Maple Dappa: Changing Lives Through Skills Development

The world was once lost in darkness at a certain time in human history until someone stepped up to the challenge and built a solution around it- the stage opened and Thomas Edison entered.

The Austrian born American scientist is known for his immense contributions to the field of quantum mechanics and electricity. You can call him a hero and you’d be quoted right. Being a hero is not a feat easily achieved. While some are made in the battlefields, others are in their respective endeavours designing and building solutions that will impact lives and change the cause of human history for good. In commemoration of the #NationalHeroesDay, our second hero doing a great job in this regard is Maple Dappa.

Trained as a Marine Engineer at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State, his attempt as an undergraduate at helping businesses and organizations improve their overall market perception of their products and services took him down the entrepreneurial lane as evident in what he presently does.

Asides being a businessman and CEO of Mapemond, he runs a Social Enterprise called Outclass which equips unskilled graduates with workplace skills that gives them the platform to be gainfully employed. “Every aspiring entrepreneur must know revenue is the oxygen for business,” he says.

Maple was excited to share his experience with Semicolon.

Please Introduce Yourself.
I am Maple Dappa and my crew calls me Captain, I lead the team at Mapemond, a brand consulting firm in the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

What inspired you as a Marine Engineer to venture into branding and Social Enterprise?
I ventured into branding to create a job for myself while helping businesses and organizations improve the overall market perception of their products and services. I am involved in a social enterprise because I feel a sense of responsibility to the social problems in Nigeria and that gives me the greatest concern, like youth unemployment and lack of mentorship.

Share with us some of your experiences running a business.
It’s challenging and exciting! I have learnt how to bootstrap, how to attract and retain talents, how to set up functional systems and processes, and sharing knowledge with co-travellers.

You’ve worked with young people over time, what has been your experience?
Young people are greatly encumbered by expectations from their families, society, and limited opportunities. While working with them I discovered that they need to be mentored and pointed in the right direction. Many come my way confused and leave inspired and equipped to face life more confidently and with a reinstated self-esteem.

From your experience dealing with young people, are there remedies you would like to suggest to make the youths better oriented?
Yes, I would suggest more mentorship and training on soft skills alongside internship to expose them to how the corporate world operates.

As a successful entrepreneur, please share some tips on what you feel an aspiring entrepreneur must know.
Every aspiring entrepreneur must know that revenue is oxygen, learning how to sell is critical for success, and that being an entrepreneur is not all glam as they are told. Credibility and trust are the pathways to longevity.

In four lines, kindly explain how your venture has impacted lives.
Asides the lives of employees and interns that Mapemond has transformed, Mapemond runs a Social Impact Project called Outclass where we equip young graduates and graduate students with essential soft skills that make them more employable and better prepared for entrepreneurship should they choose that path.

Are there disruptive plans you are brooding on?
Yes, I am brooding on making Outclass an alternative to NYSC and making it a feeder of talents to startups and small businesses that cannot afford to pay high salaries at the onset.

Nigerian youths are facing a lot of challenges, how do you think, such challenges can be converted into opportunities.
I think that youths can power startups and small businesses to become big companies, so we need to keep working at aiding the emergence, growth, and sustainability of more enterprises.