‘Being an investment manager has helped me run my business efficiently’

NNEKA OGBOI is a fitness enthusiast, blogger, healthy food lover, investment manager with a business degree from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada and above all a mum. She is the Founder/CEO of MASH Baby Food, a baby food catering business which serves healthy, 100% real food purées for weaning babies. She shares with KEMI AJUMOBI on producing a truly natural, chemical-free, yet convenient alternative to commercial baby food.

When and why did you decide to go into your line of business?

I have always had a passion for healthy meals or “colour cooking” as I like to call it, but the idea of MASH baby food really weighed heavy on my mind after I had my son in 2016. Having lost my mum to cancer and knowing the dangers of processed foods on our health; preservatives, sugars, concentrates and artificial flavours was just not an option for me when it came to my son’s diet. As he approached the age to begin eating solids, I struggled to find convenient baby food that I was comfortable feeding him with. Many of the options out there included commercial baby foods with shelf lives of over two years! These foods had been prepared even before he was conceived, so I decided I was going to do it myself. Now mind you, working a full time job, plus dealing with Lagos traffic everyday was enough to wear me out by the end of the day, but somehow I would find myself rushing home in excitement to try new healthy baby food recipes. I enjoyed doing it so much that anybody around me who had a baby of the appropriate age got homemade baby food purees from me, whether they asked for it or not. The interest from others was shockingly overwhelming; this made me explore MASH as a business and no longer a hobby.

How are you ensuring they are preserved to the best standards? What is the shelf life?

All MASH baby food meals are made from 100% fresh local real-food ingredients, never processed, straight from the farm to bowl. There are no added chemicals or preservatives which could potentially harm a baby. Once meals are prepared and cooled, they are transferred into the refrigerator for further cooling to avoid any bacteria growth. Each meal is freshly prepared daily, and custom made to order to ensure optimal freshness. Patrons are advised on how to store properly according to international recommended guidelines. Similar to freshly expressed breast milk, it is recommended that homemade baby food be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 72 hours and in the freezer for up to one month.

Where and how do you source for ingredients used?

I am a huge fan of local agriculture. I subscribe to a community of farmers who harvest their produce weekly and sell to us straight from their farms. I am also a little bit of a gardener myself, a very proud owner of a healthy herb garden in my backyard. Finally, when all else fails, I love a good old mile 12 market for all my produce needs.

How has being an investment manager helped in your line of business?

Discipline and financial planning, two very key elements to starting up a business. Being an investment manager has helped me to be able to run proper cost analysis on the business as well as instil the discipline in me to separate my personal finances from that of MASH.

How important is ensuring babies eat the right type of meals?

It is even more important for them than it is for us adults. I look around now and everybody is trying to be active and make healthier choices when it comes to eating. If we find that this is important in order to maintain good health, how much more babies who are still growing and developing? If we want our children to live long and active lives free from chronic health issues which seem to be on the rise, then it is our responsibility parents to get them started the right way. If you look around today, I’m sure everybody knows one person or the other who has been affected by diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, stroke and the likes. A common factor linking all of these illnesses together is sugar and essentially processed foods. My parents’ generation grew up on locally farmed and organic produce and ate fresh meals daily. It wasn’t until about their early 30’s that they really got exposed to processed “convenient” food as part of life. Fast forward to 20 to 30 years later, several of them now in their 50’s and 60’s have developed one health issue or the other stemming from constantly feeding the body processed chemicals. Now, imagine the scenario this generation find themselves in. Starting processed foods at age zero, by age 20 or 30, we would have some celebrating graduation ceremonies while others receive diagnosis with chronic illnesses. I always ask people, we as adults enjoy eating warm home-cooked meals made from fresh ingredients, so why shouldn’t our precious little ones? At what point did we decide it was better to feed them processed cereals and room temperature food sitting in a jar on the shelf for two years?

How are you getting the message out on your products? Are the prices cost friendly?

Thank goodness for social media. Our instagram page @mashbabyfoood  plays a huge role in getting the word out there, as well as word of mouth, events, and anyone walking around with a baby really. If you are carrying a baby, I’m telling you about MASH. The prices are pocket friendly; all meals are made from local ingredients which help to keep the cost down. Our meals offer better quality and far more value for your money compared to the alternative imported brands.

Is baby food production and sales a profit making business in Nigeria?

Babies are born every day and a time will come when they must eat something other than breast milk or formula. An estimated 20,000 babies were born in Nigeria on January 1st 2018 alone. Considering other factors such as death rates, access to financial resources and so on, baby food production in my opinion is still remains fertile ground. However, as with any other business it will take drive, passion, discipline and plenty of hard work to stand out and succeed.

How multitasking are women? Can women have it all?

I believe women can have it all. In fact, I believe anybody can have it all. It all depends on what “all” means to you, how you prioritize and what you focus our energy on. In the wise words of Zig Ziglar, success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.

What are your personal and professional challenges?

My biggest personal challenge is finding that work-life balance that really works for myself and my family. Professional challenges include funding, staffing, logistics – timely food delivery and power.

How did the registration process of your business go?

The registration process can appear to be quite daunting when starting out, however I was fortunate to have a network of other entrepreneurs and mentors who provided me with some guidance on this.

Final words

Emphasizing the importance of giving our children a good start to great health by introducing them to real, nutritious, chemical-free meals from the start cannot be too much. My aim with MASH baby food is to raise adventurous eaters, kids who love to eat a variety of healthy foods without being forced. The philosophy is simple: Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. — Hippocrates, father of medicine, 431 B.C. If we want to avoid taking care of our children at the stage when they should be taking care of us, now is the time to act. We as parents must take the first step to help them develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. Being a mum myself, I understand how busy the life of any mother can be. Therefore, MASH baby food is here to provide not just peace of mind, but a convenient solution to feeding our babies.