Finding Purpose in Passion: Nigeria-based Kasope Ladipo-Ajai is Promoting Healthy Eating Through Her Food Service Brand, OmoAlata
A lot of times, people work in fields that do not even interest them in the tiniest bit. Some people work a 9-5 job because it was all that was available at a particular time and they had no option but to do something to make ends meet.
It is however a blessing to find one’s purpose in one’s passion, and not a large percentage of Africans find themselves getting paid for what they are truly passionate about.
It was the desire to work on a business that would showcase her creativity that made Kasope Ladipo-Ajai start her food processing company, OmoAlata in 2012.
The Nigerian food brand is focused on the production and sale of hygienically processed and packaged Nigerian soups, spices and peppers, it aims to promote healthy eating among Nigerians and also to make cooking easier for busy people.
Kasope has a degree in Computer Science, she worked for 4 years at Virgin Nigeria Airways in various roles, including IT Service Engineer, Project Coordinator and Business Process Analyst. She also handled core IT project implementation for Taytom Group. However, she resigned from her full-time job to pursue and focus on her entrepreneurial ambitions.
Once she had the concept of Omo Alata in mind, she solidified her decision to venture into entrepreneurship by registering the business. She carried out research on the product she was trying to launch, solicited advice from knowledgeable people in her network, sourced fresh produce and the best practices for cleaning, processing and packaging it.
The brand’s flagship ‘OmoAlataPeppermix’ – sourced from local markets, is a blend of fresh organic tomatoes, onions and peppers has been favorably received in the Nigerian market.Kasope was the winner of She Leads Africa’s 2015 Entrepreneur showcase. She won a $10,000 cash price, a mobile device from Etisalat, International media coverage and a host of other prices. The brand intends to have more product lines as it grows.
