15/04/2026
Are you based in Aba or Port Harcourt?
I get this question a lot about Tsmart Collections.
So here's the real story.
Before gaining admission to study Economics at Uniport in 2020, I had already learned footwear making in Aba. At some point, I was producing hundreds of male palm slippers weekly and supplying mainly wholesale buyers.
But when school started, I faced a small personal challenge. Even though I had support as a student, I didn't like being completely dependent for everything. I prefer having some control over my finances.
So during my first holiday in Year 1, I travelled back to Aba and resumed production again. When school resumed, I returned to Uniport with some of the stock.
From there, the hustle continued:
• I rented a small stand on campus
• I worked with student resellers
• I still delivered bulk orders from Aba
At some point in Year 3, I took a break to focus fully on my academics. But one thing I’m proud of is that I never completely lost track of my business.
Today, Tsmart Collections operates from both Aba and Port Harcourt.
Aba remains our production base, while we have a pickup stand at Uniport (Choba Campus) to serve our growing customers in Port Harcourt.
We currently specialize in male and female leather slippers for casual, native, outdoor, and everyday wear. And yes, we deliver nationwide for both wholesale and retail orders.
If you're thinking of starting a profitable business with small capital, stay tuned. In my next posts, I’ll share how you can start and scale a handmade slippers business too.