Meet Tochukwu Chukwu | Roofing/Waterproofing Expert & Quantity Surveyor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tochukwu Chukwu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tochukwu, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I live in Nigeria, à West African country blessed with huge natural, mineral and human resources yet plagued by poor management and administration. There is usually little or no effort by the government to provide employment for the teeming youths who make up 60% of the population.
This has led many youths to either flee the country or get into vices.
However, I belong to the class of youth who believe that “I can work out my salvation”.

After leaving university in 2010 as a Quantity Surveying graduate, I joined in job search which was daunting and left me with many sour experiences. One day I thought to myself: “you are a construction professional. How can you provide needed services in the construction industry and also make people smile without having a start up capital?”
My response to myself was to join a company where I will work and learn the skill of Roofing and Waterproofing of Structures.
This was exactly what I did between 2014 and 2015. It took me two years to learn all I can from this company and I set out to found my company as it is today.

I ventured not just into Roofing but also other added services like Roof Repair and Roof colour restoration.
Usually there is a huge gap in roof repair skill which makes home owners spend money on a job over and over again without a solution.
Home owners who have a faded roof will often want to change it but this is usually very costly and inconvenient so I brought on roof colour restoration.
For home owners who have their homes in areas prone to flooding or with high ground water level, I help them waterproof their structures against ground water or storm water.

With these, I am able to put smiles on the faces of home owners, employ extra hands and make some money for myself.

What should our readers know about your business?
Please tell us more about your business: Praxis, just means, a new way of doing old things. We came to do what some people might be doing over the years, but in a different way.

What sets you apart from others:
My iconic stride as a business owner is trust. I will never negotiate what I cannot do. Whatever I put my hand on, I will not rest until I bring it to a logical conclusion. I inculcate this into all who work with me.

What you are most proud of or excited about:
As of what I’m proud of, I can honestly tell you that there is nothing as such for now except that our clients end up happy after meeting us. However, I can tell you that I am excited about the future – I believe in the abundance of opportunities, I believe that my business will scale in the nearest future then I will be proud to have many youths employed under my watch.

How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way?:
Getting to this point was actually a rough ride. Many nights of travelling to meet a job timeline in a far away city, many days of crude labour and body pains, many days I incurred losses just to make sure the client is happy…so many rough days indeed but I persevered because the goal remains my drive. The vision & mission in my mind keeps propelling me even when I get fatigued. In all these, I’ve learnt the virtues of honesty, timeliness, empathy, team management and self control.
I’m still a work in progress though.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I remain your best plug in Roofing and Waterproofing services in Nigeria and I look forward to international exposure and partnership.
My business is a profitable one in ad much as it puts smile on people’s faces.
I hope to scale in the nearest future and I hope you join me in this journey through purpose driven partnership.

Thanks.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a lover of nature especially the sea. I don’t fancy the noisy city but I love to club once in a while.

So my ideal itinerary would be, to take my friend on a 2-hour boat ride to an island community where we will lodge, play by the sea and sip some beer and barbecue.
We can spare a night at the club to reignite our dancing skills.
I love to visit traditional sites to learn more about the people.

I love to be around non-religious people because I don’t love judging people.

To me, life is meant to be enjoyed, enjoy it while you can.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife deserves a whole bunch of credit. I met her when I was stepping into this entrepreneurial field and she supported me unlike other ladies I knew then who jilted me.

My wife encouraged me and today we’re happier together.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tochukwuchukwu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Praxis.Construction.Company/

Image Credits
Praxis Construction Company