Meet Olatunbosun; A General Services Freelancer on iProo
About Olatunbosun:
As a consultant, I adapt to new projects, work cultures and colleagues easily, my soft skills and technical expertise allow me to take on my roles quickly and easily. As a consultant, I work smart and hard. I have the knowledge to accomplish the best results in the shortest possible time with as little friction as possible.
Moreso, I am confident about my skills and expertise, i expose a natural collaborative leadership and i leave my egos at the door. I am a team player: I put company goals and team spirit first.
I accept frictions, unforeseen circumstances and negative feedback, I learn from them and I move on. i will analyze and learn from every setback in order to prevent it from happening again. It is my job to bring the latest knowledge and skills to the table when others can’t. I bring a fresh view, and as such i can offer surprising insights that can solve problems and boost my client’s business.
My primary goal is to help other people and businesses. I build trust because of my will to help my clients accomplish their goals.
Lastly, I am an open-minded, friendly and resourceful project leader with a sound and optimistic outlook on all things in life. I possess an excellent ability to motivate others, coupled with the ability to communicate comfortably at all levels, therefore ensuring an excellent working environment for all members of the team to perform at their bests
Freelance Gig Allotted to Olatunbosun:
Bobby (a client) intends to delve into mechanised farming in Nigeria and would like to find out the most feasible farming product (crop or livestock) which would help grow his business in the shortest possible time.
Kindly submit an appropriate feedback using the dialogue box below.
Olatunbosun’s Resolution:
“Hello Mr Bobby, Farming in Nigeria has taken a dramatic turn to better directions in recent years, creating jobs and opportunities for Entrepreneurs who dare to go into farming Business. Millions are currently being made every year through Farming in Nigeria and there is no end to the prospects of creating more and more wealth through farming in coming years, There are good reasons why farming in Nigeria is currently doing very well and understanding these reasons will help any serious entrepreneur (no matter where he comes from) to think seriously about setting up Farm in Nigeria.
Nigeria has a huge population of over 150 Million people, twice more than the populations of Zimbabwe and South Africa combined. The entire population of Nigeria depends on staple foods produced from farms and other farm produces for their daily meals and sustenance — and more than 80 percent of Nigerians buy their Farm Produce from the market while most Nigeria farm produce are exportable, Nigeria has very large expanses of fertile farmlands laying fallow for nothing. Nigeria Land area when measured in sq km is about 910,770 and the prospect for Farming in Nigeria is so high that only an ignorant will ignore it. Having said that, let’s take a closer look at some of the types of Farming that does very well in Nigeria and choose the best that works out easily.
1. Rice Farming: Nigeria has one of the world’s highest Rice consumption stat. Rice is by far one of the most popular staple food among Nigerians, almost every family eats rice daily in Nigeria. In 2011 alone, Nigeria spent N991 Billion on Rice importation and the rice we import is said to be nothing less than 10 years old in storage. That means we Nigerians spends billions buying Rice that has since lost it’s nutritional values.
Any entrepreneur in Nigeria who goes into Rice Farming and get it right is sure to be smiling to the bank. A bag of Rice is currently sold for N8,000 to N10,000 depending on the quality. A farmer who is able to invest in large scale Rice Farming in Nigeria and produced 100,000 Bags of processed Rice in a year, sell at wholesale price of about N7,000 per bag, he will be making 7,000 x 100,000 = N700,000,000 ($5.5 Million)
You can achieve the above figures conveniently with less than Two hundred million Naira ($1.3 Million) capital investment.
2.Plantain plantation: One thing I like about Plantain is that when planted once, it keeps producing year in year out for eternity. Like Rice and Garri, Plantain is widely consumed in Nigeria and you know — any food that is popular in Nigeria is always a huge income earner due to the population of the country.
I really haven’t seen Farmers in Nigeria taking advantage of the opportunity in Plantain Farming to create wealth for themselves. Plantain is highly priced in Nigeria and is always in high demand all year round. Fry it, Boil it, Roast it — it will never get angry with you, that’s how liberal Plantain is. I can tell you, Millions of Naira is currently lying fallow untapped in this sector of Farming in Nigeria.3.Catfish Farming: Catfish Business is really hyping in Nigeria right now but how many are really getting it right? Get it right and you’re in money. A single Catfish sells for N700 in Restaurants and about N400 in open market.
4. Goat Rearing: It’s only in the North that goat is reared in commercial quantity.
In The USA and Australia, Farmers are among the Richest people – Get involved in professional goat rearing and make money for yourself. A full grown goat sells for between N15,000 to N40,0005. Snail Farming: I see Snail Farming really picking up in Nigeria very soon — but if you don’t hurry up, others would have made the money before you realize what you are missing. The potential in this business for you is about N50,000,000 Annual revenue.
