APAMS: It was Toller Cranston that said that wings are not only for birds; they are also for minds. A human mind that is not afraid of heights can fly. But even flying is a skill. Birds learn how to fly, and so does man.

Making inroads into the world of entrepreneurship in a difficult business terrain with hostile conditions like Nigeria is not a call for the faint hearted. Many factors militate against start-ups- Government policy summersaults, multiple taxation, lack of access to capital, poor infrastructure, slow justice delivery system, insecurity etc. The reasons to quit are legion. But the promises are great for the determined mind.

An Igbo adage says that an amateur blacksmith that lacks the knowledge on how to fashion out a gong should study the tails of a kite. There is no better way of succeeding in life than learning the footsteps of a successful person.

The life of Sir Kevin Chukwumobi presents a study in resilience, a stubborn determination, a great vision and a profile in courage. Nobody creates something without first visualizing it. Like Apostle Paul on how way to Damascus, Sir Kevin’s moment of encounter was his visit to a funeral home located in the United States of America. He saw what others didn’t see. Where others were doubting the market acceptability, he saw great promise. Where others were content with the status quo in the funeral industry, he saw a revolution.

It is said that the graveyard is the richest place because of unfulfilled dreams. Mr Kevin Chukwumobi had a vision on how to offer innovative services in the funeral industry and didn’t sleep on it. He went to work with singleness of purpose, looking neither to the left nor to the right. It was what led to the setting up of APAMS LTD, his highly successful funeral undertaking company.

Of course it wasn’t an easy ride. The naysayers thought him a failure. He had a hard time convincing prospective clients. Getting the staff to buy into his vision was a steep challenge. Issues of perception due to the nature of the business was also a problem. But he was not deterred. He didn’t give up. He was the bearer of the vision and only he ,could envisage the destination. And so he trudged on. When the days were Rocky and lonely, he held on to that currency that is the bedrock of every human progress- hope, the hope that a closed door isn’t always locked, that if he knocked long and hard enough, the door will be opened and the sun will shine again. He didn’t go in search of another door. He rather remained consistent and it paid off.

It was Stephen Elop, the former CEO of Nokia who said that “We didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost”. He made that statement when Microsoft acquired Nokia. Before then, the mobile telephone market segment was dominated by Nokia. Over time, Nokia began to lose market share. Newer companies effectively ended Nokia’s dominance of the industry. Nokia became complacent, and refused to innovate. Like a top business executive once said , innovate or die.

APAMS LTD didn’t just change the face of the funeral industry in Nigeria. The company has continued to endlessly innovate, offering over twenty six different funeral services, ranging from the sales of exotic caskets to repatriation of corpses and conveying of corpses with chariots and helicopters as well, while giving the dead the opportunity to go home in style. Currently, the company can offer a complete funeral planning without the bereaved lifting a finger. No wonder the company has no competition. Sir Kevin Chukwumobi sets the pace while the rest play catch up. For every state of the art burial in the entire Eastern and Southern Nigeria, the name that comes to mind for the provision of funeral services is APAMS Sir Kevin Chukwumobi has paid his dues and he sits on top of the industry with the crown on his head deservedly.

His success story is like a Bible for young entrepreneurs, and like they say, the Bible is the book of life.