Unsung
Hero
How one young woman is turning her Akara business into a whole franchise
Unsung
..."The best thing I did for myself was using my business to create content." Jideobi Chiamaka Favour recounts fondly as she shares the story of how what started as a small business has grown exponentially over the past eight years.
Chiamaka, known across social media as SexyAkaraFryer, is a young woman who made a firm decision and stuck to it; she would go to the university no matter what. Coming from a humble background, funding for her University education was not readily available. But her mother had expressed a strong desire to see her daughter become a graduate.
Determined to make this dream come true, Chiamaka opened her small business; an Akara stand in Awka, Anambra state. With expertise gained from working at her mother's Akara stand, Chiamaka built her own business, but added a modern twist; social media.
Reminiscing on her time in the University, Chiamaka shared that a lot of her course mates did not believe that she sold Akara because of how well she carried herself. They came to her stand in disbelief but had to give her her flowers.
Being in school and running a business that required her to show up early everyday proved to be a challenge but she kept showing up to both endeavors with all the needed energy.
For Chiamaka, Social Media was the game changer. When she began posting about her business on social media, she never expected it to generate so much traction, but it did. Social Media gave her a visibility that has brought customers and recognition.
Today, she has a whole SexyAkaraFryer franchise, cutting across retail clothes and logistics but Akara remains her mainstay. Now a university graduate, Chiamaka continues to run her businesses from Anambra state, while sharing her story with thousands via social media.
Despite her growth, Chiamaka still experiences the challenge of a proper location for her business. She has a small place but aspires to own a whole restaurant dedicated to Akara someday.
Speaking of her social life, Chiamaka shared that some men get uninterested in her when they find out what she does for a living. But she doesn't care about this 'business shaming' as she calls it. "I am not desperate for marriage." She says. "When the time is right, the Lord will make it happen."
Chiamaka advises every young person with a dream to never let anyone make them feel less-than because of what they do for a living.
"Believe in yourself, be consistent, be contented and have a goal. Do it like your life depends on it, and always put God first." Chiamaka advises.
Chiamaka represents a growing population of young Nigerians who are active dreamers. Against the social and economic odds, she is building an empire from the ground up. This is why Jideobi Chiamaka Favour is our Unsung Hero.