If there is any time in the history of Nigeria that the Nation has seen more SMEs, MSMEs and nano SMEs evolve with new ideas, most of them cutting edge, it is now. From The Tech industry to Agriculture, Manufacturing to the Beauty and Cosmetics Industry, the number of new entrants are on the increase every day. Experts say businesses will thrive if given the enabling environment and as a result the economy will be impacted in no small measure especially as this will lead to more revenue for the economy.
Business 360 News Reporter Vivian Akinyosoye was at the just concluded ELOY awards where she met Abieyuwa Okafor a Manufacturer of food spices and the famous Palm fruit puree also known as ‘Banga’ in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. We bring you highlights of their conversation.
AB’s: My name is Abieyuwa Okafor, I am CEO of AB’s Menu services International, with the trade mark name AB’s food store. I produce spices and food products that ease your stress and cooking. We also are a catering firm. We major in production of spices and food products. I have majorly five products, we have local spices such as pepper soup spice, Banga spice and mixed spice for your all-purpose cooking. And we have the Banga puree (produced from Palm kennel) and the black soup mix.
Biz 360: Are you saying you have black soup powder here?
AB’s: Yes, black soup in a sachet. Four different kinds of leaves blended and packaged in a sachet, ready to go.
Biz 360: What gave you this inspiration?
AB’s: For the black soup, my mum gave me the inspiration. Whenever she’s traveling, she would package her black soup and travel abroad. And it stays for a very long time. So I thought about it that people need to know about the product because it’s a healthy product, it’s all vegetables, and it’s easy to prepare. So why not tell the whole world about it and make it commercial.
Biz 360: Tell us a bit more about black soup for the sake of those who don’t know what we are talking about here.
AB’s: It is a delicacy eaten majorly indigenes of Edo state. It comprises several leaves depending on a person’s preference. And its very healthy. At AB’s we have taken all the stress off you, you don’t have to stress yourself trying tp put the leaves together. We have done all that for you with our Black Soup Mix. And it is NAFDAC Approved. Currently, we are in fifteen supermarkets already.
Biz 360: Are you ready for competition?
I am the competition. I am the brand. Yes, this is me. Competition is good, it only makes you sit up.
Biz 360: What have you done to ensure this product retains its place in the market?
AB’s: Without letting out our trade secrets, all I can say is that we are working hard in the background to ensure, our product is not copied You know, Cocacola is till Cocacola despite efforts by various other brands to copy the product. AB’s Food store is AB’s Food store, you can’t copy us to the letter because we are the originator.
Biz 360: Tell us about your Banga spice and Banga (Palm Fruit) puree.
Biz 360: Our Banga puree is a fast selling product. I say so because of the fact that we have taken off so much stress from the process of making your ‘Oha’ Soup, ‘Onugbu’ Soup, ‘Ofe Aku’ Soup and a lot more. You don’t need to go through the stress of preparing your Palm fruits from the scratch. All you need to do is to prepare your stock, add the puree, let it steam and your soup is ready.
Biz 360: What inspired you in this direction?
I am a caterer, I have been doing catering services for over five years. During the Pandemic, I got the idea to create products that will ease stress. So immediately the thought came, I decided to kick off with it. Take the black soup and Palm Fruit puree (Banga Soup) for example, people are too tired , too busy to start preparing from the scratch. And after I discovered the success of the product, I said to myself, ‘what next’? The spices followed and we are still creating more blends. My vision is to see people enjoy their delicacies despite being busy and on the go.
Biz 360: So how much did you start out with?
I started with about N50, 000.00 (Fifty thousand Naira) and in about six months we had sold over 1,000 pieces of the product. And that motivated me. And I said to myself, yes, I’m on the right track.
Biz 360: How did you do your Marketing?
Friends, online, social media. I took advantage of the social media, Whatsapp status, Facebook, Instagram. You should never be ashamed to talk about your product. The moment I started, I started telling my friends and family about the product, I started going out to super Markets. And while I was pursuing my NAFDAC certification I was busy spreading the word around. I was practically everywhere.
Biz 360: What are the challenges you encountered in the course of your pursuits.
I experienced challenges more while I was trying to get my NAFDAC certification. Sincerely, if you are not patient, you could easily call it quits with the whole process. But I was determined that no matter how long it took me, I must get the NAFDCA Number. And at the end of the day, my patience paid off. And that gave me more confidence to push the product into the market.
Biz 360: What would you say to people out there looking to start something of their own?
Start. It is not enough to talk about it, aside talking, take a bold step and start. When you start, your vision will become clearer. You start seeing opportunities, until you start, you have not started.
Biz 360: Tell us about the ELOY Foundation
Wowwww, I want to say thank you to Mrs. Tewa Onasanya, everywhere I go I always say this, I never had a mentor before until I met her. Every minute, every second has been worth a while. I just went for a seminar I was invited to in Portharcourt. The next day I got a message asking me to send my pitch. And then I found myself in a 3-month intensive training in entrepreneurship and business. My Mentor Mrs. Adane Uche, CEO Adys Foodds was fantastic and my Business has gotten a great impact from all that I have learnt.
