Ounje Oba

Global migration has witnessed tremendous progress in the last five decade, which has led to an estimated 281 million migrants worldwide. This has led to a surge in the number of African migrants across the globe, with a significant population of migrants with African descents in every region of the world, giving premise for cultural diversity- an essential and integral part of socialization and development. Cultural identity and representation could be either materialistic or non-materialistic, with the former including society's physical objects like tools, technology, clothing, food, eating utensils etc, while the later details the values, beliefs, symbols and language that define a society. Food is a vital part of intangible (non-materialistic) cultural heritage and given the accompanying traditional recipes, cooking techniques and dining etiquette which reflects the inherent values, beliefs, and customs of communities and people groups. Equivalently, this has led to a significant increase in the number of traditional indigenous stores, shops, restaurants and kitchen in foreign shores (countries/territories) in order for migrants in diaspora to continually relish the taste of their traditional food.  However, there is still substantial gap in the cultural food delicacies in foreign shores owing to the inability to easily source fresh traditional and indigenous foods and ingredients. Additionally, the varying agroecological and climatic differences between regions also makes supply for traditional indigenous foods and ingredients dependent on the home country, which not only extends the food chain, making the food system complex but contributorily increases carbon emissions associated with food mileage via freight and transportation, as well as food loss and wastages, owing to the long distances covered by the produce, especially for highly perishable foods. Other alternative pathways explored including frozen and dried options, often leave the traditional food nutritionally sub-par and hence not so desirable and sustainable. In essence, migrants of African decent in diaspora struggle to locate and access authentic fresh African vegetables due to a limited selection that is available overseas, leading to a lack of cultural and dietary diversity in their meals. Similarly, the frequent worries and agitations about the freshness and quality of imported indigenous-African vegetables  has equally generated serious dissatisfaction in the market for migrants in diaspora. In other words, 40.6 million African migrants are dissatisfied globally, about 11 million in Europe and an approximate 2.1 million in the United Kingdom. 

Ounje Oba is dedicated to bringing a taste of Africa to the diaspora community by cultivating fresh African-indigenous vegetables with the deployment of innovative passive-hydroponics under indoor vertical farming conditions, which mimics the optimal simulation of appropriate climatic and agroecological conditions for African-indigenous leafy vegetables production. In other words, we are deploying innovative passive-hydroponics in an indoor vertical farming structural framework, to produce African-indigenous leafy vegetables in the United Kingdom, closer to the migrant community. The innovative-passive hydroponics is a climate smart, soilless farming system, developed with the use of bio-materials as substrates medium to give growers optimal control of the production conditions. It is a blend of the pure water culture hydroponics and the substrates based system to give flexibility to mimicking and achieving optimal agroecological conditions for tropical crops. Over all, the structural deployment involves the use of planting troughs, coco fribre/ coco coir (bio-material from coconut), grow lights, agronomic materials, grow house (greenhouse, indoor plant house), drip irrigation and vertical frames. 

We are a bridge connecting migrants with the flavours of their homeland. Our unique selection of indigenous vegetables is carefully cultivated to meet the dietary needs and culinary preferences of African communities living abroad, offering a comforting reminder of home. Our operations transcend the conventional boundaries of agricultural production by focusing exclusively on African-indigenous vegetable varieties. We have simply carved a niche in the international market, particularly among the African diasporas. Our products are not just fresh; they are a testament to our commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. Cultivated under optimal indoor vertical farming system, our vegetables retain their authentic taste and nutritional value, thanks to our sustainable farming practices that echo the natural African ecosystems.

Our innovative approach to cultivating indigenous African vegetables locally addresses the concerns over the freshness and quality of imported produce, as well as establishing a direct supply chain to our community, which eliminates the need for lengthy imports, circumvents the high shipping costs and import taxes that often lead to inflated prices and guarantee the freshness and quality of our produce. This ensures a consistent, cost-effective supply of fresh produce, directly benefiting the diaspora community by making authentic African vegetables more accessible and affordable. Our commitment to quality and sustainability positions us as a leading provider in the market, offering a solution that supports both the environment and the needs of migrants seeking a taste of home. This approach not only bridges the gap for those seeking a connection to their cultural roots through food but also promotes healthier, environmentally friendly agricultural practices.

