Oluwabusayo Asekun Adeoye holds a B.Sc.Ed degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan. She has also built a successful business, training people on how to cook Ofada Rice, empowering many to earn a living.
By Eberechi Obinagwam
Oluwabusayo Asekun Adeoye, a graduate of Economics from the University of Ibadan, worked in a paid job for a few years before learning to prepare Ofada Rice from her godmother in 2013. She started her Ofada Rice business the same year with just N5000. The unique taste of her offering gave an instant boost to her business. Today, Oluwabusayo is the proud owner of Ofada Rice Special, strategically located in Ojodu, a bubbling business part of Lagos.
Starting Ofada Rice Special
Oluwabusayo dumped her white-collar job which was paying her well as a supervisor to start her Ofada Rice business after learning the recipe from her godmother who was a specialist.
According to her, she had always wanted to be independent because of the big difference between working for someone and being independent. ‘You can’t compare being employed and being self-employed. I pulled out from my job as a supervisor to start up my business because I wanted to be independent, to own my own business,’ she told TheNiche in an interview.
N5,000 start-up capital
The owner of the Ofada Rice Special started her business with just N5,000 in a corner at a bar in Lagos. She said: “I started with N5000. I collected meat on credit of N2000, I bought pepper. But then, I didn’t have a shop like I do now but there was this big bar on the side of a main road. So, I went there to ask for a space and they gave me a space. It was the same person that gave me gas that I started with while I brought my own cylinder.
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Sourcing for capital was not too challenging because it didn’t require much and I already had cooking things like food items, pots etc. To the glory of God, the business I started with N5000 in 2013 has gone beyond my expectations. I have done so many things for myself and have achieved a lot”, she enthused.
Challenges
Oluwabusayo said she started selling her Ofada Rice Special immediately because it was a bar. “My penetration into the food market was swift because it was a bar and a lot of people used to come in. It’s either you were coming to wash your car, or taking some beer. So, those coming in would want to eat something. They bought Ofada Rice or assorted,” she said.
Oluwabusayo added that the unique taste of her food attracted customers, making her a household name. “Most people preparing Ofada do not know how to prepare the sauce. Some people use vegetable oil to prepare it, probably because they don’t want to go through the stress of bleaching the red oil. And my godmother took me to where they sold all the recipes and how to properly cook and make the sauce.”
Managing the brand
The owner of Ofada Rice Special said customers are always right, ”But there are some that you put in their own position. Again, the way you comport yourself and customers will influence the way you are addressed”
Breakthrough
Oluwabusayo credited her breakthrough to the progress from her sales. “I do make progress in what I am doing. So, even if I wanted to give up, I would say, because of this thing that I am making, there is no going back. I have gotten contract with Opay. I featured in their food app until they stopped and I currently have an app that my kitchen is on.”
Doing business in Nigeria
Oluwabusayo said electricity and the high rate of tariff are some of the challenges she passes through as a business owner in Nigeria. “My kind of business demands you have light 24/7 because the freezer has to be on, the fan for customers etc.”
Japa
Oluwabusayo said traveling abroad is not a big deal to her, but advised those that wish to take advantage of it when the opportunities come. “Because if you are going there, you need to go and work. And if you are working here in Nigeria and you are comfortable, you have a house for yourself, a car, you are doing what people are doing, then you have what it takes to stay in Nigeria,” she said.
Oluwabusayo advised young Nigerians to always find something they can do with their hands if they haven’t gotten any job yet. According to her, not everybody will work in the office even though you are graduate. “I was a graduate when I started my own business. If you don’t want to be begging for urgent 2k, (Two Thousand Naira) look for something doing. I know as a graduate you will want to work in an office but if you don’t find a job in an office because not everyone will work in an office, just look for something you can do to upgrade yourself and don’t be ashamed about it. If you want to succeed in life engage in doing something. And being a graduate is an additional opportunity for you to bring out the best in you to make that business a standard.
For me to start Ofada Rice Special, I know what I’m making. Not that I will just start cooking at the end of it, I will not see profits. If I should buy a paint of Ofada Rice, I will know how much I’m going to use to make it. Not that I will just cook it and let people come and eat. I must know what I’m going to get from it. That’s what makes me a graduate. So, Nigerian youth should start somewhere and not keep waiting for a job that may not come forth,” she said.
About Oluwabusayo
Oluwabusayo Asekun Adeoye holds a B.Sc.Ed degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan. She has also built a successful business, training people on how to cook Ofada Rice, empowering many to earn a living. Her business now employs several workers. Her story is that of resilience and adaptability in navigating career changes to build a thriving venture.
