Túnjí

This young man, Ayo, CEO of Mattech Arto Limited, has a story worth telling. Last year, as we were rounding up the house project, I started requesting quotes for painting. I must have interacted with about five companies. Then I began seeing Mattech’s painting work on my Instagram timeline. One day, I even Googled painting works, and Mattech came up. So, I contacted their email, sent my brief, and later he chatted with me. The first thing I noticed about him, unlike others who always insisted on coming for physical inspection first, was that he asked me: “Is your architectural drawing true to what was built in terms of style and dimension?” I said yes, and he then requested my architectural drawing. After reviewing the drawing, he asked me to send a video of how the screening was done, and then he prepared the costing. His quote wasn’t just affordable; it was also very detailed. You could see the materials needed, their purpose, and where they would be used. A layman could understand everything. He would write the professional name and, in brackets, the common name for each item. His painting volumes were divided by the square meters of the areas to be painted. The level of detail was impressive. I knew immediately that this was the person I wanted for the job. I decided to ask for documentation and a guarantor. At first, he hesitated to send his details like government-issued ID and other documents I requested before commissioning the job. After waiting for days, I pressed him again, and he finally sent them. The first thing that caught my attention was his age, born in 2003, meaning he was barely 22. I was shocked. I said, “I’m asking for the CEO’s details, the company owner, not some staff or apprentice.” He replied, “It’s me. I am the owner of the company.” I was taken aback. I ran to his Instagram page and saw the volume and quality of work he had done. I asked, “Did you do all the work on your page, or did you steal people’s images?” He showed me contracts executed, even for hotels in Ibadan, and photos of himself supervising each project. I ran the images through AI tools, they weren’t fake. It took me another week or two to commission him because I was skeptical that a 22-year-old could handle such a job. He then explained that he attended technical school for secondary education, specializing in painting, and art. Since age 12, he had been painting seriously and doing artwork. After secondary school, he registered his company at 18 and has been painting professionally for the past four years. I decided to take the risk and give him the job. The first major surprise came on the day they resumed work. He showed up with his staff, about six men who had just finished a project in Gbagada. None of them was less than 27 years old from my assessmsnt. These grown men were working under this 22-year-old! I watched closely. He did the mixing of colors. For the grey shade I wanted for outdoor, he gave me three options. Since I couldn’t decide, he painted one side of the wall with each shade. Finally, with the help of Esther, our design queen, we chose the perfect shade, and he went to work. While his team worked, he suggested artwork we could implement in certain areas. I agreed, paid extra, and he executed them beautifully. He was the only contractor who completed his job without any problems, no stress, no complaints, no lies. He was professional all through. Every time I remember Ayo, my heart is full of joy, seeing such a young man doing so well. This “small boy” you see is already a millionaire. If you see the places and contracts he handles, you’d be amazed. I am truly happy for him. His contact on WhatsApp and phone is: +234 805 092 0193.