6.Maize Farming: You never know the profit in Maize Farming in Nigeria until you try it, and one thing I like about it is that everything happens fast. It takes less than Four months between planting and harvesting.
7. Cocoa Production: Cocoa Farming presents one of the brightest investment opportunity to local and foreign investors in agribusiness in this Nigeria. Cocoa has been and will remain one of the fastest selling agricultural product in both local and international market. Once you have it planted and nurtured to maturity, you harvest cash from it for many decades. The reason is because cocoa is a perennial crop that survive produce for many decades. Cocoa was the mainstay of Nigerian economy before the oil boom. The moment oil was discovered, cocoa farming was abandoned, leaving the opportunity for any would-be serious farmer to exploit.
A bag of Cocoa is currently sold for $200 (N38,000 in Nigeria),If you have 1,000 bags of cocoa right now, you can easily swap it with $200,000 (N38,000,000) cash! To achieve this, you can count on the early-maturing, high-yielding, disease-resistant beans to help double your farm production in two years. This varieties of cocoa plants mature in about 18 months. If you are in Nigeria, you can get the variety from the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria. While the traditional cocoa crop takes about four to five years to mature, the improved variety takes just one and half years.
The Best That Works Out Easily.
For Livestock, I will advice u to go into catfish farming, The rate at which Nigerians are consuming catfish is getting higher everyday, statistics shows this. I bet you will not regret doing this.
ANALYSIS:
Catfish farming consists of two most important types, which could either be operated separately or as an integrated process. The two divisions are the Nursery Fish farming and the Grow Out Fish Farming. The grow out fish farming is dependent of the nursery fish farming because you can’t grow fish without the nursery. But, like I said, they can be operated separately by two different farmers.The nursery involves the inducement of the female fish to lay eggs, which are then fertilized, incubated and hatched. Those little fishes are know as fries. These fries are then nurtured from between three and four weeks into fingerlings which is the size suitable for use in the Grow Out farming. A catfish farming is a major investment operation. And so, starting one needs careful consideration.
In between the nursery and grow out operation is what we referred to as the primary operation. It involves the nurturing of the three or four weeks within which they could grow into post fingerlings, mini juveniles and juveniles respectively. These can then be nurtured for between four to five month into grow out or table size fish suitable for sale and consumption. Going into catfish farming involves the following
Step 1: Land For Catfish Farming
This is very important. One has to acquire at least half plot of land in a suitable location. This means, you must consider good access road, closeness to market and labor. If the land is already available, it is good. Then we apportion it as follows:1. Location of ponds
2. Location of farm house
3. Location of water supply and lastly, location of drainage facility. The last point is very important, as you don’t drain your water to constitute public nuisance.Step 2: Pond Planning
Here, one has to determine whether one wants to go into a big or small-scale commercial venture, secondly, the pond system to adopt, Re-circulatory system, earthen pond or concrete/plastic pond or both.Once the pond was dug and the area has been developed, there is nothing one can do to undo the work and recover the cost. And so, extensive evaluation must be done by someone planning to start a catfish farm before he finally decides whether it is wise for him to pursue the project.
Construction Considerations
Where should the pond be located? Does the site have enough supply of quality water (from wells or springs)? There are minimum water flow rate requirements in building a pond for a catfish. Will the source meet them? Employ professionals to test whether the water supply volume and flow rate meets standard requirements. Is the water supply suitable for catfish farming? Try growing a few catfish using water taken from the target source. Is the area suitable for pond construction in terms of soil composition and permeability?Ideal soil for pond construction is one with good compaction property. One resource you can run to check on this is your local soil management office. Catfish farming will require some water movement. Will you be able to obtain permits and other necessary licenses for the operation?
Step 3: Water Supply Source
The best water for catfish farming is from bore hole. One or two must be sunk to guarantee steady water supply. Overhead tanks for holding water should also be installed. The mechanism of pumping of water must be back up facility. The system must not fail.Step 4: Pond Construction
It is advisable to engage the service of a consultant. The success or failure of this project depends largely on construction of standard ponds that can stand the test of time.Pond Design And Construction
One major consideration in designing a pond for catfish production is the flatness or steepness of the area and the source of water supply. For a generally flat area that has access to a well, a levee pond could be built. Watershed ponds are built for steeper areas near a natural source of water. The depth of the pond is also crucial as this influences the availability of oxygen for the fish. And so is the amount of fish per surface acre of water. Check catfish growing manuals for standards to adhere to.For one to get the most profit for a catfish harvest, it is necessary to determine buyer requirements when planning the season’s production. Consider what buyers demand in terms of weight, frequency, size and price. One can sell the season’s harvest to fish processors or directly to consumers. The later results to greater return to the farmer.
