Ten years ago, what began as a humble side hustle under a staircase has grown into one of Nigeria’s most recognizable indigenous brands in the professional cleaning and facility-management sector. Today, SomTee Global Integrated Services Ltd, popularly known as SomTee Cleaning, stands tall as a model of innovation, discipline, and resilience in entrepreneurship.
In a commemorative interview to mark the firm’s tenth anniversary, its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Somto Henry Ezeaniomenyi, reflected on his journey, the struggles, the turning points, and the vision propelling the brand forward.
According to him, cleaning was not a career he deliberately chose; it was something that chose him. “To be honest, cleaning discovered me,” he admitted, recalling how it all started in 2014 as a school-break side hustle that soon became a passion. What began with basic tools stored under a staircase evolved into an inspiring enterprise rooted in purpose, order, and dignity.
By 2018, Somto’s small hustle had grown enough for him to secure his first office, a milestone he described as proof that his work was no longer a random activity but a real business. The COVID-19 lockdown of 2021 became another defining moment. Instead of pausing, he invested time in learning and mastering the science and art of cleaning, a phase that deepened his conviction that “cleaning had chosen” him.
Before this breakthrough, he had tried various ventures, including serving as a hypeman and DJ, selling T-shirts and face caps, making shawarma, painting, and doing interior decoration. Yet, none resonated with him as much as cleaning. “Cleaning became my calling,” he said, adding that it gave him identity, structure, and a lifelong mission to redefine what professionalism means in the industry.
Somto admitted that the early days were far from easy. Starting from Onitsha, he said he faced ridicule and disbelief from people who saw cleaning only as a menial job. “People made mockery of me,” he recalled. “Some of my mates avoided me.” Clients were scarce, jobs were seasonal, and the absence of financial backing meant he often relied purely on passion and resourcefulness. But every satisfied client rekindled his determination to keep going.
A major turning point, according to him, came in 2021 when fate brought him in contact with his mentor and role model, Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, Chief Executive Officer of Stanel Group and Delborough Hotel Lagos. That relationship, he said, changed everything. “That was my turning point. He believed in me and gave me the platform to work for him.” From there, SomTee began handling high-profile projects, including post-construction cleaning for luxury estates and corporate facilities, the kind of visibility that repositioned the brand in the national spotlight.
He gives all glory to God for sustaining the company and expresses gratitude to his loyal team members, his supportive family, and his clients who trusted him when others doubted.
In the course of ten years, SomTee Cleaning has worked on several notable projects, including large-scale contracts for Mikano International, Cube 65, Delborough Hotel Lagos, Clinix, and the Anambra State Government, among others. Of all these, the post-construction cleaning of Delborough Hotel in Lagos remains particularly special to him. “That project gave birth to SomTee Lagos,” he said, describing it as the company’s gateway into the commercial capital.
For Somto, success is not measured only in profit but in people. He considers his greatest achievement to be transforming SomTee Cleaning into SomTee Global, a respected institution that dignifies cleaning as a career and creates opportunities for young Nigerians.
“We’ve trained and empowered young people, created jobs, and inspired others to start their own cleaning ventures,” he proudly declared.
What makes SomTee stand out, according to him, is its blend of professionalism and passion. The company, he reveals, invests heavily in staff training, quality control, and eco-friendly products while ensuring that both small and large clients enjoy the same level of excellence. “At SomTee, we don’t chase clients; we build trust,” he emphasized. “That’s why our clients stay with us.”
The entrepreneur revealed that the past decade has taught him valuable lessons in patience, resilience, and people management. He has learned that building a sustainable business takes time, structure, and direction, not just speed. “Some people say, ‘Ten years and you’re still here?’ My answer is simple: we’re just getting started.”
Looking ahead, Somto said the future of SomTee Global lies in global expansion, innovation, and system balancing. The company, according to him, currently has six subsidiaries — SomTee Cleaning, SomTee Stores, Silent Shield Pest Control, Event Care by SomTee, SomTee Training Academy, and SomTee Kleen Products, which produces the firm’s proprietary line of cleaning and scenting agents. He said plans are also underway to integrate smart cleaning technologies and expand operations across more Nigerian cities, other African countries, and eventually into Europe.
He envisions a future where SomTee becomes synonymous with cleanliness, professionalism, and sustainability, becoming a household name that embodies excellence.
Somto is also a proud member of the Prime Environment Cleaners Association (PECNA), a fast-growing network of new-generation cleaning practitioners championing professionalism in Nigeria’s cleaning industry. Through PECNA and SomTee’s own initiatives, he aims to continue advocating environmental responsibility and empowerment for cleaners across Africa.
His ultimate goal , he further revealed, is to redefine how Africa perceives cleaning, to make them stop seeing it as a menial job, but as a science, an art, and a career of dignity.
“My dream is that when people talk about the evolution of Nigeria’s cleaning industry, the name SomTee stands as a beacon of change, excellence, and empowerment for generations to come,” he concluded.
After ten years of grit and growth, SomTee Cleaning has indeed become more than a brand. It has also been viewed as a movement that has transformed spaces, created jobs, restored dignity, and inspired an entire industry. And for its founder, this first decade is only the beginning.
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