Our operational strategies are designed to ensure that the African diaspora (in the United Kingdom, Europe, America, Australia & Asia) has year-round access to fresh, authentic African-indigenous vegetables. In producing these fresh, high-value and edible leafy vegetables, we want to reduce the average food mile of African-Indigenous leafy Vegetables in the diaspora to 500 miles, while boosting domestic supply and creating jobs along the supply chain management and activities. 

The rapid spread of globalization has stimulated high traffic of international migration, with an approximate 281 million global migrant population. This has consequently led to the spike and increase in the number of African-migrants globally, representing about 15% of the total. Mostly driven by the need and desire for greener pasture and the quest to break the economic misery, hardship and accompanied poverty, environmental stress, conflicts, violence and war, African migrants are deeply knitted with their traditional roots of origin. They are built to be resilient, never unwavering and committed to excellence in their chosen professional careers. This has made it possible for their significant contributions to some of the world's cutting edge technologies, businesses, profession and development endeavors. Owing to the traditional and communal background ingrained in most African communities, African-migrants in diaspora have replicated similar safe spaces, and social cohesive system to continue the traditional practice, celebrate culture, promote customs and embrace diversity. 

One of such immediate and resultant effect of the migration surge is the proliferation of traditional-indigenous and cultural ethnic stores, shops and restaurants in foreign shores, with the objective of tending to the food needs of these African-migrants. Food is an important and indispensable element of the African culture, the sacredness in its recipe formulation and preparation, cultural celebrations and deep connection to nature all accounts for the popular African cliche and proverb; "Food is King". These restaurants and stores were designed to provide an home-away-from-home experience for migrants in diaspora. In-spite of their presence to bridge the market gap and needs of migrants in diaspora, they are often confronted with supply chain challenges of fresh food products that many migrants so much crave for and desire. This is true especially for ingredients, herbs and vegetables that are naturally cultivated under the African tropical climatic agroecological conditions. Additionally, the travel distance from Africa to other parts of the world equally pose a big obstacle for fresh indigenous products timely delivery without diminishing quality in appearance, taste, value and quality. This equally often results in the food loss and wastage enabled by handling, packaging, freight conditions and/or demurrage. In other words, African migrants do not only experience supply inefficiencies and unavailability of their cultural foods, but are also faced with the nutritional deficiencies in going for subpar not-so-good looking and frozen alternatives. 

As a third-generation farmer, my journey began rooted deeply in the fertile soils of my family's farming heritage in Nigeria, Africa. I have always been surrounded by the continuous cycles of growth and harvest, witnessing first-hand the profound connection between people and the food they eat. Premised on this traditional heritage, I sought knowledge and personal development to help farmers in my community address the climate change crisis. However, it was my passion for research and the deployment of agritech solutions that truly set me on the path to founding Ounje Oba. I was driven by a vision to reduce carbon footprints associated with food mileage and fundamentally change the narrative around food production systems for the betterment of food security. This vision was not just about producing food more sustainably but also about ensuring that the food we grow meets both cultural and traditional tastes of migrants in the diaspora.

During my exploration of innovative farming techniques, I stumbled upon hydroponics, a method that fascinated me with its efficiency and potential for indoor cultivation. The more I worked with and developed my understanding of hydroponic systems, the more I realized it was a perfect fit for my vision. It became clear to me that this technology could be the key to growing indigenous African vegetables right here in the United Kingdom, providing migrants with a taste of home while adhering to sustainable practices. This realization was a pivotal moment, sparking the idea to start Ounje Oba. My aim was not just to grow vegetables but to cultivate a sense of belonging and community for migrants far from their native lands, through the familiar flavors of home-grown produce. It was in my days of exploration and consultation with the diaspora community that I met my team members who share the same passion and commitment for change and making the planet sustainable. We are a team of five (2 males, 3 female) African migrants in the United Kingdom, with boundless enthusiasm that is driven by the same vision of reducing food mileage and bridging cultures through the universal language of food. By conducting thorough market research within diaspora communities, we understood the scale of the problem, identified and prioritized  the production and supply of the most demanded and missed vegetables, ensuring that migrants can enjoy a taste of home, no matter where they are. Our commitment to sustainability and community-focused approach allows us to meet the specific needs of our customers, providing them with fresh, culturally significant produce that is otherwise hard to find.By combining traditional African vegetable farming with cutting-edge hydroponic technology, we are not only offering fresh, culturally significant produce to African migrants in the United Kingdom but also leading the way in environmentally friendly farming practices. It is a win-win scenario where we can honour our roots while embracing the future of agriculture, while we remain thrilled to see where this path leads us in making a positive impact on our community and the planet.