For Crop: I will advice u to go into Rice production due to the fact Rice is the first food choice of 95% of Nigerians and as it stands, Nigeria Government will place a ban on importation of rice which will help in purchasing local producer which most Nigerians prefer and there will also be a room for exportation of rice to some african countries.
Analysis.
Generally, rice production is not overly capital intensive, especially if you have a land, spacious enough lying fallow already. In fact, with that, half of your start-up problem is solved. If you can’t afford a land yet, you can partner with someone who has a land. The capital required for a rice production business in Nigeria tends to vary based on its nature. Adequate workforce, machinery and equipment are needed for general rice milling after harvest. The capital doesn’t end there, since you’ll need money for the transportation, packaging, delivery, and marketing of your rice to sell it off. There’s also the operational cost to make it happen.
Provide Suitable Land
The most essential capital asset for rice farming business in Nigeria is the land. Dry land isn’t the best soil type to grow the rice plant, even if it’s loamy. Rice prefers swampy land with probably enough decomposed organism and material to boost soil fertility.
You could either plant on lowlands or uplands (although rice has been found to fare better in lowlands) but the most vital part is the soil type and condition. ‘Type’ should be loose black soil; ‘Condition’ should be swampy mash land. This condition can be attained by water channelling also referred to as ‘Irrigation’. Irrigation is a very integral part of rice farming as it keeps the land in shape for the healthy growth of the rice plant. If you get the land type and condition wrong, then you could have as well killed your rice production business even before starting off.
To reduce the amount you’ll be spending on making land available, it is only advisable to start off your business in a geographical zone of the country where rice is traditionally planted.
Choose Healthy Rice Seeds
In rice production, your chances are of ensuring the highest possible yield is to a large extent dependent on how healthy your seeds are. It is very important you select the right seeds and choose an improved variety based on the cultivation environment. It can be risky to plant rice indiscriminately. You’ll need to manually select the healthy seeds; an exercise which can be tedious but would be really worth it in the end. Serious rice production farmers know that indiscriminate planting is a big gamble that can go either ways.
Selecting good quality seed will help to improve your yield by 5 – 20%, most of the healthy seeds are disease and pest resistant. It also helps to reduce weeding problems and they improve germination by more than 80%.
Prepare Nursery for Rice Seedlings
It is important the rice is allowed to grow for two weeks in a nursery before transplanting to the main farmland. After preparing your seedbed, plant the seeds to be raised in the nursery. To maintain the environmental temperature in the nursery, cover the soil with a transparent polythene sheet. It will also help in avoiding soil borne diseases and your yield can be significantly increased since the transplanted rice will be free of attack from nematodes and soil borne pathogens.
Manage Soil Nutrients and Weeds
You will need to remove weeds from the rice farm, not more than 2 months after transplanting the rice seedlings; and then application of herbicide would follow to destroy any emerging weeds. To boost the growth of rice seedlings, you must replenish soil nutrients zapped off by the removed weed; hence, fertilizer is applied. Organic fertilizer and spray in right amounts that have been specified, should always be used; although, this will vary depending on the environment, soil, and the type of rice. It is important that the rice plant gets its required nutrients at the right time.
Harvest the Crop
Rice usually takes 4 months from planting to harvesting. The colour of the crop will change from the normal green to light brown when the rice is fully matured. Once the change in colour occurs, then the rice is ready for harvest.
Storage
Storage is also another part that would require capital. It is not only enough to store the harvested rice, it is important to store them safely away from pests and rodents while they are yet to be sold off. If your rice isn’t healthy, it won’t sell.
Feasibility Study of Rice Production in Nigeria
If you spend N3 million to start up your rice production business in Nigeria, you can get a 25-30% ROI within a year or a year and half. A lot of Nigerian businessmen are investing into rice production and it’s simply because it is a really lucrative business in Nigeria.
If after harvest, all you could get to the point of sale after negotiating with the wholesaler or distributor on N11,500 per bag is 200 bags (could be more or less, depending on how wide your farm is) then N11,500 X 200 = N2,300,000($7,302).
If you have a strong soil type and you’re able to harvest just twice in a year: N2,300,000 X 2 = N4,600,000($14,604),to show at the first year of the business. Bear in mind that rice production ROI increases yearly.
Rice Production: Risks and Profits
If you’ve carefully read through the post, you would be to pick out the risks involved and what you stand to gain. Some of the big risks to rice production in Nigeria are animals like birds, rodents, locusts, and so on who wouldn’t love anything more than to harvest the rice before you. Your harvest must be timely to avoid them infesting your farm.
There are uncountable merits in starting a rice production business in a country where the rice is never enough. It is also very good to start a business that doesn’t need too much training or seminars and all to start up. You can improvise in many ways in the rice production business and what’s more, you don’t need too much marketing. Just pick your potential clients and your product markets itself.
Thanks. Hope this will help. “