Ijeoma Ndukwe…simply because she dared

Ijeoma Ndukwe is the transformational clarity queen and Lead brand strategist at Leap to Limitless Global and MD of Bubez Foods Ltd, a competitive player in Nigeria’s food processing and packaging industry established in August 2012.

She began Bubez Foods (www.bubezfoods.com) on a very low scale from her home with N200/less than $1 and her blackberry contacts. At the end of 2016, it recorded 9 figures in investments and 7 figures in sales. A 343% increase in sales within 18 months of opening its factory in June 2015 and a growing network of 80 selling vendors in states in Nigeria and occasional deliveries to the United Kingdom and other countries.

In 2019, Bubez Foods exported a 20ft container of Bubez Pap to the United States of America and today are in the market to raise $5m for expansion through their investment bankers in New York.

As a seasoned entrepreneur, Ijeoma’s passion for business, clarity, and knowledge has also made her a sought-after speaker at business events organised by different communities across the country, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), several organisations and churches, where she ignites a mindset shift in her audiences. She has also been a guest on multiple Television platforms such as CNBC Africa, EbonyLife TV, Channels TV, AIT and more.

Her goal is to create a widespread impact that teaches people, especially women, to unlock and maximize their fullest potentials and to move to the next phase of their life through clarity and hard work.

Ijeoma Ndukwe is also the author of the business inspirational book, Your Dream, Your Seed, a 365 day abundance journal, a 90 day affirmation calendar, and she is currently working on 2 new books.

In the beginning

As a child, I always dreamt of the different businesses I would co-own with my siblings. I got into the University to study medicine and surgery, after 2 years, I knew that life wasn’t for me. I hated the sight of blood and still do till date, flunked out of medical school after four years and graduated with a B.Sc in Human Physiology.

 Going into your line of business

In answer to my childhood dream of different businesses, I have dabbled into different businesses from bead making, sales of skincare products, luxury lifestyle retail store and so on. In 2012, after my third child, I knew I could be more and had the burning desire to be and do more. While searching in my quiet time, I got the answers. I would always give my kids pap/akamu/ogi, a traditional cereal, as their weaning meal and I imagined selling the same product to other working mums who didn’t have the time to process pap and would also worry about hygiene. I decided to bridge the gap between hygiene and convenience and presented Bubez Pap to them. That began my foray into starting Bubez Foods.

From N200 (less than $1) to 9 figures in investments and 8 figures in sales, what is the story?

This didn’t happen overnight, it was bordered with challenges and obstacles but I was determined to overcome to see the fulfillment of the dreams I have for Bubez Foods. I borrowed funds at ridiculously high rates sometimes 12 -15% monthly (not advisable). I love things that challenge me and my creativity. I’m not passionate about pap but I’m extremely passionate about starting and growing a business from scratch. That was all the motivation and drive I needed to prove that my dreams are valid. I sold 98% of my jewelry and luxury handbags, cut off every form of socialising and stayed focused on my dreams. What changed was my mindset. I am a student of the mind because I believe absolutely in the limitless power of the mind. I constantly and regularly feed my mind with books and mind empowerment programs.

Managing 80 vendors, enlarging the business

One of my core strength is strategy. I can create strategies even in my sleep, yes, it is that deep. One of my problems is the inability of my mind to shut down because it’s always churning strategies. As the CEO of Bubez Foods, strategy creation and execution is how I ensure we consistently enlarge our territory. Marketing our product happened naturally at the early stages because it was a need and we had provided a solution so people were coming to us, they were interested. Curiosity and admiration made them buy into the vision. The curiosity of how we created a powerful brand out of a local, traditional meal that is normally seen as a meal for the lower class and the intrigue that we took pap, created the strawberry and vanilla flavours, made it cool and appealing, got a large buy-in.

What makes Bubez Foods tick?