Ounje Oba is currently at the prototype development stage following the conceptualization and initial experimentation phase. We are currently monitoring and evaluating the simulated agroecological conditions in our production facility with the aim of developing and achieving the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) at by the second half of 2024. We are still in our pre-trading stage, as we make evaluations and amendments to the agroecological conditions to determining the smartest, cheapest and most efficient resource combination upon which our MVP would be based and up-scaling activities from trading can be built, measured, managed and developed. We are hopeful and working tirelessly to ensure trading activities would commence by the end of third quarter of the year. 

We strongly believe that being part of the solver teams' community would contribute immensely to our growth and development process through partnership and networking opportunities that is inherent in Solve's global community of innovators, entrepreneurs and business owners. We acknowledge the potential impact and contribution that partners would have on our work and the scalability of the solution. 

More specifically, we are hopeful that we would benefit from digital monitoring, evaluation and measuring system for our carbon emission reduction metrics as the business grows and scales for ease of accounting. 

Further more, we would like to be a part of a global community of learners, change-makers and solution providers that is passionately committed to achieving the net zero goals and climate neutrality.

Lastly, we do believe that participating in the training program would better position us in the market, help facilitate media visibility for our products and services and participation in relevant conferences where critical and big decisions are being made.

Ounje Oba is a first of its kind in the United Kingdom with focus on ensuring reliable and sustainable supply chain of African-indigenous vegetables in diaspora. Our operations transcend the conventional boundaries of agricultural production as we focus exclusively on African indigenous leafy vegetable, we are set to carve a niche in the international market, particularly among the African diaspora in the united Kingdom and Europe. Our products are not just fresh; they are a testament to our commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. Thanks to our sustainable farming practices that mimic and echo the natural African ecosystems, we cultivate our vegetables with the deployment of innovative-passive hydroponics under indoor vertical growth conditions in foreign territories, to retain their authentic taste and nutritional value. This makes it even more equitable for disenfranchised people and people with disabilities in the diaspora community to grow their produce sustainably. 

What sets Ounje Oba apart is our unwavering dedication to environmental stewardship and ethical sourcing. We are not just growing vegetables; we are nurturing a community and promoting a sustainable lifestyle. Committed to reducing carbon emissions associated with high food mileage, our approach to agriculture prioritizes the health of our planet and the well-being of our customers, ensuring that every bite is a step towards a more sustainable future. By focusing on African-indigenous vegetables and employing eco-friendly farming techniques, we offer a unique proposition that contributes positively to both local and global communities. Designed to ensure that the African diasporas in the United Kingdom and Europe has year-round access to fresh, authentic African-indigenous vegetables, we are reducing food mileage by establishing a direct supply chain to our community and customers, and thus eliminate lengthy imports in conventional supply chains and guarantee the freshness and quality of our produce. Beyond business, we are on an exciting journey of reconnecting with our roots, embracing sustainable living, and celebrating the rich culinary heritage of Africa outside of Africa.

Our production system is equally equitable, as it is a low-cost investment compared to hi-tech hydroponics farms, it is drought and flood resistant,  does not require lots of land, reduces carbon emission and preserves the nature by not being soil-cultivated. 

The production of African-indigenous vegetables in foreign shores (close proximity to diaspora community) with the deployment of climate smart and soilless farming technique under an indoor vertical farming system will ensure and facilitate continuous and year-round production of fresh indigenous vegetables. This will ultimately guarantee produce availability and all-time access to fresh nutritious indigenous vegetables to African migrants. This will significantly reduce food importation and associated taxation that accounts for higher prices of indigenous products in the diaspora. And thus facilitating and ensuring the reduction of average food mileage from 5,000 miles to 500 miles (from Africa to the United Kingdom). This significantly helps in the reduction of the large carbon emissions, estimated at three billion tonnes of CO2 emissions globally and the United Kingdom's nineteen million tonnes of CO2 annually. 

By bringing production centers closer to diaspora community for the delivery of fresh indigenous vegetables at all times, we are promoting healthy and sustainable living, responsible production and consumption pattern, engendering strong social bonds and promoting eco-friendly and climate smart agricultural practices.

