How I pioneered soilless farming in Nigeria —Onafowora

What is your business all about?

My business is about agriculture or agribusiness. In the real sense of it, I’m actually redefining how agriculture is been done and practised in Africa.  My business focus is in the following areas: soilless farming, aquaculture, livestock, agro products value chain development, training and consulting. I help individuals and organisations to start a viable business model in any of the aforementioned fields. At Bic Farms Concepts, we create affordable and sustainable business models for Africans in agriculture.

I’m a certified life coach, a certified professional enterprise manager, a fellow of the African Institute of Enterprise Development, Fellow Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria, and an ASHOKA Global Fellow.

I was the consultant to Afe Babalola University on aquaculture and I built the phase 2 massive 500,000 capacity fish farm, the Moringa Factory and 100 hectares Moringa Plantation for ABUAD. This is unarguably the largest of its kind in West Africa. I was the Managing Consultant to LandMark University commercial Farms, and currently LMU’s Consultant on Greenhouse and Hydroponics technology. I’m the author of AGRIPRENEURS and Growing Crops Without Soil 1 and 2. Lastly, you can call me Africa’s most sort after agribusiness coach.  I also pioneered soilless farming in Nigeria.

What inspired you to start your business?

Well, when I graduated in 2002. I got a job to do as a quantity surveyor. I practiced for one month (January 2003), didn’t enjoy myself, so I resigned. My father asked what I would then be doing, I said I wanted a business. He asked if farming would suffice, I said yes after praying, and he introduced me to fish farming which was just starting in Nigeria then.

One major inspiration into farming is the fact that, since I knew my father, he had always been a farmer. Even though a civil servant in OOU, he taught us how to raise all manner of animals from poultry to pigs, rabbits, guinea fowl, white rats, etc.

What do you produce?

I started with catfish fingerlings and juveniles those days in 2003. We happened to be one of the first few people to produce over 100,000 fingerlings and juveniles in Nigeria in the early 2000’s. Later table fish, then greenhouse vegetables, moringa, etc. today, our products range from greenhouses, soilless hydroponics systems, recirculating aquaculture systems, exotic vegetables, catfish seeds and table size, ornamental fishes, aquaponics systems, and we package herbs and spices.

What was your start up capital?

I can’t really say, as my father donated my first set of hatcheries and fish ponds to me. I grew from there. All I can say is, we needed about 1.5 million naira to build the state of the art Recirculating Aquaculture System(RAS) then to make the dream of producing over a 100,000 fingerlings feasible. We didn’t have the money. I was privileged to be trained by a mentor and from the training, I got an idea of how to build the hatchery locally. So, we spent less than 300,000 to build what would have required 1.5million to do, and the rest is history.

What is the number of your current employee?

About 10, But I outsource most of my work. Sometimes I may have up to 50 people working on a project, while 90 per cent of them are outsourced or independent contractors.

What are your expansion plans?

We are currently building Nigeria and West Africa first artificial intelligence-based sustainable clustered greenhouses. It’s a place we shall be setting up for people all over Africa, particularly for individuals like youths, retirees, and investment loving individuals to farm and invest, using the business model of clustering. It will also be the centre for urban housing and farming together. The first one has started in Abeokuta. We have the vision of building this centre all over Sub-Saharan Africa.

When was your business established and what are the major challenges you have faced since you started your business?

Bic Farm concepts was established in 2006 and the biggest challenge was getting structured. It was very difficult for me to put a lasting process in place for my business. I kept doing things like a one man thing. I couldn’t separate my personal need from the company need. I found it very difficult to build the processes that was needed for the business to work hitch-free. Developing statutory compliance for the business in general.

Secondly, raising funds to scale the business. Getting the required funds, and knowledge to scale. But, thank God we are overcoming all that now.

Thirdly, getting the right people to work with. I operate in a field that I pioneered in Nigeria. I had to train everyone that worked and still works with me. It was difficult, coupled with the fact that I was also still learning some things. I am a life-long learner. This is the culture I’ve been able to build in my staff. I tell them, we must always think like beginners, not professionals. For example, if you ask someone with a beginner’s mindset to identify a cup, he would rather ask you what can you use a cup for? The answer to that question will give you more innovations than just a cup.

How do you think government can address these challenges?

Well, government can only help businesses by putting the right policies in place. For example, how can you grow an agribusiness with a loan of 2/3 digits that has no moratorium? Furthermore, considering the fact that we have to pay for our own electricity, build our own road, even when the farm is in town, etc.

How many awards and grants have you won so far? 

Well, let me just name some: Award of Recognition by the National Association of Osun State Students. The UN affiliated 2019 African Child Foundation Award on integrity in Agribusiness. The SME Tech Agripreneur of the Year, 2018, by Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria(ASBON), Ashoka Global Fellowship.

What advice do you have for other young people that are interested in what you do?

Always have a beginner’s mindset. There’s always something new to be learnt, no matter how vast you may be in your field. The capacity to unlearn, so as to relearn is one if the best any young aspiring entrepreneur can have.  Furthermore, be innovative and persistent. Believe in what you know. Additionally, pay the price of building the processes and structures that will make your business thick. Lastly, believe in God. Let him inspire and help you.