Until 2012, not very many people were selling pap; they were selling the powdered pap. We decided to stay in our niche of the raw, paste pap to create brand awareness and gain brand acceptability. As a brand strategist, creating a brand that stands out comes from brand authenticity. Anybody can copy or imitate your product but they can’t copy your unique abilities. The challenge is that, most businesses are creating brands outside of themselves when all they need to do is bring 100% of themselves into the business. For example, I had a failed marriage and I love family, I can’t do anything about my failed marriage because it’s in my past but I can create a product that will create and deepen family bond at meal time. So, I put all my passion into creating a quality product. Brand is intangible and it is all about perception, you don’t need to know me or my story but you can feel the love in how Bubez Pap is packaged.

Moving a 20ft container of Bubez Foods to the US

This was the most daring thing I had done in Bubez Foods. I made a few trips to the U.S prior to us shipping the product for market research and testing. The products were already in a container at the Apapa ports before I made another trip to find a buyer for the product…yes I found a buyer to buy the entire products. Because our product is in the ready-to-cook and paste form, we use cold-supply chain for logistics; you can imagine what that means. Our products survive within certain temperatures; it spent 5 weeks at the ports and 7 weeks on the sea before landing safely in Houston Texas. For everyday it spent in that container was meant to be a worry about the freshness and preserved quality. The 12 weeks it spent and our production time meant it arrived 2 months before the best before date. We had to devise a means to ensure the entire 9 pallets were distributed. We sold Bubez Pap out of 5 stores within Texas, which was a dream come through for me. We used 1 pallet for research and development in Massachusetts and gave out free pap as experiential marketing.

Being in the market to raise $5m for expansion through your investment bankers in New York

The research and development in Massachusetts was one out of four, we did another one few months after in Denmark. All of that R&D is geared towards the realisation of our dreams, to set up a fully automated food processing and packaging factory and eventually become listed on the stock exchange. The equipment we’re trying out and testing aren’t exactly very cheap and we need investor’s funds to achieve that. We got introduced and engaged investment bankers in NYC to lead the advisory and fundraising rounds for us. We’re receiving some interests and believe that very soon, we’d get term sheets and the funds to execute this strategy that we documented 4 years ago.

Helping women unlock and maximize their fullest potentials

I have had to set up a new company, Leap to Limitless Global to teach people especially women, how to create powerful brands by upgrading their confidence, gaining clarity in their lives and having cash to do things that will help them support their families. Powerful brands are not just for businesses, as a person, you’re a brand, as a stay-at-home mum, you want to create a powerful brand and be a /;

strong voice of influence in your children’s lives. I do this by sharing my processes and systems with them through a coaching program called THRIVE. Currently, we have 65 women signed up for the pilot phase of the program.

The effect of the current lockdown on your business

With the current lockdown, I shut down production because I care about the wellbeing of my employees but the sales team is still supplying the stores. We had three of our key people in production and sales do a food distribution program to feed 260 families. We gave out a monthly supply of single-use, powdered extra-fortified Bubez Pap with Soybean to each of these families.

Also there are opportunities opening and that will open in various ways, my question to everyone reading this is “How are we preparing for the multiple opportunities that will open up post COVID-19?”

Advice to entrepreneurs at this time

Prepare, prepare, prepare. Revise your strategies and find creative ways of earning income. Increase your capabilities and capacity, stay ready. This is not the first crisis period known to humanity, this too shall pass.

On your front burner

On my front burner for me aside Bubez Foods, is putting the adequate structure in place for Leap to Limitless global to reach and equip more women.

Staying positive and guarding your sanity at this time

I can’t emphasize the importance of maintaining your sanity enough. Without a sound mind, your life almost comes to a halt. Don’t dwell on negative news. Reduce every form of negativity around you and keep your hopes up. I’m a Christian and the word of God is all the harbinger of hope I need.

My wish

I wish for a world where people will stop playing victims with an elevated entitlement mentality and take absolute control of their lives and its outcome.

Final words

I believe that everyone’s dream is valid and we will all thrive!