With reliable supply chain system of African-indigenous vegetables for migrant communities in diaspora, we are contributing to their food security status and their living conditions to enjoying their stay and experience in foreign shores with re-connection to their roots as they easily relish the the taste, flavor and  freshness of their indigenous vegetables, herbs and spices.  

We are cultivating a taste of home, delivering the freshest African greens to diaspora doorsteps with every leaf and root. We are the green thread that waeves the vibrant tapestry of African culture into the diaspora landscape, nourishing communities and celebrating the rich tapestry of cultures. 

1. To provide authentic African vegetables in local markets in diaspora community. 

Indicators; 

• Scale of production 
• Cycle of production / number of production cycles
• Number of African-indigenous vegetables cultivated 
• Number of subscriptions (market-size) 
• Number of African stores, supermarkets and restaurants on our direct supply chain.

2. To ensure year-round supply of fresh and nutritious indigenous vegetables

• Quantity of production per cycle (KG/tonnes)
• Quality of freshly produced vegetables
• Frequency of demand and market trends
• Production efficiency 

3.To reduce the average food mileage of African indigenous vegetables from 5,000 miles to 500 miles

• CO2 emission tracker
• Mileage; Distance covered /traveled
• Customer database
• Material sourcing 

The innovative-hydroponics technology under indoor vertical conditions and farming systems is a soillees, climate smart agritech that combines the principles of pure water culture hydroponics and indoor vertical farming system. The design is built on three  fundamental principles for plant growth and productivity; that plants need water (and not rainfall) for growth, plants  need light (not the sun) for production and that plants need only and anchor/supporting system (and not necessarily the soil) to be held and/or supported. This made it possible to explore alternative substrate materials including rice husk, sawdust, bio char, coco coir, coco peat and potting mix. The goal was to recreate and mimic an agroecological condition similar to the natural tropical system in an indoor system, deploying vertical farming structures for space maximization and ease of management. 

Water is supplied with the use of irrigation equipment to the plants while the energy needed for production purposes is supplied via the broad spectrum light. the broad spectrum light is a light technology that comprises the light wavelength supplied by sunlight that is utilized by plants during photosynthesis. 

Building on the natural cultivation system, plant troughs in the similitude of roof gutters are used to house the substrates material, where the plants will be grown, monitored and cultivated. 

We are a team of five (5) young people; 2 males and 3 females with shared values and commitment of sourcing food sustainably and preserving the nature. We have only one full-time staff at the moment with others being part staff, considering the stage of growth we are in. Full-time staff is the one in charge of the production technicalities and operations. 

This is the seventh month of our active operation on the solution. The first three months were used to access, collect & analyse data and understand the scale of the supply chain challenge and then to build a solution concept. Following the concept development and experimentation in February through mid March, we started the prototype design and system operation in late March. 

Given the stage of the development we are in and our current team composition, we have maintained as much as possible giving people the opportunity to contribute and be part of some aspects of our work. We do not in any way discriminate on any basis of gender, race or colour or disability as we strongly believe in equal opportunity.

Our Business model

The business offers a unique proposition with its 'Fresh Vegetables' product, tailored specifically for migrants in diaspora seeking indigenous vegetables. Retail customers can expect to purchase via subscriptions or direct payment with the former giving them a 15% annual discount. This strategy is designed to make authentic, fresh produce accessible to individuals and families, ensuring they can enjoy the tastes of home without the hefty price tag often associated with imported goods.

In addition to serving retail customers, the business also caters to other stakeholders, retailers and distributors (African stores & restaurants), offering the 'Fresh Vegetables' product at a wholesale price of 20% annual discount. This competitive pricing allows for a healthy margin for our partners while ensuring the product remains affordable for the end consumer. By manufacturing the product in-house, the business is able to maintain control over quality and costs, with low production costs per unit. This approach not only guarantees a superior product but also supports a sustainable business model.

The business further diversifies its revenue streams through the 'Agricultural Production' service, available via an ongoing subscription model. Priced at approximately £100, this service is billed every 3 months, offering subscribers consistent and reliable access to the business's agricultural expertise for their home-grown gardens and indoor tent houses. This service is particularly appealing to those who value regular supplies of fresh, indigenous vegetables and wish to support sustainable agricultural practices. The subscription model ensures a steady income for the business while providing customers with exceptional value and convenience.

We have two market offering, the fresh vegetable product and the agricultural production service within which our revenue plans are locked in.