IRU-OBE: MADE IN EKITI

 

YES, you too can be different!

I met a fine young man that makes and sells Locust Beans(commonly referred to as Iru). He is so passionate about this business which he runs out of Ado-Ekiti that he already has it branded as Iru Obe.

Iru-Obe is an indigenous business which centres on the production of that distinct locust beans produced in Ekiti State.

Bankole Iru-Obe,as I will like to call him, is a graduate of microbiology. He resigned from his well paying job with a top pharmaceutical company in Lagos to relocate to Ekiti State so as to start Iru production.

 He was called crazy, family and friends were against this supposedly not so smart move but he stuck to his gun and still pursued his passion.

Against all oppositions,Bankole ventured into production and today he has a story to tell.

Tony Elumelu  Foundation believed in his idea and gave him $5000 as start up grant.

Bankole graciously let me into his production space and his heart.

Did I get inspired? Did I get schooled? You may very well believe so.

I looked into his eyes and I saw a man that will not give up on life and the pursuit of success. A man whose success came from his failure. At some point, I was so overwhelmed with his story that I unconsciously stopped noting down what he was saying.

Watch out for Bankole. In the few years to come, this young man will take the centre stage in food processing and production and the entire FCMG sector as a whole.

CAN WE KNOW THE MAN BEHIND IRU-OBE?

My name is Bankole Hope. The CEO of Quikiss Nig. Ltd. I am a trained Microbiologist.

WHEN DID YOU START THIS COMPANY?

The idea came in 2016 and I started same year. I resigned my job in 2017 to face Iru production squarely and it has been awesome.

YOUR LOCUST BEANS IS DRIED AND WELL PACKAGED, WHAT IS THE ACCEPTABILITY LIKE?

We majorly export our products because it is widely accepted by Nigerians abroad

We are still struggling with the acceptance in the local market because people are used to using the wet locust beans.

LOCUST BEAN PRODUCTION IS KNOWN TO BE THE BUSINESS OF WOMEN,HOW DID THIS BECOME YOUR PASSION?

Though my late maternal grandmother made and sold locust bean, I just found myself drawn to it too.(it kind of passed through the generation).I was working with a good company but I was not fulfilled.

                       

HOW DO YOU PRODUCE YOUR LOCUST BEAN?

At this point, he took me round the factory. We started from the raw materials store, cooking area to the dehulling section, fermentation chamber, bigger than a room sized dryer, powdering section, packaging section and finished products store. The factory can favourably compete with other food processing factories all over the country as Standard Operating Procedures are adhered to

Dehulling Section

SEEING ALL THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE,I HAD TO ASK HIM;HOW MUCH HAVE YOU SPENT ON MACHINERIES AND THE FACTORY?

Close to N10Million has been spent in fabricating and setting up the factory.

(So Iru can be this expensive to produce) Well,if you want the best.

 

Fermentation Chamber

HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK FOR YOU?

Presently ten(10) are on the payroll of Quikiss Nig Ltd. Three(3) indigeneous women who have been producing Iru for over 20years. And others in different sections. I have been able to  manage them well because I am part of the production. There are 10 people who are my helping hands;this is necessary so we do not deviate from the standard I have set for my products.

HOW DO YOU DO THE PRICING?

I will say my Iru is cheaper than what is obtainable in the market. The fact that it is dried  makes it appear smaller in quantity but in the real sense of it If you buy N100 Iru in the market and sundry you will get less of what I sell for N100. So it is very cheap.

ANY EXPANSION MOVES?

Yes,we are expanding our distributor base locally. We now have Iru-Obe in Abuja and Lagos. New distributors are welcome on board.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THIS BUSINESS?

I have learnt that its very okay to fail. My success in this business is as a result of my failures.

LASTLY,HOW WILL YOU LIKE TO BE CONTACTED?

INSTAGRAM- iru-obe

FACEBOOK-  facebook.com/quikiss15

E-MAIL-hopebankole@gmail.com

CALL/SMS/WHATSAPP-+2347068861018