Kehinde Omojuyigbe-Efevoghor, the founder of The Fufu Factory and Tapiole™ is redefining the future of African cuisine, a firm she started with N10,000 seed capital to elevating African staple foods to global standards through hygiene, convenience, and premium packaging.
As an innovative entrepreneur, Kehinde is redefining traditional staple foods to meet global standards while showcasing the continent’s rich culinary heritage.
The Lagos Business School (LBS) alumna, said she was inspired to start the business through curiosity, exposure, and divine direction, and in 2023 her vision became a reality with the registration of THE FUFU FACTORY.
“During my travels across West Africa, I noticed how deeply fufu connects us as a region. That sparked deep curiosity and led me into extensive research, research I had unknowingly documented for years.
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“Then one day, during worship, I heard a clear instruction: “Start with fufu.” That divine prompting transformed curiosity into purpose, and purpose into vision,” she said.
The business development strategist further explained that her company operates in food processing such as core cassava products, ready-to-eat fufu, ready-to-cook fufu paste, yellow garri (Cassava flakes), yam flour, potato flour, and green plantain flour, among others, with a mission to modernise and elevate African staple foods through hygiene, convenience, and world-class packaging.
The graduate of Banking and Finance from the University of Ado-Ekiti (now Ekiti State University), emphasised that though she started her business N10,000, as the business evolved, she faced financial pressures which caused her to sell her personal assets to fund the business.
“During each turning point, I heard a reminder: ‘I have already given you everything you need’.
“That pushed me to think creatively and make bold decisions. Eventually, I sold personal assets to raise additional funding,” she noted.
Speaking about the niche, the firm has over its competitors, Kehinde said three things define her business uniqueness: such as multi-level convenience, premium, export-grade packaging, and innovation rooted in tradition.
“From ready-to-eat fufu to ready-to-cook fufu paste and quick-prep tapioca, we offer solutions for every lifestyle. We elevate African foods into beautifully presented, hygienic, world-class products.
“We take traditional staples and transform them through modern presentation and premium processing standards,” she emphasised.
Despite the murky business ecosystem inherent in Nigeria, Kehinde explained that the market rewards resilience, consistency, and quality.
“It is a place where consumers appreciate brands they can trust, especially when it comes to hygiene, convenience, and reliability.
For us, the real opportunity has always been in serving people well; Nigeria is a market where brands that prioritise authenticity, consistency, and customer experience will always have room to grow,” she noted.
Kehinde emphasised that the major challenges she faced since starting your business include rising raw material and packaging costs, logistics and transportation limitations, customer education for modernised staple foods, and general economic instability.
“These challenges strengthened our discipline, resilience, and innovation capacity,” she said.
To remain relevant in the business space, she said her firm focuses on deepening relationships with its customers, maintaining excellence, and letting results speak for them, rather than broadcasting their long-term plans.
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“Our philosophy is simple: do good work, serve people, and let results speak,” she said.
Though, she started small, and has experienced organic, steady and transformative growth, Kehinde maintains she has plans to expand her market.
“Our expansion approach is grow quietly, scale strategically, and strengthen our presence where demand already exists.
“We focus on deepening distribution, expanding access to our existing products, and continuously improving operational efficiency. Innovation remains at the centre of our growth,” she stated.
To survive the accelerating inflation, she said her firm follows a sustainability-driven, efficiency-focused strategy, which includes strategic bulk sourcing, minimising exposure to fluctuating prices, zero-waste and lean production systems, and ensuring maximum efficiency, among others.
She urges the upcoming entrepreneurs to start with excellence, even if their beginning is small.
“Be consistent; growth takes time. Invest in branding, it is your identity and your authority. Innovate boldly, even in traditional markets.
“Choose yourself, obey your inner clarity, and build boldly; because purpose always rewards obedience,” she said.
