors of my company. Ajiran town in Lekki and Agungi communities in Lagos, were beneficiaries of the palliative. We are working on reaching out to other communities and even other states very soon”, he added.
Mr. Jay Autos also advised Buhari led Federal Government not to play politics with hungry Nigerians during the COVID-19 pandemic, while stating some measures the government should take to ameliorate the precarious condition in which Nigerian masses are currently enmeshed in as a result of the compulsory lockdown occasioned by the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to him, “the Nigerian Government need do a lot at this critical time. This is not the time to play politics with hungry Nigerians but to unite our people as one nation. The Government needs to provide relief materials, financial assistance, security and adequate medical care for our people. I won’t love to compare, but the Nigerian Government needs to see what other nations are doing to help their citizens survive this perilous, difficult time. As an American citizen, few days ago, I received free $1200 (N480,000) from the government. I never lobbied or begged for it. It came in free, for all American and legal immigrants.”
Speaking further, Mr Jay Autos shared his thoughts on the debilitating impact the pandemic has exerted on the economy. “The lockdown has affected everyone in one way or the other. However, as a Texas based auto dealer, with huge export market in all parts of Nigeria, the Covid-19 hasn’t really affected the shipping of cars to Nigeria, as the Nigerian Sea port and the American sea ports are still functioning. However business has been slow this period.”
He however advised Nigerians on ensuring precautionary measures in forestalling further spread of the virus. “Nigerians should stay safe, practice social distancing, practice good hygiene, keep praying and support the government to overcome this pandemic”, he submitted.
As a successful international businessman, Mr. Jay Autos shares his success story to motivate young, budding entrepreneurs.
Hear him, “I started very small from selling my personal car to buying another one and reselling. However the automobile and export business is one that needs a lot of time, capital, attention and commitment and at the early start up stage considering monthly bills to settle it was a-bit difficult to give it all the time. Well, selling of cars is what have always been passionate about so I gave it all my time, commitment and learnt through the process.
However, my advice to young people out there trying to be successful in business is to first discover him or herself. Know who you are, what you love doing and see how you can turn your passion to income. Challenges will always come but be committed and consistent. You don’t have to start big, even some businesses doesn’t need huge startup capital. Just start somewhere, somehow and start today!”
