Sweet Dreams

A small thing had the power to diminish the joy of traveling abroad for Princess Odiakosa - chocolates. Every time she ventured out, family members and friends would demand that she bring back chocolates; on the other hand, she had no Nigerian chocolate of quality to gift her friends abroad. It made no sense to the training and marketing manager at dbrownconsulting, a financial consultancy in Nigerian coastal city Lagos, especially as Nigeria was one of the leading producers of cocoa in Africa, the main ingredient of chocolates. There was even a cocoa tree growing right in front of the family house, planted by her sister.

So Odiakosa's thoughts turned to making chocolates herself. "I have always wanted to make chocolates because I love chocolates, and I also love my country," she said, finding time between two jobs and a hectic schedule to share her entrepreneurial dream with ChinAfrica. "I wanted us to have our own chocolate, something we can gift to people and ourselves too. Something we can call our own."

But she couldn't find any chocolate classes in Lagos and it was only when she went to Sweden to visit a friend that she came across such courses. She decided to go back to Sweden and find a short course in chocolate-making that would coincide with her trip. It materialized in 2014 and two years later, she had started Kalabari Gecko, her chocolate brand, making craft chocolate from 100-percent Nigeria-grown cocoa beans.

The 37-year-old gets her beans from a trusted farmer in Ondo State and sources all other ingredients locally. The colorful name, that is as eye-catching as the chocolates with the accompanying image of the winsome little black gecko with bands of bright color splashed across its body, came after an acquaintance advised her to choose a Nigerian name. The Kalabari is an ancient tribe who lived in the Niger Delta.

Kalabari Gecko is an inspiring example of passion and time management. "My factory is home-based," Odiakosa said. "I do not have any worker for now, as I usually produce before going to work in the mornings or after work. I can produce 800 truffles in four days." As a small entrepreneur, she decided not to seek a bank loan for her business. The seed money for it came from her day-time job. To get business, she makes use of the Internet and social media. Orders can be placed through Kalabari Gecko's website, Twitter and Instagram pages and friends and fans also pass the word on. She has exported chocolate samples to the UK in a limited quantity to test international waters.

The sales last year, intended to test the market, were heartening. This year, she has seen orders grow briskly. "Valentine's Day was a bit overwhelming for me," she said. "I had to reject some orders because my day job has been so demanding. I am adjusting more to the Nigerian palate. You need to love chocolate to make it; you need to appreciate every facet and pleasure it delivers."

For a divorcee who is fighting a 10-year custody battle for her three children, time is at a premium. "My current job is very demanding, so juggling everything can be a bit too much sometimes," she said. "I work on keeping my eyes on my goals, and staying focused and remaining positive."

The plan for 2017 is to leave her job in November and become a full-time chocolatier. "Making chocolates all day would be an absolute pleasure," she said.