From Teacher to N170m Palm Oil Entrepreneur: Safiyat Bello Shares Her Inspiring Story
Safiyat Saheed Bello's journey to the agricultural space is more than just a business story; it's a testament of family heritage, personal struggle, and the drive to make an impact in Nigeria's palm oil industry.
Raised in a family of palm oil farmers, she had early exposure to the trade but faced mockery from her peers due to the scent of palm oil clinging to her uniform, earning her the name 'omo elepo'.
Source: Facebook
Having witnessed firsthand the challenges and issues in the sector, she founded Quad K Industrial Services Limited, a company aimed at improving palm oil production methods and increasing Nigeria’s production capacity.
She told Legit.ng that her company's goal is also to create stronger linkages with smallholder farmers in a bid to meet Nigeria's growing demand for the product and thus, improve food availability and diversification of the nation's economy.
She said:
"Quad K Industrial Services Limited has been motivated by a relentless drive to transform production practices and maximise the capacity of Nigeria's palm oil output.
"Our ambition is not just to produce but also to secure the nation's food availability and promote the economy's diversification through a value chain with smallholder farmers."
"Omo Elepo"- From pain to purpose
For Safiyat, palm oil production is deeply personal. It moulded her worldview right from her upbringing in a family of palm oil farmers, but it also exposed her to social stigmas.
She said:
"What drives me, in short, is family legacy, a burning desire, and the determination to overcome my past. I grew up right next to where palm oil was processed, but it also made me a victim of my friends' mockery whenever I smelled on my school uniform."
However, instead of breaking her spirit, the negative experience served as the fulcrum of her passion.
"That humiliation did not kill my spirit; it molded me and gave me the vigor to embrace who I am, including the alias 'omo elepo,' which I used to feel ashamed of. Today, it has turned to my strength."
Entrepreneurial path and breakthrough
Quad K Industrial Services Limited takes pride in itself being at the top segment of the palm oil market as it pays great attention to hygiene, product quality, and the various processing standards.
She added that:
"Our palm oil is highly pure, made with care for health and hygienically processed in a safe environment adhering to SON standards. Its high amount of carotenoids, Vitamins A, E and K and anti-oxidants, together with very low fatty acid content make it different. Also, at Quad K, we offer the lowest priced premium palm oil in the market and our product enjoys a two-year shelf life."
Her entrepreneurial quest started in 2021 while she was a teacher in a private school. She was said to have had a tough time balancing work with the business.
She said:
I worked full-time from 8-5pm while also running the business. Majority of the production and managing activities was entrusted to other people, and it became unmanageable. This culminated in losses and debts."
By 2023, mounting debt pressure signaled a new direction for her business.
"The whole trajectory changed when I became one of the recipients of the Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton by Access Bank W Community. I resigned from my job then to infuse the necessary structure into the business. My transformation from chaos to scalability occurred as a result of that decision."
Source: Facebook
From N50,000 to N170 million turnover
Quad K Industrial Services is said to have grown enormously over time. The 2025 projected turnover of the firm is stated to be N170 million as against the N50,000 from its early beginnings, with a projection to achieve N200 million before the end of 2026.
A major milestone for the company has been the acquisition of six acres of land where the oil palm plantation will be established.
Safiyat noted:
"It has been one of our most commendable achievements that we are now the owners of a 6-acre of land where we intend to plant our own oil palm trees for our plantations."
However, the progress witnessed has had its challenges.
"There was an incident where some farmers whom we aggregated palm oil from were deceiving us, making us to lose two of our best clients. We have however put measures in place to increase transparency and traceability in the acquisition of palm oil from farmers when there is demand greater than our production."
Innovation and future plans
Safiyat has her eyes fixed on innovation in agriculture with the integration of technology to boost its capacity, improve productivity and tracing capabilities.
"We envision the application of artificial intelligence and technological solutions in the sector to promote efficiency and increase the yield capacity. We currently have three types of product concepts and one is in the prototype phase, and will hit the market very soon. It is just part of our future plan for innovation."
Quad K has also aligned itself with the various goals under the Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty alleviation, food security, and economic viability.
She explained:
"Our work is focused on achieving SDGS 1, 2, 8, 9, 12 and 17. Agriculture can be a catalyst of change towards inclusive development in Africa."
Message for aspiring entrepreneurs
A word of caution to young entrepreneurs who are afraid of failure and rejection Safiyat advised:
"Always be ready to face setbacks and the doors that are being shut at your face; that way you discover how strong you are. These may not signify failure but that it is a learning curve."
"A business is only capital-based on the surface; the truth is that its sustainability relies on constant re-learning, unlearning and learning."
Adaeze Akpagbula’s Farmspeak is changing agriculture business
Earlier, Legit.ng reported on the activities of a young Nigerian woman named Adaeze Akpagbula and her movement to drive Agric business through the use of AI in Nigeria.
The young lady who is the founder of an agritech startup named Farmspeak Technology Limited, is an innovation hub focusing on enhancing livestock farming through an artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of things (IoT) approach.
She talked about her background as the daughter of a livestock farmer as the catalyst to her business ideation.
Source: Legit.ng
