Meet the Boss: Tomilola Odunuga, CEO, Ex-Treat Bakers

  Tomilola Odunuga is the Chief Executive Officer of Ex-Treat Bakers, a catering business well known in Port Harcourt, giving the best of pastries in Cookies. She spoke to Connect Nigeria on her experiences and journey since her outfit was established and the future of the business in Candies and Cakes. Tell us about your professional and educational background? I am a Zoology graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University. Asides from being a scientist, I love creating things with my hands and baking. So, after school, I went for a training at the Bakers’ World in Lagos. What inspired the name Ex-Treat Bakers? ‘Ex-Treat’ as a word is a coinage of two words – ‘extreme’ and ‘treatment’. I remember the day I came up with that name in school while conversing with my friends on our dreams for our lives. I told them that, for me, I wanted my customers to have the extreme treatment when they eat what I make and then, Clement, one of my friends suggested that I should take the ‘Ex-‘ from the extreme and the ‘Treat’ from the treatment as one of the suggestions of a name for my business. I fell in love with the idea. I have a business with the name now. Why did you decide to do this? It has been my passion since I can remember. My family has a bakery we run and ever since I was young, I had followed in that line and my passion for the flour has never waned. I remember during secondary school how I would make different kinds of pies for my family and friends even though then, it might not have been up to the standard because I was young and did not know much about what I was doing but as I grew up, my love for the dough grew too and I knew that as I did not enjoy working for people, if I was going to have my business, it would have to be in baking. I also love that satisfactory contentment I give my customers when they eat what I make and they love and accept it. When they ask me if my cookies were truly made in Nigeria, I light up. That is satisfaction to me. What were your biggest challenges starting out? Challenges started out in meeting up with the demands of my customers as I supply major supermarkets in Portharcourt, along with Silverbird Cinemas and distributors and individuals who call for demands but I pray everyday that the demand should increase, so it is a positive challenge that pushes me towards giving the best. How would you measure your customer’s satisfaction level? The demands for my cookies keeps increasing here in Portharcourt. Our cookies are even taken out of the country. We have some of our customers when travelling, they order our cookies and take them abroad. What keeps you motivated in this business? My passion for pastries keeps me motivated. God is my source and strength. My husband and my son have also been a driving force for business. My husband has been so wonderful and so understanding. I only try as much as I can not to make my business affect my family and I make sure that my family have fun on our business trips. What is Ex-Treat Bakers unique selling point? We give the best of pastries presently in our cookies and very soon, with our candies and cakes. What would Ex-Treat Bakers be known for in the nearest future? Well, first in a couple of months to years from now, we would establish in our markets the best of pastries in candies and cakes. In five years, we will be known as world class bakers by God’s grace and by our hard work. What would your advice be to would-be entrepreneurs in this industry? Embarking upon any business has its risk and the money you make from it is not enough passion to see you through. Love what you do and not the monetary value you may get from it.