Foremost entrepreneur and Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr Tony Elumelu, at the weekend restated its commitment to continue to support the aspiration of young Nigerian entrepreneurs.
He commended the founder and CEO of Sundry Foods, Mr Ebele Enunwa, for taking the brand to an enviable height, emerging as the second-largest food service company in Nigeria.
Elumelu, who spoke briefly during the 20-year anniversary of the company, recalled that he never met the founder 20 years ago when he approved a credit facility for the take-off of the company when he was the CEO of Standard Trust Bank.
According to Elumelu, his principle has always been to support what makes any sense, which is the idea behind the Tony Elumelu Foundation African Entrepreneurship programme.
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In a brief discussion with journalists, he said, “We appreciate the young ones. I am very, very proud of him (Enunwa). This is the first time I am meeting him but that is who we are. We support what makes sense.”
Enunwa reminisced on the journey of Sundry foods in the last 20 years starting with a restaurant in Port Harcourt, saying it was scary and daunting at the beginning with a lot of “unexpected twists and turns” but he surmounted the challenges with determination and commitment to always satisfy the customers.
“Today, with over 200 branches in over 110 locations across 20 cities, employing over 4000 people around the country, we are a truly Nigerian company.
Our vision continues to evolve and today we dream of taking Nigerian (and African) cuisine to the world.
“We saw that the customers enjoyed what we were doing and that continues to motivate us to give our best at all times. We focus on the customers, trying to make sure that the customer is happy, getting value for their money and that has helped us to succeed and be here 20 years later,” he said.
He advised young entrepreneurs going into business to understand the market opportunities, understand the needs of the customers and always strive to meet their expectations
Chairman of the board, Adedotun Sulaiman, stated that the next chapter of Sundry Foods “will be characterised by continued growth and expansion, fresh innovations, and an even stronger commitment to our customers and the communities we serve.”
“From our humble beginnings with just one restaurant in Port Harcourt, we have today grown to become an integrated food services company, offering a diverse portfolio of products and services across 197 business units in 116 locations across 16 of the 36 states in Nigeria, including Lagos and Abuja,” he said.
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