Okpa, officially known as bambara nuts, is the staple food of places like Enugu, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarrawa, and Benue States. It is mostly eaten and prepared by the people of Enugu State. Today, it is slowly becoming a national meal and snack that’s sold everywhere. In this post, we’ll be treating how to start okpa business with 100K, 200K, 500K, 700K, and 1 million naira in Nigeria.
Okpa is a fast-selling snack and meal that can be sold anywhere in Nigeria. You can get into this business by doing the business in any of the value chain. You can be the farmer, supplier, distributor, the cook, and so many more. In this post, we’ll guide you on how you can make money on being on any of the value chain.
Now, let’s get into the real deal.
How to Start Okpa Business with 100K, 200K, 500K, 700K, and 1 Million Naira in Nigeria
You can see that we broadened the capital you can use to start this business, and this is because you can get into the business from any point. The steps or things you are to do to make good money from this business are listed below:
1. You should learn the way of the business, and choose the sector you want to go into. You can be the farmer, or supplier, or retailer, or the cook. However, it is more profitable to be the cook and middleman if you have the money.
Any of the sector you choose, you should do well to learn it properly.
2. Okpa Farmer and Retailer
You can be the farmer and retailer with a start up capital of 100K. For the farmer, you can go to Benue, Nasarrawa, and Plateau states where Okpa grows well to plant in an acre. 100K is enough to plant an acre in these states so far you’ll be the one doing the weeding.
You manage it and you can get up to 2 bags or more from the land. A bag of okpa fluctuates in price but is usually fixed above 50,000 naira.
As a retailer, you can buy one bag, grind and process it, and begin to sell it to consumers who will buy it from you. You’ll make a good amount of gain this way.
3. Okpa Cook and Seller
You can also start as an okpa cook and seller with 100K. As we had written, Okpa is a fast moving snack and meal. You will make a good amount of money selling it in a busy location. You just have to learn how it is cooked with the best in your area, and then know how to price it.
Location matters, and so you have to choose a great location. You can start small. The more people know you, the more you sell. The secret to outselling other Okpa sellers is making extremely good and affordable okpa.
4. Okpa Supplier, Distributor, and Middleman
This is the best sector in Okpa business that you can make a kill if you have the money. It is also the most profitable sector in this business to start up. However, it is capital intensive.
You’ll need a capital of 500K, 700K, 1 million naira, and above. The more money you have, the more profitable this business is for you. You go with your own vehicle like bus and trucks to source okpa produce from areas like Benue State where it is produced in large bulk to sell to retailers in your area.
The larger you buy, the less your price, and more sales and money you make. The places where you can sell Okpa in bags and get quick returns and gains are Enugu State, Abuja, Lagos State, and Anambra State.
5. You are sure to make gain with this business as it is a fast moving business. For each bag you sell, you can make profit of 5K and above, depending on your location. For someone who cooks and sells, he makes more.
6. Though, it is not an easy business, and you will have to find a way to cope with the stress somehow.
7. You can start small and with time you scale up the business.
Now, let’s look at how to prepare Okpa in case you want to buy Okpa flour to make it yourself for you and your family.
How to Make Okpa at Home
1. You buy the flour from a trusted source where there is no mixing. (You can buy from EVURA Foods 08143058610).
2. When you have the Okpa flour ready, you get the other ingredients ready like palm oil, pepper, uziza, and salt ready. Use Ose Nsukka for the best taste and feel, and ensure you grind it with uziza. (EVURA Foods 08143058610 can supply you Ose Nsukka).
3. You put water in a pot to boil on fire. Turn on the fire low as you continue with the rest of the preparations for your Okpa making.
4. Bring a medium-sized bowl, pour the Okpa flour into the bowl.
5. Next, you pour in palm oil and mix the oil properly into the Okpa.
5. By this time, the water must have gotten hot or warm. You use a cup to scoop the warm water into the bowl of okpa. You mix the dough well as you pour in the water gradually. Don’t pour in too much water so the dough won’t be watery.
6. You continue turning with your hands, while crushing any lump you will find in the dough, until it is smooth and averagely thick. It should not be thick like garri or watery like pap, it should be in-between.
7. When you have gotten the needed look and size, you pour in the other ingredients like ground pepper and uziza, and salt into the dough. You stir again.
8. Next you bring the small nylon bags or cups where you’ll pour in the dough to put in the pot. You pour them in one after another, and put them in the pot. By this time, the water in the pot is beyond warm.
9. When you have put all of the Okpa in the pot, you turn on the fire a little bit more. You cover the pot and allow it cook for over 30 minutes.
10. While it is cooking, you should keep checking the pot and the Okpa to know if it is done. You can check it after 30 minutes. You can check by using your knife or spoon to prick them to know how solidified they are.
If they are solidified softly, you turn off your fire, as your Okpa is ready for consumption.
Conclusion
This post has looked at the idea of how to start okpa business with 100K, 200K, 500K, 700K, and 1 million naira in Nigeria. You should make your own research before following these steps we listed on this post. This business is a profitable business if you do it right.