For Amb. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick, entrepreneurship is about more than selling products or building a successful company. It is about quality, consistency, faith and creating opportunities that can outlive the founder. As the Founder, Managing Director and CEO of Excel Opto-Electronics Company Limited, popularly known as Excel LED Nigeria, he has built a business focused on the manufacturing and distribution of LED screens for churches, event centres, hotels, supermarkets and other indoor and outdoor applications.
What began as an extension of his experience in sound engineering has grown into an ambitious technology enterprise with a vision of eventually assembling LED screens in Nigeria and creating employment opportunities for thousands of young people. In this Business Spotlight conversation with The Psalmist Magazine, Engr. Emmanuel Patrick shares the Excel LED story, the role of faith in his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of doing business in Nigeria and his vision for the future.
The Psalmist: Can we know you? Tell us about yourself.
Amb. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick: My name is Engr. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick. I am the founder of Excel Opto-Electronics Company Limited, Nigeria, also known as Excel LED Nigeria. We are into the manufacturing and distribution of different kinds of LED screens, indoor and outdoor screens for Churches, event centres, hotels, lobbies, supermarkets and other applications. I am the Managing Director and CEO of Excel LED Nigeria.
The Psalmist: Tell us about the Excel LED story. How did it begin?:
Amb. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick: Excel LED Nigeria was born out of a passion for professional media delivery. We started from sound engineering, but from our experience, we saw the need to diversify into LED screens.
Our first major outing was for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and that gave us the encouragement to continue. We eventually developed our own brand, Excel, because we wanted to be excellent in LEDs.
Initially, we travelled to China and purchased available products. But with my background as a sound engineer, I realised that anything that would survive the Nigerian market had to be rugged enough for our environment, particularly our power fluctuations.
We also wanted excellent visual reproduction. You shouldn’t have someone wearing a blue suit physically and appearing red or purple on the screen. Our desire has always been quality: red should be red, blue should be blue and black should be black. That commitment to quality helped shape Excel LED into what it is today.
The Psalmist: What distinguishes Excel LED from other LED manufacturers and distributors in Nigeria?
Amb. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick: Quality distinguishes us. We don’t believe in de-marketing anybody because a good product will speak for itself.
We have installations that have lasted for years. One example is at Living Faith Church, Jikwoyi, Abuja. That reflects what we mean when we talk about giving customers value for money.
We understand the Nigerian environment, so our products are designed with durability in mind. We have maintained a PCB board thickness of 1.7 mm, and we have products such as our E-Honor Series, which is designed for fixed indoor installations in Churches, event centres, indoor sports facilities and other spaces.
Our relationship with customers also does not end after purchase. We provide after-sales support and a two-year warranty with full replacement on components covered by our warranty policy.
Excel LED Nigeria was incorporated in 2019, although we were already operating before then. Quality, maintenance and customer relationships have helped sustain us.
The Psalmist: As a Christian entrepreneur, how has faith influenced your journey?
Amb. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick: I thank my parents for introducing me to the Christian faith. My faith has greatly influenced both my life and business.
The Church has also been a very important part of our journey. Churches have trusted and patronised us, and some of the prayers we have received from satisfied customers and pastors have been very encouraging.
Even during the pandemic, when many businesses were struggling, visual meetings became increasingly important and there was demand for LED screens. Through different seasons, we have seen God’s hand upon the business.
We are grateful for how far faith has brought us, but the question now should also be: what are we doing to give back to the faith and society that have helped us come this far?
The Psalmist: What major challenges have you faced in business?
Amb. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick: There were days we almost gave up, but God helped us.
One major challenge is the economic environment. As a business involved in manufacturing and importation, exchange-rate fluctuations affect us significantly. You can make commitments based on one exchange rate and suddenly find that the value has changed dramatically.
Another challenge is manpower. There are many Nigerian youths with potential, but a lot of them have not had access to the technical knowledge required in this industry. That is why we have looked towards opportunities such as engaging graduates through the National Youth Service Corps and introducing them to the multimedia industry.
Competition is another issue. I believe businesses should compete professionally rather than trying to de-market one another. Let the quality of the product speak.
Electricity is also a major challenge. We thought that by now we would have an assembling plant where we could employ more than 2,000 Nigerian youths, but without adequate power, that becomes very difficult. This is beyond what a solar system alone can cater for.
And that is why we are asking Mr President to please look into his earlier promise. Give us power. You said if you don’t give us power, we should not vote for you again. We are Nigerians; we will vote you again, but please give us power so that Excel LED Nigeria can employ about 2,000 youths.
Trust me, it would be a great honour for us to get to the point where we can proudly say, “These LEDs are made in Nigeria.”
The Psalmist: What advice do you have for Christian entrepreneurs?
Amb. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick: Be consistent with the truth and insist on quality. It is also important to think about leaving a legacy rather than simply making a name or making money.
I believe strongly in brotherhood. We are stronger together. That is why I don’t believe in being the “bossy boss.” I see the people around me as part of one body.
We should look out for one another and help Nigerian youths, our brothers and our sisters, while delivering professional and quality services.
Let’s keep the light alive, keep hope alive and build something that will make the world proud.
The Psalmist: What are your future goals for Excel LED Nigeria?
Amb. Emmanuel Shoon Patrick: Our dream is to have a large assembling plant in Nigeria where we can keep our young people productively engaged. By God’s grace, our vision is to bring what we currently source from China closer to Nigeria and eventually have our LEDs made here.
We want Excel LED to remain a leading LED screen manufacturer and supplier, not only in Nigeria but across Africa.
Beyond the business itself, I would love to see thousands of young people able to say they built their careers from opportunities created here. The industry has room for LED engineers, technicians, marketers and entrepreneurs.
Our dream is bigger than selling screens. It is about building an industry, creating opportunities and proving that quality technology products can come from Nigeria.
