In life, sometimes, success can be found in the most unexpected places, the same as what happened with Ayodeji Megbope. In our society, a woman’s place is in the kitchen but Ayodeji Megbope gives an incredible twist and makes her life successful becoming an Entrepreneur.
Ayodeji Megbope is the founder of No-Leftovers, a full-size catering service that started with a capital of N1,000. Ayodeji Megbope set an tremendous example for all the women who still don’t know the value of their life.
- Tell us something about your early life before becoming an Entrepreneur?
I started my life as a young child from Lagos, Nigeria. My father was a civil servant and my life was quite different, it was not so easy. I have four siblings. My parents were very close to me, I lost my mother about five years ago. I have been married for 9 years now, and have two children.
I worked as a confidential secretary at the Corona Schools, in Lagos, Nigeria, for nine years. I decided to quit my job to start a playgroup. I signed up for a six months Montessori program to understand everything. By the time the program had ended, I lost total interest and was no longer motivated to run a playgroup.
- When did you start cooking, how did you get success in your business?
I used to cook for my husband and my children. Once, my sister-in-law visited our family for a Moin-Moin meal. I had prepared dinner for her. The Moi-Moi was so tasty that my sister-in-law asked to start preparing Moi-Moi for her inclusion.
In the process, her friends, colleagues, and church members started placing orders for me for the Moi-Moi. I decided to go back to the school I used to work at, to see if I could sell them some Moi-Moi.
- Why did you choose the catering name, ‘No Leftovers Nigeria’?
No Leftovers means “you eat everything.” I want people to finish it and leave nothing on the plate.
- How did you come to know about the United Nations team?
I started my business and I saw an advertisement in the newspapers that a United Nations team was coming to Nigeria to invest in a women-owned business. It was a partnership between Goldman-Sachs and the Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at Pan Atlantic University, to empower about 10,000 women entrepreneurs. I was selling and hawking Moi-Moi in front of a school.
- When did you get your first break in your business?
My first break came when the United Nations team came to Nigeria to invest in women-owned business. I was one of the participants after a 5-month long program. I learned how to structure my business, build communication skills and improve customer service.