Locust bean is an ageless condiment that continues to remain relevant in homes across the various tribes in Nigeria. Deputy Editor, GANIYU SALMAN, reports that in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, production of iru as it is known among the Yoruba people has gone beyond the crude process as one man has led the revolution in packaging it in a refined manner for export.
LOCUST bean with botanical name Parkia Biglobosa is a seasoning that has continued to reign in many homes in Nigeria nay Africa. In fact, it is a condiment of all times as from time immemorial; people have used locust bean which is otherwise known as iru in Yoruba and Ogiri or dawadawa in other dialects.
Iru is used in cooking traditional soups; egusi, okro, Ewedu, ogbono, Efo riro {vegetable}, stew, gbegiri (bean soup) and is said to be high in lipid (29%), protein (35%), carbohydrate (16%) while it is also a good source of calcium, fat, vitamin C, vitamin B2, dietary fibre and phosphorus.
Before now, iru production is a job predominantly for peasant women who process it traditionally using crude methods until recently when the industry took a westernised dimension.
The consumption of iru in foods according to nutritionists helps promote sight, aids digestion, controls diabetes and cholesterol though many do not like the way it looks in their food. And unknown to many, the tree which produces locust bean is similar to a palm tree and the pods from the tree can be taken raw as it has a sweet taste and can even be bottled for long use as a juice.
The fermented water of the locust bean according to experts serves a lot of health purposes as it is said to have the properties that can be used to treat stroke or refresh the memory, while the waste from processed substrates can be used as organic fertiliser.
The local production of locust beans involves the use of washing the seeds obtained from the pod; drying the seeds under the sun, boiling the seeds, dehulling, fermenting at 37°C and turning the fermented seeds into mashed bean after three days to produce fresh {iru pete} usually wrapped in leaves or dried locust bean {iru woro}.
But this is all in the past now; this traditional form of production has taken a refined dimension today courtesy of technology and it now involves the use of appliances which include the locust bean processor, this innovation is the brainchild of a Nigerian, 64-year-old Dare Somefun, whose innovation started in Akinyele but has moved across many communities and the world of entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
The proprietor of Dare Ventures, Isale-Awero, Moniya, in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State has been identified nationally as the initiator of modern locust bean production and has been recognized and given awards for this laudable feat three times in different categories by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He has spread his knowledge and has taught many the art of producing locust bean in a refined and hygienic manner and has created a lot of entrepreneurs in the South West and in other regions of the federation.
Nigerian Tribune visited his factory during a training session to see what he does and why it stands out and Somefun and his partner, Mr Samson Bada, were happy to talk about their activities and how lucrative it is and also run through the steps of production.
Somefun is from Abeokuta, Ogun State but was bred in Lagos. He studied went to Tottenham College of Technology and London Centre for Business Studies. His professional experience makes it easy to navigate the stumbling blocks of entrepreneurship. “I did my NYSC in 1980 in Lagos with the Nigerian Army, public relations unit after which I got my first job with John West Publication in Lagos. I also worked for an electrical industry in Ibadan as purchasing manager. I did private business for a while before I got another job with CFAO Motors as Sales Manager covering south west up to Edo State. I became self employed through modern production of iru and spice in general since 2007.
“Being a pioneer in the business, I have gained a lot of experience. I do consult local processors around Ibadan and Osogbo to gain more knowledge which has taken me to this level. Also, I always read journals, books, meet professionals who put me through and I always visit the internet too to update my knowledge.
“With my on the job experience, I can say I have taken iru processing to another level because the local processors stopped at mashed or soft type. I have taken it to dried and later to powdered form. The reason is that there are customers who prefer the dried bean while some prefer the powdered type because they don’t want to see the seeds in their foods,’ he said.
The idea of processing iru was not a sudden flight, “I conceived the idea of foods processing and preservation while I was studying in the UK. The truth of the matter is that foods will continue to be relevant except there is nobody on earth again. There are many junk foods we eat in Nigeria and having iru spice in our daily consumption will help the body a lot. So, it is not about immediate use of foods generally that should be our concern, but preservation to serve long-term purposes and this informed the idea of introducing modern preservation of iru and general spice.
