Interview with Young Entrepreneur Rita Okafa, From Boki LGA

Young entrepreneur Rita Okafa has taken her passion for food and event planning and has done what most entrepreneurs and event managers will only dream about or strives to do. She is a Business Administrator and runs a catering service  in Abuja, Nigeria.

In this interview, she shared with Pospi Otuson, an editor of Boki Blog what it is like to start and manage a business in Nigeria as a young entrepreneur, how she coped and what has kept her going even in difficult times.

This interview I believe will motivate the genius in youths in Boki LGA as well as Cross River State, make you to get out of your comfort zone and to start something doing for yourself. 

Please can you introduce yourself to Boki Blog readers and fellow young entrepreneurs?

My name is Rita Okafa, from Bansan osokom in cross river state but resident in Abuja

So what do you do for a living? 

Am a Buisness Administrator, so I decided to get rooted in Buisness instead of waiting for the white collar job,Am into Events managements generally,fashion and property Buisness

Are you married? 

Am single

How did you build up an entrepreneurial spirit at such a young age, do you believe you were born with it or you developed it?

I would say I was born wit it because I remember loving buying and selling even in my primary school days with my little cash from home,I Will buy sweet, chocomilo and all those little stuffs to resell,growing up n going to high school,  i choose to study Business Administration, Den I started buying cloths for sell anytime am in Lagos for holidays, I used my pockets money to buy cloths for sell in school, I did that until one day I was blessed with a boutique then in ekpo abasi that ran for years until I left calabar for my youth service in Abuja, so I have always love Business from childhood, all we pray is for God to bless the work of our hands

What were the main challenges you faced at the early stages of your business/career? And do you still encounter them to this day?

finances,environment n the right ideas for operations but it's getting better by the day and even more interesting
capital,poor infrastructure  and marketing basically

We heard you also run a catering service in Abuja, can you tell us about it?

Jamies Restaurant and cafe cater for all kinds of events n delivery of freshly homemade meals to any location within Abuja, we are located at supreme court quarters before unity estate, Karu site abuja

Here are some of our delicacies 

How long have you been in Business?

Officially 5 years 

Are you the only one managing the business or you have other staff or co-workers?

Two official staff's and many more contracts staff's in the case of outdoor events


Well, this question might sound funny; do you think it is easy to be an entrepreneur?

Let me start by saying Becoming an Entrepreneur  Is Easy,But succeeding as and Entrepreneur Is not. Entrepreneurship is a worthy carrier but it's a tough carrier.The successful Entrepreneurs u meet are smart, hardworking folks.They toil to get were they are today.So bottom line is being focused and determined

Which books or Music motivates you as an entrepreneur?

Think and grow rich by Napoleon Hill, and the power of ur subconscious mind by Joseph Murphy, music hmmmmm

What keeps you going even in hard times?

The thought that Jehovah got my back anyday,Jesus Christ my all

How do you define success; do you believe you are a success?

For me Success is a continuous process and being able to touch as many life as I can but now am not Dre yet bec I hv not given as much scholarship and put smiles on people's faces as much as I want to,so am stil marching Dre

What do you think it takes to succeed in Business?

Patience,Determination,trasnparancy, Focused and firmness

What is the last ‘one word’ of advice you will give to our readers as well as youths of Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State when it comes to succeeding as a young entrepreneur?

Start small but don't remain small, Albert Einstein once said you should strive not to be a success, but rather to be of Value. always do ur best work and give yourself permission to take risks.

At this point, I must say thanks for your time.

You're Welcome