Entrepreneur turns Nigerian superfood into a global export business
Timi Oke is the co-founder and CEO of AgroEknor, a company exporting dried hibiscus flowers grown in Nigeria to global markets.
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Interview with Timi Oke
CO-FOUNDER and CEO, AGROEKNOR
Lives in: Nigeria
Timi Oke is the co-founder and CEO of AgroEknor, a company exporting dried hibiscus flowers grown in Nigeria to global markets, including the US, Mexico and Europe. He secured his first agricultural trading deal through LinkedIn while still working at a bank in the UK.
How we made it in Africa editor-in-chief Jaco Maritz spoke to Oke about building the company and the opportunities within Nigeria’s agricultural industry.
Topics discussed during the interview include:
How he landed his first commodities trading deal through LinkedIn
The booming market for hibiscus flowers
Key lessons from working with smallholder farmers to source hibiscus
Breaking into the lucrative American market
Other crops with business potential in Nigeria
Why organic waste management and storage present major agribusiness opportunities
Practical advice for aspiring agricultural commodity traders
What he would do differently if he had the chance to start the company again
Watch the full interview below:
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