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By Josfyn Uba
Long before House of Chaviva became famous for wholesale importation, corporate branding, and household goods, its founder, Kila Ibukun, was simply a young girl absorbing the sights and sounds of Lagos Island.Growing up, Ibukun told Daily Sun that she frequently accompanied her mother through the vibrant alleys of Eko market and Ebute Ero. Though her mother wasn’t a trader, those formative trips instilled in her a rhythm of commerce—the art of negotiation, the energy of buyers and sellers, and the pulse of the marketplace. Years later, that childhood familiarity came full circle when she planted her physical store right back on the famous Ebute Ero’s Pepsi line.
In this interview, the mind behind House of Chaviva pulls back the curtain on her entrepreneurial evolution. From hawking eggs and frying chin-chin as an undergraduate to collaborating with industry heavyweights, Ibukun shares the resilience that carried her through personal grief,including the loss of her mother and how she is now empowering a new generation of business owners through her thriving wholesale and drop shipping community.
We understand that your interest in business began from accompanying your mother to Eko Market, particularly Ebute Ero. How did those early experiences shape your interest in buying, selling and entrepreneurship?
Being exposed to the market at such a young age made me curious about how buying and selling worked. We were not there because my mum was a trader. Sometimes, we were simply passing through Ebute Ero to other parts of the market or buying things for the home.
However, being in that environment exposed me to the energy of the market, the different products, the way sellers interacted with customers and how transactions took place.
I believe those experiences stayed somewhere in my subconscious. By the time I got to university and started looking for ways to make money, business did not feel completely foreign to me. I had already been exposed to the environment from a young age.
Looking back now, I can say that early exposure planted a seed. I did not know it at the time, but years later, I found myself building a business and eventually establishing my own physical store around that same Ebute Ero environment.
During your university days, you moved from running errands to selling eggs and employing people for chin-chin production. How did you discover your ability to delegate and lead?
I honestly do not think I consciously thought, “I am going to become a leader.” I simply saw an opportunity and realised that I could not do everything myself.
When I started making chin-chin, there was cutting, frying, packaging and other processes involved. So, I got people to help with the aspects they could handle while I coordinated everything.
Now, I realise that entrepreneurship taught me leadership before I even knew I was learning it. I learnt that you do not necessarily have to be the person doing everything yourself. You need to understand what needs to be done, find the right people and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
Sourcing products from the Island after classes in Ikeja must have been demanding. How did you maintain that consistency when you were tired or running late?
I can say that it was primarily based on consistency, focus and determination. These are virtues that never fail in whatever someone sets out to do.
Again, once someone had trusted me with their money and placed an order, I saw it as my responsibility to deliver. I could not tell them, “I am tired,” because I had made a commitment.
Sometimes, I would leave Ikeja around 3:30 p.m., head to the Island, source the products and get home very late. But I kept doing it because I knew what I was building.
I was not looking at the inconvenience of that particular day. I was looking at where that small hustle could take me.
That experience shaped me because I learnt that sometimes the difference between someone who succeeds and someone who gives up is simply the ability to remain consistent when things are inconvenient.
You paid what you could afford to attend House of Tara despite not having your full tuition. What would you tell aspiring entrepreneurs waiting for the “perfect conditions” before starting?
I would tell them to start with what they have, but to start intelligently.
I did not have all the money for the course I wanted to take at House of Tara, but I did not allow that to stop me. I paid what I could afford and started. While learning, I also found another way to make money by helping other students source their makeup products.
I believe waiting until everything is perfect can sometimes become an excuse for not starting. You do not necessarily need to have everything figured out before you begin. Start with what you have, learn along the way, reinvest and grow.
However, starting small does not mean starting carelessly. You have to understand the numbers, know your market and be willing to learn.
How did your experience with big established brands shape your understanding of customer service and corporate structure?
Working with some already established brands shaped my understanding of professionalism, customer service and working within a structured organisation.
There is no way you would work at such places and not learn about customer ethics and professionalism. The environment exposed me to how to relate with customers, communicate properly, maintain standards, work as part of a team and represent a brand professionally.
It also taught me that having a good product is not enough. How you treat customers, how you present yourself and how consistently you deliver the brand experience matter just as much.
Those lessons have stayed with me and influenced how I run my business today. I want customers to experience professionalism, good service and reliability whenever they interact with my brand.
Losing your mother was a painful turning point. How did entrepreneurship become both an anchor and a path to financial independence during that period?
Losing my mum was one of the most difficult experiences of my life because she was not just my mother; she was also someone whose presence gave me a sense of security.
After her passing, I had to become much more intentional about creating financial independence for myself. Entrepreneurship became an anchor because it gave me something to focus on and something I could build.
It also gave me a sense of purpose. Even during difficult periods, I could wake up and say, “There is something I need to do today. There is a client to attend to. There is a product to source. There is something I am building.” So, in many ways, business became both my source of income and a vehicle through which I rebuilt myself.
In 2021, you left Lagos and returned at a time when many of your peers were moving abroad or pursuing conventional careers. What gave you the conviction to remain committed to business?
My flair and passion for business have played a huge role in helping me keep going.
Business is something I genuinely enjoy, and that passion has given me the resilience to manage and grow it through different seasons of my life.
You started this business with a focus on importation, souvenirs and household goods. How did you identify those areas as your next big market?
I had already been involved in selling different products over the years, so I understood that people are constantly looking for useful and affordable products.
I also noticed the consistent demand for souvenirs for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, religious programmes and other occasions. Household products also have a broad market because they are practical items people use every day.
So, I decided to combine my experience in sourcing with products that had consistent demand. That eventually evolved into the business as it is today—an importation, wholesale and retail business focused on souvenirs, household items and branding.
Your drop shipping and wholesale community enables people to start businesses with little capital. Why was it important to build an ecosystem for other entrepreneurs rather than focus solely on direct sales?
I created the wholesale and dropshipping community because I understand what it means to start with little. I wanted to create an avenue where people could access products at affordable prices, resell them and generate income without needing huge capital or importing directly.
For me, entrepreneurship is not just about what I can build for myself; it is also about creating opportunities for others.
Can you point out one of the biggest misconceptions people have about starting a business in Nigeria?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that you need a lot of money before you can start. My own journey has taught me otherwise. I started with very little, but I had the willingness to identify opportunities, solve problems, learn and remain consistent.
Capital is important for growth, but it is not the only thing you need to start. Your willingness to learn, your ability to identify opportunities and your consistency are also important.
