THE STORY OF A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE DRY FISH PRODUCER

Zubby Anazodo, CEO, Gentle Giant Foods

 Anayo Nwosu

 

I have never treated Zubby as my customer but as a brother. He would follow me from one bank to another as I changed jobs. I processed his first bank facility and helped him with business advice.

 

His company, Arkpoint Ltd, has a copyright to numerous auto spare parts and products ranging from brake shoe pads, tubes and tyres to engine lubricants. He has made so much money and name in the Nigerian motorcycle spare parts market until the problem of scarcity of foreign exchange to import his goods became nagging coupled with banning of Okada by state governments in Nigeria.

 

Zubby (Anazodo Zubby) became worried and needed to diversify before he would become a former rich man. We had been talking about it, I have been urging him to smell the coffee and move into agroallied products but he was lethargic.

 

After reading my article on Facebook in May 2020, Zubby would not allow me rest until we had a strategic business meeting to settle for production of smoked fish. That was how Gentle Giant Foods was born. Feasibility studies were done, kiln and factory constructed in one of his properties in Satellite Town Lagos.

 

Zubby doesn’t grow the fish, he buys from fish farmers. Right now, he is one of the biggest customers of Chi Limited’s fish farming arm. Zubby’s new company with staff strength of 12 persons currently produces dried catfish. They plan to add dried croakers and chicken for local consumption and export.

 

Zubby has taken this business with all seriousness. He is the chief marketer. He is not ashamed to sell fish to his church members, friends, relatives and the existing customers of his auto spare parts line of business. And the business is growing with clientele all over Nigeria, USA, UK, Japan and Europe.

 

Guys, there is money in agriculture, but you have to choose an area you can properly handle. Zubby has brought excellence into dried fish business. He doesn’t play with his customers’ orders and what you paid for is what you get. He pays more attention to the hygiene and the quality of goods than profit.

 

Gentle Giant Foods is one of the success stories of a banker and his customer. We succeed together.