How Nigerian Startup, Negs Empire, Produces Quality Honey Using Technology
By Abbas Badmus
TECHDIGEST – Negs Empire, a Nigerian beekeeping and honey packaging company is using sophisticated technology to produce the ‘purest honey’ in the country and beyond, Tech Digest reports.
The firm, located in Imo State, produces and packages its honey in 25ml sachet and bottles of different sizes.
The CEO and founder of Negs Empire, Nwakuba Ezinne told TechDigest in an exclusive interview that their firm empowers rural community dwellers with beekeeping skills and make them key partners in their honey production value chain.
“We started in a non-honey producing state with resilience and we are competitive focused on branding, which is different from what my mother originally did and today we have a National MSME Award from the Vice- President of the federal Republic of Nigeria for our honey brand.
“We have successfully developed and branded 7 different Negs Honey products. Installed over 500 beehives in different locations in Nigeria for the sustainability of the business and non-seasonal supply of honey.
“Created over 30 indirect jobs and 7 direct jobs and have trained over 50 youths in bee-keeping skills, and today we have over 1000 paying 400 returning customers and have successfully developed sales to the U.S.A” said Ezinne.
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She further explained that partnership with women and youths in rural communities as out growers of their honey gives them non-seasonal supply of honey all year round unlike our competitors that purchase from open market.
“We make smallholders bee farmers in rural communities key partners in our honey production value chain, we have accessed to non-seasonal supply of honey, thereby providing our customers with accessibility and availability of honey 24/7 non-seasonal.
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“We offer affordable pure honey considering the purchasing power of the bottom of the pyramid in the society by packaging honey in different pack sizes for as low as NGN100 and also make it accessible and available with easily delivery channel in Africa and other continents”, Enzinne added.
The CEO of Negs Empire also informed TechDigest that the grant received from the African Economic Congress and Start-up Nigeria was part of the money used for the purchase of an automated sachet honey packaging machine.
“After the National MSME AWARDS, the Federal government supported me with a car. Tony Elumelu foundation supported me $5000 which we use to increase our working capital”, Said Enzinne.
She has won several innovation challenge competitions and grants which include 1st runner-up in the 2019 Ugwumba Enterprise Challenge, Owerri Edition; 1st runner-up, Startup Nigeria 2019; winner of the African Economic Congress Challenge 2019; winner of Nigeria @60 Challenge Slogan category 2020; winner Bridge MassChallenge 2021/2022; and emerged Ugwumba Fellow of the Year 2019 (female category).
she finally appeal to Federal Government to create more opportunities for MsME’s to access growth loan without hinges and also private individuals should believe in made in Nigerian goods to increase patronage.
