By Esther Mbabie

The popular mantra “The way to a man’s heart is through his belly” is quite relatable, and most times, relationship counsellors lean on this to get the women to take charge of their kitchen and serve their husbands’ insatiable needs. 

Still on food matters, one sometimes wonders what drives food vendors to get up early every day to make the tedious and never-ending market runs and then spend a lot of time making delicious meals. Cooking for two to six people alone presents its challenge not to talk of teeming customers. It even presents a greater challenge fusing food business with educational study, while still striving to maintain excellent grades. If not well managed, this could easily spiral into chaos for the student.

But honestly, the food business is a major attraction because the demand for food consumption is constant and high. But one man’s food is another man’s intolerance, so they say. In the same vein, what seems to be chaotic for some, is a main source of income for many others, especially learning institutions. The story of three undergraduates of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, who also earn income as food vendors is a fascinating narrative. Cooking and serving delicious delicacies to teeming customers, including fellow undergraduates while also navigating through their educational goals have become a study.

Olaniyan Oyinkansola’s story is certainly one to relish. The student-entrepreneur combines studies with food business. The drive for self-responsibility propelled the motivation to fuse of studies with business.

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She said: “I wanted to have a sense of responsibility and I didn’t want to be idle throughout the strike period. While others learnt a skill or went into tech business, I decided to focus on the food segment because of my love for Boli. Mine is a story of a business propelled by passion. The addition of Barbeque and sauce to the Boli snack is my own way of giving it a more enjoyable kick”

The Agric-economics undergraduate who is in her sophomore year said she was not alone in this business. She has a team. 

She said: ‘I work with two other students, who are partners and together, we continue to work towards making more profit.’ According to her, “In order for them to stay in business, even during the weekends and holiday periods, we take orders from other people in the community and deliver via delivery riders. We also apply to be vendors at strategic events that will be beneficial to our business. The business has been around for about two years and I hope to keep it alive for as long as she can.”

Aishat Abiodun, a Linguistics student is another remarkable individual who refused to submit to the dictates of economic dependence. The 100-level student took the bold risks of setting up a thriving small-scale business even as a fresher – doughnuts and other finger foods. She sells these to clients during the weekends as she collects and collates orders during the week; and does deliveries by the weekend. Most weekends, you will find her at her aunt’s place, where she makes these orders available for birthday parties, hangouts and general events. As a fresher, juggling school and being a good vendor comes with some shocks for her but she works hard to keep her grades up, while also keeping her business alive.

Finger foods and snacks are fast-moving and the marketing is highly competitive and saturated. Despite this setback, Boluwatife Samuel found a creative way to forge her path in the food business while also staying afloat. 

According to the Health Education student, her education will always be her number one priority. As a student in her penultimate year, she has been able to build and sustain right from her days as a fresher. Boluwatife, who is in 300 level started off her business in her first year, and she has continued to add to the list of things she sells and in turn expand her scope of business and customers. From delivering custom cakes to customers for their celebrations to now including cupcakes and foil cakes to be sold to customers who place orders and at trade fairs. She identified the need for students to always have a snack while they read or during group discussions and included bowls and large sizes of snacks.

Notably, running a business is an intense job, and for many Nigerian students, the motivations that arose from the incessant academic interruptions became almost unending. But this, according to the student food vendors, has its downside as academic shutdown can also put them out of business. Despite these shortcomings, student entrepreneurs are able to pull through and maintain good grades. Admirably,  what stands out here is the insights, foresight, resilience and tenacity to convert threats into educational dreams and aspirations to great opportunities that have the potential to transform lives.

Esther Mbabie is a creative writer and storyteller who writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.

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