By Benue Info-pedia Editorial Desk 

At 12, Jime Patrick Saater Hange began an apprenticeship in engine oil and motorcycle-related commerce in Gboko, Benue State. Six years later, he completed his training and returned to Agbeede in Konshisha Local Government Area to establish a small roadside business with borrowed capital.

Today, the entrepreneur, popularly known as Jimisata, operates Jimisata Business Ventures in Lafia, Nasarawa State, selling new motorcycles, motorcycle spare parts and sealed engine oil. Beyond building his business, he is training five young men and mentoring two others who have completed their training and established independent businesses.

His journey highlights the role of practical skills, financial discipline and mentorship in entrepreneurship, while raising broader questions about access to business networks, capital and opportunities for young people.

A foundation built through apprenticeship

Saater’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2004, when he was 12 years old. He undertook a six-year apprenticeship with an Igbo businessman along J.S. Tarka Way in Gboko.

According to Saater, the decision was influenced by his family’s financial circumstances. His father could not afford to send him to school at the time and encouraged him to put the skills acquired during his apprenticeship to productive use.

The experience exposed him to practical business knowledge, including trading, customer relations and the discipline required to operate a business. He completed the apprenticeship in 2010 and returned to Agbeede with the ambition of becoming self-reliant.

Rather than wait for substantial financial assistance, he decided to begin with the limited resources available to him.

Starting with ₦50,000 in borrowed money

In 2010, Saater borrowed ₦50,000 from a friend to start selling engine oil by the roadside in Agbeede.
 He recalled purchasing four gallons of drum oil and three gallons of A–Z drum oil, making seven gallons altogether. At ₦6,500 per gallon, the total cost was ₦45,500, leaving ₦4,500 for transportation from Gboko to Agbeede in Konshisha.

The figures illustrate how narrowly he had to manage his initial capital. With most of the borrowed money committed to stock, there was little room for unexpected expenses.

Saater said he saved ₦500 daily from his business and repaid the ₦50,000 loan within 90 days. After settling the debt, he continued reinvesting in the trade to sustain and gradually expand his operations.

His early experience offers a practical lesson in starting small, controlling expenses and treating debt repayment as a business priority. However, his account does not establish that the same approach would produce similar results for every aspiring entrepreneur.

From Agbeede to Gboko and Lafia
 After operating his roadside business in Agbeede for two years, Saater expanded to Gboko in 2012, where he rented a shop as a branch.

He operated there for eight years before relocating to Lafia in 2020 to pursue further business opportunities.
 Although he paid for his shop in Lafia on June 12, 2020, he did not begin operations until August of that year. The distinction is important in documenting the development of the business: securing the premises and commencing commercial activities were separate milestones.

The move marked another stage in his entrepreneurial journey, taking him beyond his home community and into a different market.

Jimisata Business Ventures now focuses on new motorcycles, spare parts and sealed engine oil. His experience across Agbeede, Gboko and Lafia reflects a gradual progression from roadside trading to shop-based operations and a broader product range.

Turning business experience into mentorship

For Saater, entrepreneurship is not solely about personal income. He also wants to create opportunities for young people who may lack the resources or guidance to establish themselves.

He currently has five boys undergoing training under his supervision. Two others have completed their training and become independent: one operates a business in Gboko, while the other is based in Lafia.

He said the training is free. Depending on the circumstances, the main apprenticeship lasts between three and five years, preceded by a six-month probationary period that does not count towards the formal training duration.

Saater also encourages those who complete their training to pass on their knowledge by training others.
 This approach places practical learning and mentorship at the centre of his vision. Yet, as the number of trainees grows, documenting their progress, the skills they acquire and the support they receive after training could help demonstrate the programme’s longer-term impact.

The challenge of networks and investment

Despite his progress, Saater identifies limited business connections as a major obstacle to further expansion.
 He believes entrepreneurs can achieve more by working together than by operating in isolation. As he puts it, a tree cannot make a forest.

He also expressed concern about what he perceives as a lack of confidence in the ability of Tiv entrepreneurs to build successful businesses in his line of trade. His experience reflects his personal assessment of the barriers he faces, rather than independently established evidence of discrimination across the wider business sector.

Saater is seeking partnerships, investment and stronger business networks to expand his operations and develop his apprenticeship initiative.

In a proposal he prepared in 2024, he projected an annual investment return of 25 per cent, suggesting that a ₦20 million investment could generate ₦5 million in profit within a year.

That projection remains a business claim requiring supporting financial records and a clear explanation of its assumptions, including operating costs, turnover, risks and the distinction between projected and realised profit. Prospective investors would need to assess those details independently before making commitments.

Saater says he is open to investment and responsible partnership arrangements supported by appropriate documentation.

He also urges people to patronise local entrepreneurs, arguing that customer support can encourage business growth and help create opportunities for others.

A vision beyond personal success
 Saater’s long-term ambition is to build a network of Tiv entrepreneurs who can exchange knowledge, develop business relationships and support young people in acquiring practical skills.

His story illustrates how apprenticeship can provide a foundation for self-employment, particularly when formal educational opportunities are constrained by family finances. It also demonstrates the importance of reinvestment, gradual expansion and passing acquired knowledge to others.

However, individual determination alone cannot resolve the wider challenges facing young entrepreneurs. Access to affordable capital, reliable business information, mentorship, infrastructure and credible partnerships also matters.

For Jimisata Business Ventures, the next test will be translating its experience and ambition into a more structured, measurable and sustainable enterprise.

For the five young men currently in training, the value of the initiative will ultimately be reflected in the skills they acquire and their ability to establish viable livelihoods. For prospective partners, independently verifiable business records and a clearly defined investment plan will be essential.

Saater’s journey began with seven gallons of engine oil and a ₦50,000 loan. His current ambition is considerably larger: to build a business that can support his family while helping other young people become entrepreneurs in their own right.
 Whether that vision reaches its full potential will depend not only on his determination, but also on sound business management, transparent partnerships and the opportunities available to the next generation.

About the entrepreneur: Jime Patrick Saater Hange, popularly known as Jimisata, is from Agbeede, Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State. He operates Jimisata Business Ventures in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

Partnership enquiries: +234 706 218 8742
Email: chiefjimenigltd@gmail.com
Location: Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria