Victoria Ogwanighie, Founder of Kiyoko Foods in Nigeria

Jul 17, 2024

Please tell us your name, where your business is located and what is it that you do?

My name is Victoria Ogwanighie. My business is located in Abuja, Nigeria. I am a food manufacturer, processing local ingredients into ready-to-eat snacks aimed at fighting malnutrition in children. Our products are safe, affordable, and very nutritious.

Tell us about how you got started.

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I had cravings for freshly baked cookies. I thought I could simply walk into a store and pick up the cookies, but it became an impossible task. I went around the city of Abuja and could only find chocolate at one store; in fact, I took the last pack. I got home and became curious as to why that was the case. Upon my research, I found out Nigeria was the 4th largest producer of cocoa, yet we imported 90% of cocoa derivatives into the country. I decided I was going to change this, and the story of Kiyoko Foods came about.

What makes your company unique?

We are not just food makers; we are driving change in our environment by working on reducing the high number of malnourished kids in our community and eventually the continent. We also use zero preservatives in our products. 

No business is without setbacks, can you tell us about a time when you faced a significant setback and how you recovered from it?

In March 2024, we received our biggest order yet: a full trailer of cheese balls. After taking a chunk of the money to buy packaging materials, we encountered our biggest challenge. Our extruder and generator set decided to go bad. We spent so much fixing these machines, and it felt like the more people we hired, the worse the situation became. It eventually took us two months to get everything fixed, but we were able to deliver the order to the client.

How do you define success and to what do you attribute your success?

Success to me is the increased number of impact I can make in the lives of people around me. Like increasing employment, increasing the number of small holder farmers I work with, decreasing child malnutrition. When we receive a review from a customer telling us how our products have impacted their lives, that is success to me. I attribute my success to my ever-growing team, who take the business very seriously.

What's next for your business, what will it look like in 5 years?

Expansion. We want to export our chocolate products to international markets like Tesco, Walmart, and Sainsbury's etc.

What do you think the future holds for Africa-focused entrepreneurs and advice do you have for entrepreneurs who are just starting out?

The future actually looks really great, as more and more Africans are looking to consume local products. My advice is to always stand up and keep pushing. You might cry all night about a frustrating situation, but get up in the morning and face it head-on.

Owning a business while balancing a personal life can be challenging; how do you take care of yourself?

Honestly, I am still on the journey to balancing work and life. However, I am making it a point of duty to enjoy my weekends and spend time with my family.

What is your favorite quote or mantra?  What keeps you going?

"I am unstoppable, I am a Porsche with no brakes, I am invincible, yeah, I win every single game." My team members and the realization that if I quit, over 30 people lose their livelihoods keep me going  

What is your favorite app or a business tool that you can't live without

I have a number of them, but my top three are Canva, CapCut, and TikTok.