It is true that in our earlier years we have different dreams but sometimes it is more difficult to stick to them and make them come true. Electronic lover since he was a child, Junior Cornelius Nonfon is a young entrepreneur who is making his dreams come true while lifting the veil on Electronic.
Junior Cornelius Nonfon, a native of Bohicon, is an engineer by training in Apply electronics and system engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. His excellent journey earned him the title of “engineering genius” in the ranks of his graduates. Once his studies completed, the young engineer launched the creation of his company Ardu Africa in Ghana, General Invasion Sarl today but better known under the commercial name of YoupiLab. Since 2015, the company has been operating in Benin, with a variety of products and services,in the electronics domain. A domain in which there are very few entrepreneurs with intense activities that necessarily require a genius in the field and the necessary know-how. It is even this expertise in the domain that makes this company a reference of electronic equipment manufacturing unit in Africa and mostly in the ECOWAS countries. This kind of journey deserves respect and admiration. Indeed, when he was still a student, Junior Cornelius Nonfon noticed a great imbalance between the theoretical and practical courses given in African universities. In other words, priority is given to theory in universities and when it comes to expertise, competences are limited. With courage, energy, hard work, determination and perseverance, Junior turns this great difference into a great business opportunity. How did he get there ? He shares his daily life with us in the following interview.
Tell us about your activity?
We are in the design and manufacturing of electronic equipment, the sale of electronics components and materials much more oriented towards didactics and training. We sell everything required by training centers, universities of science and technology to equip a laboratory (3D printer, milling machine, oscilloscope, raspberry, arduino kit …) for their students. We are also in the Internet of objects through our IOT platform (all our services are available on our website youpilab.com) and we finally design software and web applications.
Why did you decide to become an electronic entrepreneur?
Since I was a child, I had my dreams, I was this boy driven by the curiosity to find out how to dissassemble the toys I was offered and put them back together. I envisioned myself becoming a repairman, but when I got to high school I knew there was a field called electronics. I have never been interested in doing anything other than that. At a given stage, my ambition was to build a company, an electronics factory. This dream has taken shape at the university. When 3rdand 4thyear students, not knowing too much how to implement the great ideas of their defense project, come to me for help in exchange of a high remuneration. I found a good business opportunity and went for it. It was like a first victory and also the beginning of the journey. Besides, it is true that I had my dreams and was the best of my promotion at the university but I must admit that it is accidentally, by lack of financial means that I found myself the electronics domain. So I had to train myself on the job because the training we were given was much more theoretical than practical, and everyone had to manage to set up their own projects.
As an electronics entrepreneur, what are the challenges you mostly face?
The quality of human resources; in our domain, competences are rare but so many degrees. The entrepreneur, firstly have to sacrifice himself by recruiting people, then adapt them and wait one or two years until they produce good results. Secondly, the cost and quality of the internet connection; in Benin the level of internet connection is still low, so it takes a long time for us in the technology domain to put a product on the market and make it profitable.
Furthermore, finding sponsors is very complicated and even if you happen to find it, the interest rate is very high, not to mention that the Beninese entrepreneurs lack the government’s assistance.
What are your regrets ?
I regret not having taken enough risks. If I had taken enough risks, I would have gone much further. I was too humble.
Do you have any advice for young people aspiring to be entrepreneurs?
First, have a healthy lifestyle. I’ve come to understand today that, the most important asset of an entrepreneur should not be money but rather his or her physical and mental health. If your company does not have a given stability, nothing moves, when you are absent.
You must also surround yourself with people capable to raise you up, and be honest and sincere with others no matter the situation. In addition to all these aspects, it is important to get involved in the neighborhood’s small tontines. In a country like Benin where banks do not support entrepreneurs, only these neighborhood tontines are able to give you small loans to help your business grow over a given period of time. And most importantly, have faith in God.
French translation of ”Junior Nonfon, un entrepreneur avant-gardiste et passionné de l’électronique ”, Eliane FATCHINA by Salima ALAGBE
