I recently took an international call, from a Nigerian based abroad, on my mobile line. I was then on a farm in South West Nigeria, where I was coaching users to use a Poultry Farm Management application the CEO hired me to build.
The caller and a partner were trying to decide on investment opportunities to pursue in Nigeria. They yearned to come home after decades of working in foreign countries. But they also worried – rightly too – based on news they kept getting – that it could be quite risky.
Perhaps too risky.
He shared the story of a colleague who traveled home with his entire family to “retire”, only to return saying he NEVER return there till death!
It Was Not However All Doom and Gloom
Apparently, another friend had returned to Nigeria more recently, and told them he’s doing well in the farming business.
Specifically, fish farming.
That’s probably what led my caller and his friend to begin thinking to themselves:
“Maybe this is possible after all. If our friend is really doing as well as he says he is doing, maybe we can too.”
But they decided to do more due diligent investigations into what the farm industry, and the Nigerian economy as a whole offers.
One of many Google searches led them to my Cost-Saving Farm Business Article(s), and eventually they called me.
NB: He did make it clear they were looking at a variety of other options in terms of business opportunities – which I considered a wise move.
Our Conversation Roused a Desire to Help, In Me
He told me their concerns. How they truly wanted to feel safe coming home to start something they could live on in retirement.
How it could get tough working to pay the bills – and as one got older, even tougher.
At that point, I honestly felt his pain.
I have family also in the UK. My sister and her husband live and work there, with their kids. I therefore had a fair idea of what he meant.
So I loosened up, and spoke from my heart about what I’ve seen in the past 10 years.
I’ve interacted closely/rubbed minds with, and served farm business owners based in various locations across Nigeria – and some parts of Africa.
I’ve done this face to face, via email and on phone.
Today, my website mailing list of farm business owners, and enthusiasts (some past buyers of my products/services), continues to grow.
First he asked questions, to establish if indeed I was who I said I was.
And more importantly, if I truly did what I claimed I did…and if I was competent.
We ended up spending over an hour conversing. He called back even when we got cut off .
Judging from the foregoing, and the thank you email he later sent me, I guess I “passed” :-))
When Our Conversation Ended, I Promised to Email Him Suggestions I Felt He Could Use
I asked him to send me an email from his inbox, so I could write him. He did that the same day. Below, are excerpts of the email I sent him 2 days later. I feel some of the information provided may benefit others with similar interests.
1. Check With a Recognized Regulatory Body in Your Preferred Location
He told me they owned land in Lagos, on which they hoped to base their operation. I mentioned Lagos state’s “SCADO”, when we spoke, and how an officer from there once reached out to me.
The article I subsequently published last year (titled “A Permanent Solution to Africa’s Low Per Capita Protein Consumption“) contains information you may find useful in that regard.
It contains – front and back images of a flyer she gave to me, which has details of funding (grant) being disbursed to farmers in collaboration with an foreign sponsor organization.
2. Find a Competent Resource Person to Guide You
I know Gbolahan Saba from my days as a student in the University of Ibadan. In my first year, I lived in the same room with his older brother, Debo.
Gbolahan Saba is an Agric. Officer working with the Lagos State government.
His Linked In profile is at http://ng.linkedin.com/pub/gbolahan-adekunle-saba
And on facebook at https://en-gb.facebook.com/public/Gbolahan-Saba
Last time I met him in person was over a year ago. Google his name, and you should see some recent news reports relating to him playing the above mentioned role.
3. Seriously Consider Adopting Integrated Farming: Get Guidance from the World Famous Songhai
Instead of running one farm enterprise, it’s been proven smarter to operate a mix of self-complementing ones.
I highly recommend you get across to, and possibly physically visit Songhai in Porto Novo. Maybe you could attend their training programme. They teach farming and also coach those they teach farming, on entrepreneurship: a valuable combination!
You can also (or alternatively) get them to provide you with guidance towards choosing the right mix of enterprises to run.
Visit www.songhai.org – to learn how they run their Zero Waste Integrated Farming Centre, in which virtually everything is recycled. I have met (twice in the recent past) “Leonce Sessou”, a key member of the Songhai management team.
Googling his name could turn up leads you can follow to contact him. He handles most of the online marketing efforts – and should be able to link you up.
TIP – One Possible Way to Get Leonce Sessou’s Songhai Email Address:
a. Go to www.google.com. Then type the following filename with quotation marks around it: telecentres.pdf.
b. In other words type “telecentres.pdf”. Unless it has been removed from the location I found it online, Google should return a result with a direct download link to it. Click the link, to download and read it.
c. On page 6, you’ll see Leonce Sessou’s name and email address boldly printed, with short notes added.
NB: That PDF (i.e. “telecentres.pdf) is a document authored to promote a collaborative online project of which Leonce, from his base at Songhai, is a part of. When you read it, you’ll learn more about the project. But I offer the foregoing information, to tell you how to get access to his email.
Lagos state is one of many Nigerian states that have gotten Songhai to replicate the system for their use.
Maybe you can also ask Gbolahan about that: They have poultry, piggery, fishery etc.
4. Get a Feasibility Study Done By a Competent Expert
During my conversation with the caller, he asked for prices and other finer details about starting up a fish farming business.
I told him Nigeria’s environment is subject to so many variables, which makes many things change frequently – often unexpectedly.
Smart thing to do is to get a formal study done.
And AFTER that, keep an eye on those sensitive factors that could introduce significant changes to deductions you make from the study report. Like I noted earlier, in Nigeria, they tend to be many – and can be difficult to anticipate or keep track of.
A feasibility study or business plan may, as a result, have a limited shelf-life of usefulness “as is”.
Having said the above, you can ask Gbolahan Saba, or Leonce Sessou (both mentioned above) about getting a feasibility study done. They are on ground and would be better equipped to guide you.
I no longer offer to do feasibility studies. So this recommendation has no personal motivation.
Why?
Well, on 1st April 2013, I relocated from Nigeria, to Benin Republic. And I’ve worked from there since. Right now, I’m trying this article ahead of Wednesday (tomorrow) in Lagos. I’ll set it to auto publish tomorrow. By the time you read it, it’s likely I’ll already be back in Cotonou.
So, I’m less available in Nigeria these days – limiting my ability to move around in that market, like I used to.
5. If You Decide to Start, Do Try to Follow Best Practices
Lastly, and by way of interest, you may wish to click the link below to:
A. Watch a mind map based video presentation that explains why I always strongly recommend results focused farm business owners adopt what I call a Best Operating Process Management System.
B. Watch the demonstration video for the Excel Visual Basic driven Poultry Layers Farm Operations Management software that I developed for a client’s farm PC in South West Nigeria.
The client had me brought in from my base in Cotonou, for about 5 days, to install it, and train his two top farm managers to use it.
You can see the videos at http://www.tayosolagbade.com/pfmgr.html
You’ll also find links to many of cost-saving farm business ideas articles that may provide you useful info.
Final Words
To all who are looking to make the transition from abroad to return home and start a farm business, I with you all the best!
Disclaimer: Please do your own DUE DILIGENCE in using any information supplied above. You take full responsibility for whatever results you get.