“In the olden days, our mothers do preserve iru by spraying it with salt and drying it in the sun in order to keep it for a while before use, but it is not as durable as what we have through this modern process. Assuming I take the population of Oyo State to be three million, 70 per cent would consume iru on a daily basis. So, it is a business of all times. In Africa and Europe, they consume iru. There is market for iru production anyday anytime,” he stated.
But his production process doesn’t involve planting trees; he buys seed from the market for processing as the climatic condition isn’t favourable for him to plant. “I will make the dried seeds which we regard as inedible clean and free from stone and other particles, measure the quantity of iru to be produced and then clean the destoned seeds after which it will be taken to the pressure or aluminium pot for boiling for between five to six hours for the seeds to boil properly. After that, we use the dehulling machine to peel the skin of the boiled beans, then we separate the beans from the chaffs in clean water to now reboil the separated beans for an hour,” Somefun explained.
Once this is done, the beans is drained and splashed in containers for fermentation under 37°C room temperature for 37 hours rather than the three days it takes in local processing. The fermented cotyledons are taken to the dryer, built for 250kg capacity and after the required hours, the aroma of the condiment will begin to come out for the next process which is spreading the locust bean in stainless trays.
“It is faster producing locust bean in the summer than in the cold period. When you want to dry, you reduce the temperature by 15 degree so as not destroy the protein in the bean. Drying gradually for five hours will take place and from there to where the locust bean will be stored in the oven, it will bring out the real moisture content of locust bean which can be preserved for at least 12 months. Local processors stopped their innovation at mashed iru content; I have taken it from there to dried and powdered forms.
“If I want to produce at full capacity, I can produce 50kg per day and 250kg for five working days. I can increase production if the fund is available because I have to increase my wage bill too by employing more workers to join me. I have a partner and two other workers with me here. From experience, local processors can only produce maximum of 6kg per day because of the traditional process that has been in existence for years which cannot be compared to this modern method.”
It is however not an easy process, Somefun admits that the process is strenuous but the advent of technology has reduced the stress a bit. And he has trained so many in the art of locust production. “Aside being a producer of spice, I have been imparting knowledge to people in incubation technology. Today, I am a facilitator in Oyo State in spice processing. I am a consultant to the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture and the Odu’a Investment Company.
“I trained 100 local iru processors within the 11 Local Government Areas in Ibadan in a workshop organised by the Ministry of Agriculture sometime in 2015. There are many local processors in the state, but I don’t know of any that is into modern processing after me. I have trained no fewer than 500 people in modern iru production.
And learning the trade depends on the student’s ability to comprehend things and thus varies based on individuals. Also, money can be made from other aspects of iru production.
“Waste products are also environmentally friendly, dehulled skin can be used as organic fertiliser. It is also protein substitutes for animal and fish production. This is an innovation and I’m trying to partner with research institutes to let their trainees know of this aspect of effective maximisation of waste products from the locust bean production. Also the fermented water can be used to cure stroke and also to control termites that feed on furniture materials,” Somefun said.
Like every production industry, funding and lack of regular power supply are the basic challenges. “But adequate funding will take care of power supply though expensive. I am doing everything humanly possible to ensure that my spice products are sold abroad. Already, I have produced about eight samples for somebody in UK to facilitate marketing. The market is expanding and it requires a large capital to meet the demands. I can have 20 local processors working with me. I have invested about N4million in the business and with better funding, I can increase production capacity. As I said, there is a ready market for locust bean even beyond the shores of this country.
“We produce Dare Iru Spice (100g sachet), dried pepper, garlic, ginger, bean flour and spice generally in well-packaged form. My vision is to see Dare Iru Spice as condiment in every home in alternative to any other imported seasoning not only in Nigeria but other parts of the world. If I have like N10million today, this business would assume another level in the next 12 months. The business can increase foreign exchange and employment opportunity. Iru is alternative to imported seasonings. With iru alone, it is 100 per cent condiment.
I am contributing my quota to humanity. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was known in the field of education and I want Dare Somefun to be remembered too in the field of condiment. Also, I want modern iru processing to be a family business with the efforts I have put in so far so that it would become a household name. I invested three quarter of my gratuity in this business thinking that if I secured NAFDAC approval, it will be a money spinning business, but it is not so. Funding is the key here so as to simplify production process and increase output and we need to also talk about it so that people will know.”
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