"I realize that you can’t have as much of the good things you like if you cannot work for them" Nkiru~Founder, Proliaq Resources Ltd.

I had no doubt that Nkiru Wendy Francis's  story will inspire me as well as you. I first came across her on Nkechi Bianze's wall on Facebook. The Port Harcourt based, 30-year-old Nkiru got herself a fine car and had put it up on social media after being mercilessly dragged and shamed online earlier for buying an I phone worth half a million naira. The Abia born Master’s degree holder from Uniport who is currently running her P.H.D on Human Resource Management at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology will inspire you.

When you were done with National Youth Service Corps, what did you venture in to?

After NYSC I volunteered as a teacher,  then I got a job with FCMB. I was at FCMB for about 2 years. I started in 2014. I was being paid N29,400 (Twenty Nine Thousand, Four Hundred Naira.) I was a marketer. Though sometimes the commission brings it up to N45,000 – N50,000 but it was not easy to make the commission. I was doing this, plus taking care of myself in school, then there were family demands. On several occasions I was in a situation where I was given the options of sleeping with our clients to keep my job. Some of my senior colleagues were encouraging it and berated me when I didn’t. After a while, I met a client who told me about his brother who was into rice farming, they were looking for a buyer for their farm. I bought the farm. 

How did you get the money to invest in the rice business?

I got a loan. At that time, C.B.N made a loan available for women. I was in the bank system so I was privy to these information. I was first told I cannot apply because I was a staff. I resigned and applied for the loan, and I got the loan of N1,500,000 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira). Initially, they farmed, harvested and processed the rice and gave me to put in bags and sell. Then the couple told me that they were travelling to Ebonyi State. I then bought off the farm and became the owner. However, the land was a lease from the indigenes and that continued. It is a swampy area of over 200 plots of land. From the sale of the rice and I kept turning over the N1,500,000 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira). The bag of rice was sold to me at about N6,000 (Six Thousand Naira) and rice sold at that time at about N12,000 (Twelve Thousand Naira) or more. The first time for me, the bags of rice was 70 (Seventy) the next was about 170, one hundred and seventy.

There is a place in Onitsha where I buy the rice bags. I bought the bags, then I printed a name on it. “Glorious farmers. First Port Harcourt rice”. I had not gotten a company name. It was in the process of these all that I opened a company called “PROLIAQ RESOURCES LTD”. The name is interpreted to mean “your hand work”, or “your creation” or “something you do by yourself that looks good”. It is not an English word. I then later ventured further into palm oil production. In "Proliaq Resources Ltd", we are into the sale of Palm oil, Palm plantation, maintenance and consultancy,  we produce Rice and we distribute Hair milk products.

What gave you the courage to buy off the rice farm and to do the rice business on your own?

I like good things a lot, and I realize that you can’t have as much of the good things you like if you cannot work for them. I like comfortability and I also have parents and siblings depending on me at home and the last thing I can do is to sleep with a man for money, I am not saying this to condemn anyone. When you do not have connection, it should drive you to work hard. 

How did you start the Hair Milk Business?

I started with about N70,000 (Seventy Thousand Naira). I am a distributor of the Hair Milk product. It is produced in Abuja. I used one of the product, it was really nice, and I had to trace them to Abuja. I did not have the required amount to be a distributor but I bought some cartoons.The business has been lucrative. I ordered for Hair Milk product of about N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) this January, 2020. Hair Milk does not have distributors in Bayelsa, Boni, Owerri, Akwa Ibom and even in Abia State. So I go to these places and distribute the product. I even created my own adverts. I called a director and we shot some adverts. I sell to retailers, I started by going from shop to shop.  Many did not accept me. There was this manager I told, “I will make you look for me” after he rudely dismissed me, then I left. I did not give up. Now, people call me to order for Hair milk product. I use the Hair milk proceeds for light expenses.  The palm oil is my main thing and it is why I could afford to buy my car.

How did you start up your Palm oil business?

I make money from my Rice business but the Rice take a while to mature before we can sell, it is a long wait. In 2015 I was initially buying palm oil from a village at Elele which I sold. I was not making much profit, I decided to go to Aba, made some enquires. I had some money on me from the Rice business. I paid for machines for the production of palm oil. I got two plots of land in Elele Village. The guys from Aba came and installed the machines. I made some arrangement for some villagers to supply me with palm fruits. I had 8 workers. I wasn’t paying them cash but with jerry cans of oil. A jerry can goes for six to seven thousand naira. 

After sometime, the Northerners located us. They have a mosque close by. They came to the mill and asked for the owner and we started producing for them. They pay for it in advance. They can ask for an oil product worth two million naira and pay in advance. This is one reason why we are looking to expand our production site, we have more plots of land now.

What challenge(s) do you encounter in the palm oil business?

Buying the bunches of palm fruit from farmers doesn’t give you much profit as owning your own plantation. In December 2019, I acquired One Hundred plots of land located at Elele. I accessed a loan via Bank of Industry. Though the process was tedious and tasking.  We will start the palm plantation by April 2020. It will take about 3 years before we start harvesting. By God’s grace it could help in the long term to complete my house in Port Harcourt. 

What happened that led to you being called out on social media?

I am a very private person. I hustle in silence. Social media is a place where as long as you don’t put up what you do some persons will not value you. In my PHD class there was this woman who assisted me in getting a contract from the government house, it was from there I was given a contract to buy clothing materials for about 34 women.  My friend advised me to go to Dubai to buy them. I made six hundred thousand naira  profit from that trip alone. I had promised myself that I would buy myself an I-phone for my birthday which was on the 14th day of February. I found it cheaper in Dubai and I bought it. Then I made a post with the I-phone and captioned it “My Valentine came early”. Then also I have my businesses and I call them “my creation”. That was how I came up with the caption on my Facebook post. Though I wrote “....My favourite Creature” it was a typographical error it was suppose to be “...My favourite Creation” I corrected it. They had already taken the screen shots and called me out to counter a post where I was advising ladies to work hard to get stuff for themselves.

What is your take on feminism?

People misunderstand it. It has helped women gain grounds. Feminism is saying, “give females equal education as the male child” it is saying “give women equal opportunities in employment. If not for feminism women may not be doctors, mechanics, engineers etc. feminism is misunderstood on social media  It is generally not about disrespecting husbands etc. 

What if you are asked by your husband to stop your business to focus on the family? 

I will not close it. No matter how much the person gives me. A man can leave you today and join another woman. In that circumstance what will you do? It is better we are both wealthy.

How have your success affected your relationship with the male folks?

Some are intimidated. Someone came to my house and saw a Curve T.V it's about 55 inches, and he never came to my house again. I called and called and he picked and said he cannot meet up to my standard. There are some men that also come to rip you off. They come with all sort of business proposals that you should invest on. They want to save your money for you.

What is your advice for your girl’s who are trying to find their feet?

If you are a young girl, out of school and you are willing to work hard, willing to make it in life, look beyond the pressure of being made to depend on men. Whatever your hands find to do, do it well just as the bible says. Do it diligently. Do not forget to save. Every girl should look for something doing no matter how small. Do not go into areas that have been saturated like make-up and wig making. Venture into bigger businesses that the men take on. You do not have to start with a million naira, start with what you have.

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