Joshua Attat, the founder and managing director of Pneedles Firm, an everyday and customised buttons producing agency for trend manufacturers and garment producers which he launched in 2024.

Attat, an award-winning round economic system entrepreneur is targeted on creating sustainable options for the style trade by his Pneedles agency that makes buttons from plastic waste for the style trade.

“We make common and customised buttons for trend manufacturers & garment producers. We’re serving to clear up the plastic waste downside in Nigeria whereas offering sustainable supplies for the style trade,” he mentioned.

He was impressed to enterprise into the enterprise with an preliminary capital of about N500,000 to N1 million was principally his ardour for recycling, the round economic system and sustainable trend which he champions.

“We began experimenting and speaking to potential prospects in 2023 and we used their suggestions to refine our product; we launched into the market by March 2024.

“Preliminary capital was roughly N500,000 to N1 million and it was a mixture of my private funds and loans from mates

“What helped cut back the startup value was we have been capable of hire many of the tools we use from organisations that personal them, that helped us focus funds on different features of the enterprise & get began rapidly,” Attat mentioned.

Describing the progress he has made within the enterprise, Attat mentioned; “To date we’ve offered over 1,000 buttons to a number of trend manufacturers together with Budding Blue, Lohije, Mak Africa, and Ria Kosher, amongst others.

“We’ve additionally had partnerships with Lagos Vogue Week for his or her Woven Threads and Inexperienced Entry programmes. We’ve made some good progress and we’re poised to do extra within the coming years.”

In accordance with the serial entrepreneur, what makes Pneedles a singular model is the very fact it’s the first plastic button manufacturing firm in Nigeria and are making its buttons from plastic waste as a substitute of virgin plastics, that approach the corporate helps the style trade inexperienced their provide chain whereas decreasing plastic waste in Nigeria.

He foresees a large world marketplace for the enterprise house although he thinks it’s too early to talk of the Nigerian market.

With 10 part-time workers, Attat mentioned the corporate is extra centered on growing its button manufacturing capability first to fulfill native demand earlier than it may possibly begin considering of worldwide markets.

“We’ll additionally add new product traces by subsequent 12 months as an illustration, sustainable beads and jewellery items from plastic waste,” he mentioned.

To outlive the murky waters of the enterprise house in Nigeria, he mentioned the corporate has adopted apt, fast and prepared technique.

“Actually it’s onerous; however at the moment what we’re doing something we have to do, we attempt to purchase issues as rapidly as attainable; realizing very nicely that in three-week-time the worth of that very same merchandise can improve by a minimum of 20 p.c,” he famous.

Attat disclosed that lack of competent arms is likely one of the main challenges going through the enterprise on the dwelling entrance, apart from elevating funds to scale manufacturing.

“Discovering competent arms to manufacture tools regionally. Importation is dear and it’s not sustainable, particularly for a startup as a result of the worth of an tools you need to import might be your complete startup price range.

“You might have folks inform you they will do issues and whenever you commit cash into their arms, tales abound,” he mentioned.

In navigating his methods across the prevailing challenges, he mentioned that he needed to lean on sure networks to seek out high quality technical expertise and that it has actually helped him.

“For funding I’ve utilized for grants and we’ve made some progress,” he mentioned.

He encourages upcoming entrepreneurs to know that cash is worth, if one needs cash he ought to create worth for folks.

“Individuals are the whole lot – deal with them nicely; be taught to construct and preserve stable relationships. Suppose and play for the long run not the quick time period.

“Attempt to embed circularity/sustainability into what you are promoting. Local weather change is actual and it’s affecting everybody regardless of societal standing so all of us have a component to play in reversing local weather change,” he mentioned.