By Aisha Gambo
A 24 year-old graduate of Microbiology from Bayero University Kano(BUK),Ruqayya Yusuf says she had found sustenance in producing home made candies.
Yusuf,the owner of Candy Planet NG made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.
"Well, I started Business since 2018 that's two years ago. But then, I wasn't Candy Planet Ng, I was just doing this and that, Small chops, snacks candies, and any other business that came my way.
" So I rebranded and focused on candies 6months ago, that was when I officially chose a single Niche of Business and became Candy Planet Ng",she said.
The confectioner stated that she started her brand of home made local candies with N25,000 where she bought ingredients,instruments and packaging materials needed for the candy production.
She said that she makes an average sale of N70,000 to 150,000 monthly with more than N30,000 average profit.
She said she makes milk candies popularly known as Gullisuwa and Tuwon madara in Hausa language and Coconut Candies like Coconut ladoo which originates from India.
Yusuf explained that her customers were youths between the age of 18-40 among which the female gender constituted a large number in terms of patronise.
According to her, she ventured in candy making business due to her love for sweets and the desire to produce an edible candy devoid of adversed chemical ingredient.
"I want to be my own boss, earn my own money, and run my life freely the way i like; When I started this business, alot of people have this thought that the normal home made candies they know is a petty business, one that sells at N10 or N20 at most.
" I always laugh at them because I know the plans and strategy I have for my business is not a petty one. So now that I have started building my brand, same people started praising me, getting surprised at the outcome of my business, some even envying me",she said.
She stated that she had achieved a lot from the business as she had registered her business with the Corperaye Affairs Commission (CAC) and have distributors and wholesale buyers from different parts of the country.
The confectioner, however stated that she faces challenges of lack of fund to properly implement all the plans and goals she had set up for her business.
She explained that she would want to make Candy Planet Ng a very successful confectionery brand in Nigeria and beyond with outlets across the country and Africa at large.
She advised youths and women sitting idle doing nothing to "wake up" and be financially independent urging government to assist youths and women who were into small scale business with grants or soft loans.(NAN)
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