Adanne Uche, a pioneer of healthy food processing in Nigeria — Lionesses of Africa

Lioness Weekender spoke to the passion-driven Adanne Uche to learn more about what drives her in business and as an entrepreneur who is on a mission to promote the benefits of good health and nutritious food for all.

What does your company do?

We process, package, and distribute healthy food ingredients like spices, palm oil, crayfish, and seasoning blends for consumers in Nigeria, Africa, and the world, where African dishes are appreciated. We are providing healthier, affordable cooking ingredients that have zero preservatives, zero additives, 100% herbs, spices, and vegetables for a nutritious and delicious meal for all.

What inspired you to start your company?

In the Nigerian Open market, research has shown that there are a lot of unhealthy food practices and food adulteration thereby causing adverse health challenges, malnutrition and possibly death. Consumption of nutritious foods such as fish has remained static, consumption of vegetables and pulses has declined by 7%, and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has increased by 39%. In Nigeria, 5 of the top 10 risk factors that drive disability and death are related to diets. All these gaps in diet quality stemming from insufficient dietary intake to micronutrient deficiencies and to overconsumption point to critical flaws within the national food system.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

We are uniquely different because we not only sell products, but from time to time we also educate our consumers on the importance of healthy lifestyles and the many benefits of certain types of nutritious foods. We are tilting towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 8 and 12 to make for a more habitable environment.

Tell us a little about your team

We are a team of 5 formidable women. One who manages the affairs of the entire team. The operations assistant who ensures we are making a profit and keeping our books. One who ensures quality control in our business, and my humble self who is the control general (LOL) plus 3 Board of Advisors members who want to see us succeed. As Advisors, we have an IT consultant who helps with ensuring that our digital presence is top-notch, and a business development expert who advises and opens us up to opportunities for growth, and an Export and Image Expert who drives our move to enter the international market.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I am a graduate of Foreign Languages and Literature with no previous knowledge in entrepreneurship. I started my first business after the birth of my first daughter, but having no entrepreneurial skills it failed after two years. I started another business after a year, it still did not work, that is until I found something I really love doing and that is food, cooking and helping people especially in the kitchen department (lol). So, I thought to myself, what about cooking food that gives me joy/fulfillment and at the same time pays me a salary. So Ady’s Food Mart came to fruition with a N30,000 loan from my brother. I remember one of the days I cooked Afang soup with almost a liter of palm oil, my soup totally went bad. I decided to solve food adulteration problems starting with Palm Oil. With the N30,000/$62, I bought the first 3 gallons of Palm oil, sold them, and made huge gains, then I knew I was in business. It then grew to other food ingredients and a world of spices and seasoning blends, where we now process, package and distribute healthy spices to families in Nigeria, UK and we have just recently entered the US market. It has been a rollercoaster since then, but something I am confident in saying is that we have scaled to become a household name, having our products in over 22 supermarkets, and serving more than 1,000 families. Winning grants and forming partnerships.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

Our vision is to be the preferred choice for healthy food ingredients and spice provider in Africa while promoting good health and nutritious food for all.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

What makes me wake up every day is the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that I can help families improve on their nutrition and well-being, create jobs, and contribute my own quota to Nigeria’s GDP.

What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Find a problem, study solutions, look for someone that has done it before you, learn from them, run with it, and be resilient. Above all, ensure to add passion because that is the only motivation to get up and do it even when you do not have the strength to.

To learn more about Ady’s Agro Processing Limited, contact Adanne and her team via email:  info@adysagro.com or visit the company’s website and social media platforms:

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