By Komolafe oluwatoyin, Billiaminu Zeenat
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has taken a significant step towards boosting the agro-processing sector in Osun State by engaging with local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The engagement began with a visit to Oroki Foods Ologi, a reputable food-processing company, where the Osun State Coordinator of RMRDC, Mr. Adeyemi S.A., commended the company for its efforts in promoting indigenous food processing and innovation.
According to Mr. Adeyemi, the visit aligned with the Council’s Local Content Development Programme, one of its six core focus areas. He explained that the purpose of the visit was developmental, aimed at understanding the operational realities of small-scale processors and identifying practical ways the Council could provide support.
The Founder and CEO of Oroki Foods Ologi, Mrs. Ishola Modupe Olanrewaju, expressed heartfelt appreciation for the visit, stating that it was the first time a federal institution was showing such practical interest in her enterprise. She welcomed the RMRDC team with gratitude and optimism.
Mrs. Ishola gave a detailed account of her entrepreneurial journey, establishing Oroki Foods Ologi in 2020 with a modest startup capital. From its humble beginnings, the business has grown into a reputable food-processing brand known for quality, innovation and consistency. Today, the company operates with a daily output of approximately 1tonne and employs 10 dedicated staff members.
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However, Mrs. Ishola highlighted several pressing challenges currently limiting her growth and scalability, including rising cost and poor availability of raw materials, logistics, packaging constraints and malfunctioning equipment. Despite these hurdles, she has continued to innovate, developing a nutritious blend of Tom Brown cereal and planning to venture into potato flour production.
Engr. Adams O.O, a Principal Scientific Officer of RMRDC, commended Mrs. Ishola for her attention to quality and product diversification. He emphasized the importance of standardized processing techniques and adopting semi-automated systems to improve efficiency and meet future market and regulatory demands.
To address the challenges faced by Oroki Foods Ologi, Mr. Adeyemi announced that the Council would link the company with verified equipment fabricators, provide access to funding and capacity-building opportunities and facilitate connections with support institutions like SMEDAN, BOI and BOA. He also noted that Oroki Foods Ologi could benefit from linkages with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) for stable supply of raw materials like ginger and potato.
Furthermore, Mr. Adeyemi announced that Osun RMRDC will soon host an Investors Forum focused on potato value chain, during which Mrs. Ishola would be invited as a resource person to share her practical knowledge and experience with other processors and prospective entrepreneurs.
The engagement affirmed the Council’s commitment to supporting innovative, women-led enterprises driving local industrialization. The Osun RMRDC team expressed satisfaction with the level of innovation, resilience and quality observed at Oroki Foods and assured continued collaboration where necessary.
