‘With N10m YouWIN grant, I employed 20 permanent staff’
I started Noble Icon, producing Inelo Patrick, I started Noble Icon, producing Moringa Tea in 2010. I was inspired principally by the spirit of God in me and I will say the desire for financial freedom. At the background is the fact that I do not like being treated with drugs. I then began research into healing herbs and how it can be better packaged for acceptance. It was then I bought the Chinese concept of medicinal tea.
I was engaged in a sales job and saved up to N400, 000 within a year. I used that to start processing Moringa powder in my house, I bought two plots of land for farming medicinal plants and started saving from the proceeds to get tea machine- my ultimate goal.
At the point of saving and looking for funding sources, the federal government was announcing YOUWIN business competition. With encouragement from a friend who had applied, I just applied and trusted God for the best.
Eventually I was successful at first and second stage of the competition and won a 10million naira grant for Moringa Tea production.
With the grant I was able to start the business in full scale. The Youwin programme changed my orientation about Nigeria. To me it is a new dawn of transparency in Nigeria. I strongly believe if it can be sustained, joblessness will be a thing of the past in no distant time.
With the grant I was able to build a factory, registered Noble Icon living Healthy Moringa Tea and powder with NAFDAC and today the products are in the market. Gradually they are growing despite challenges. Our customer base is on the increase and we are becoming a national brand in producing medicinal tea rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals (not conventional tea made with black tea).
Before the support I was only making about N100, 000 sales per month with four staff. Since the support, we have over 20 permanent staff, and casuals. Our turnover is on the increase and with little export to UK and USA. We are beginning to touch people’s lives health wise. Customers have called to inform us of how they have been managing their weight, hypertension, sleep disorder, irregular menses, pains and sexual dysfunctions with our tea. We are also developing other brands of tea like moringa with honey tea, moringa Honey with Ginger tea, Ginger honey tea, Bitter tea and others that will soon be in the market.
Target
We target women, young men, ladies and children who desire alternatives to drugs and want to adopt preventive life style. To us at Noble Icon Nigeria Company, preventive consumption life style is panacea to sustainable healthier life. By taking green tea like Living healthy Moringa tea in the morning and evening, provide the body minerals and vitamins lacking in most of our processed foods for proper digestion and absorption.
Background
I had my first degree from Kogi state University with second class upper in Agricultural Economics and Extension. In 2010 I obtained M.Sc in Agricultural Economics from University of Ilorin. It was at the peak of the masters program I conceived the idea of growing and processing medicinal plant to acceptable form. I served with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) during my NYSC service year.
Challenges
Technical knowhow was the first major challenge as I did not know of any reference point in Nigeria in terms of medicinal tea. I resorted to doing it my own way by experiment and laboratory analysis to ascertain the safety of the techniques and procedure I adopted. Eventually I developed a new concept that we now use to process herbs with all the natural composition intact with the chlorophyll. So, our tea quality is 100 percent natural and effective.
The second challenge is sourcing for machines and materials. Thanks to the internet, I was able to source the needed items and commenced production
Each time we have break down we have to depend on engineers and consultants, with my little experience in agricultural mechanisation, I started learning and today I can manage the machines well with my team of operators.
Another major challenge is to source for money to buy raw materials in large quantities. It is very difficult to get the items in small quantities.
Advice
Commitment to overcoming technological challenges is key to business survival especially in manufacturing. Our educational system is not practical-based and most of the technologies available to us are imported. There is this gap between what you want to produce and the technology to drive it especially if it is an innovative or new product. Most often we are at the mercy of developed countries to produce, hence high cost of production coupled with low naira value. Sincerely the road to innovative products in Nigeria is rough. I am happy with the efforts the Goodluck Jonathan administration is making, if it can be sustained the situation will change soon. Fellow entrepreneurs need to be committed to quality and best standards in our products and service to establish trust in made in Nigeria goods.
Competition
NAFDAC and other agencies that regulate what is allowed into the Nigeria market should note that there are a lot of tea products from China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India and other countries that are not registered some of them are junks in good package. It is very difficult for us to penetrate their market yet we encourage them to penetrate our market easily.
Secondly, importers should note that local tea producers are employing Nigerians and empowering farmers to grow these herbs. Tea merchants should encourage us by promoting it for a better Nigeria.
OLUYINKA ALAWODE