For the love of creativity and happiness that good food offers, Chibuzor Agasu, a graduate of Creative Arts from the University of Lagos, learned baking. This was in 2014, at Nuts About Cake in Lekki where she spent two months learning the craft. Before then, she had worked for a land and property company in Abuja during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
By Eberechi Obinagwam
For the love of creativity and happiness that good food offers, Chibuzor Agasu, a graduate of Creative Arts from the University of Lagos, learned baking. This was in 2014, at Nuts About Cake in Lekki where she spent two months learning the craft. Before then, she had worked for a land and property company in Abuja during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Returning to Lagos where she learned her skill, she faced a couple of challenges establishing herself after her training. “After my training in 2014, I didn’t go into it fully as I was on and off for a long time due to stability in terms of accommodation,” Chibuzor told TheNiche in an interview.
In 2021, Chibuzor went into her cake business fully after getting an apartment. “I used a full room for my baking. Before then, I had been managing with my sister and just baking for family and friends. But the new apartment gave me room for expansion,” she said.
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After all the struggles in establishing herself, Chibuzor is now the brand owner of Graceeys Decadance where she makes cream cakes and other desserts with a focus on creating cakes that are not only delicious but also beautifully designed to bring joy to every celebration.
She said: “I am not one who goes under pressure. While I didn’t have a bigger place for my business, I was busy doing my thing little by little without pressure as a home baker but I am happy for the attraction it has gained today.” Today, Chibuzor’s brand has become a household name. In Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, she baked the Independence Day cake for TVC.
Capital
Chibuzor recognised that capital was a big challenge for her even though she had support from family and friends. “I started small, doubled with the support from my family and friends and grew into something bigger. It was a big deal, but I thank God for helping me to scale through,” she said.
Market Place
When Chibuzor started Graceeys Decadance in 2021, she faced challenges penetrating the market because there were already many established bakers around Gbagada where she started from. “It was difficult to convince people to try a new brand. I realized that I had to let my cakes speak for themselves – so I focused on creating unique, creamy flavours. I offered free samples, encouraged feedback, and used social media to showcase my work,” she said.
Getting order to make a tiered cake
A tiered cake is a cake with a series of rows. Without much hand-on experience of making that kind of cake, Chibuzor got an order to make one. She recalled the experience. “I was so scared to disappoint my client so, I had to work through the night. The client wasn’t satisfied. The cake was sent back and I had to redesign the cake again and I spent my profit on the taxi to and fro.” She said the lesson learned from that particular experience shaped her in dealing with her customers better.
Business breakthrough
The brand owner of Graceeys Decadance got her breakthrough through her friend. According to her, “It happened when my friend pitched me to her company and I got the offer to bake cakes for their staff on their birthdays, including senior executives.” She also said that positive feedback keeps her going and encourages her not to relent whatsoever.
Doing business in Nigeria
To Chibuzor, the challenges of running business in Nigeria are endless, especially in this current economy. She said power supply is one of the challenges she faces. Then, the cost of raw materials keeps increasing by the day. She also mentioned poor road infrastructure as part of her challenges. According to her, this affects delivery as the driver has to be careful so the cake does not collapse en route delivery. “Then you have the visibility issue. You have to keep up with putting your product out there to be seen. Also maintaining the quality of your product at all times, which most times is affected by the scarcity of a particular brand. The challenge is quite a handful I must say,” she said.
Japa
Chibuzor has not considered Japa because she believes that she can make the same money in Nigeria. She said Nigeria is blessed regardless of its shortcomings. Above all, she said she loves what she does with passion. “Japa hasn’t really been an option for me because I love what I do with passion and I love the fact that I have my time to myself. Nigeria is blessed regardless of its shortcomings and I believe I can make the same money I will be traveling for, here,” she said.
About Chibuzor
Chibuzor Agasu is a proud indigene of Imo State. She was born and raised in Lagos, where she completed all her education. She holds a degree in Creative Arts from the University of Lagos, a background she said that continues to inspire her creativity and passion for excellence.
She is the founder of Graceeys Decadance, a home-based bakery business dedicated to crafting decadent and delicious cream cakes that bring joy to every occasion. She considers herself resilient, hardworking, goal-driven, and family-oriented.
“I approach every task with dedication and a positive spirit, constantly striving for growth and improvement. Though I am currently single, I look forward to building a loving family while continuing to expand my career and business pursuits”, she enthused.
