How Dakuku Peterside Helped Me Setup My Bakery Business ~ Ikenda

DAKUKU @51

How Dakuku Peterside Helped Me Setup My Bakery Business ~ Ikenda. As the lockdown bit harder & food became increasingly difficult, it dawned on me that the much needed opportunity to actualise our dream was right before us.

Before now, my Wife & I had kept sleepless nights thinking of where to start. We listed names of those we shared our dreams with, his name featured intimidatingly on it.

I sent a text that morning that my wife & i would love to have a discussion with him, pronto his call came in.

“Oga, we’ve made up our minds to start a Bakery, i need you to assist us in the best way u can” i said.

“Wow great, Ikenda, very great. Pls come to Lagos let’s talk about it”

As we set to talk in Lagos & i made to bring out the feasibility studies i had done, he dropped a handwritten document that had all the info needed to start a Bakery.
Surprised. I put mine back.

“So Ikenda, on this list are all the things you need to start up, look through let’s know where to start” he said.

As i glanced through, it became obvious this man had spent the night sharing in my dream.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much differences between what he & i had.

One thing on his own that wasn’t in mine was the one listed as “expertise”.
I enquired what that was about & he fired back; “Look, if you must run a Bakery, you should be the best in PH. You need all the trainings you can get to be PH’s best. You must aspire to greatness & excellence”

Even though i had done my own trainings, he put a call through to two persons i later found out to be some of Nigeria’s biggest names in the Baking sector. He pleaded with them to share their personal experiences with me, with emphasis on their initial challenges & how they overcame it.

Ladies & Gentlemen, the story of FoodGains Nig, Bakers of Ellaz Bread, Nice-Day Super Loaved & other Confectionaries began in earnest to the extent that we now put food on the tables of 14 workers as employees in a space of 18months.

With his support, plus the soft Loan from NIRSAL MFB & our savings, we got our first set of equipment & off we went.

As you mark your 51st Birthday today, my wife, Oguzie Ella Elechi, our kids; Obunda (Chibuike), Adanda & Igonda alongside our parents & siblings share in the impact you’ve had on us.

You believed in us when it was risky to do that & with your support, today we’re realising our dreams of self-sustenance.

God bless you greatly, Dearest Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside