The Story of NELLY AGBOGU: BIG LADY, BIGGER DREAMS

If a child sees a big lady with chips, he will call her ‘Aunty’. If a teenager sees a big lady who sells bread, the teenager will conclude that she is a mother selling to feed her children. If an old woman sees a big lady who sells breads and chips, the old fellow will consider her a productive woman in her prime but what does social media think of this big lady?

I came in contact with the Queen of Instagram, popularly referred to as the Lolo of Instagram, in 2022. I admire her carriage and high self-esteem. It takes an audacious person to come face the humans of social media to make business transactions. From her Shameless marketing to her actual product of Nigerian Pumpkin (Ugu) chips, I wanted to know whom this woman is.

After much curiosity, I stumbled on her once upon a time YouTube Channel on weight loss and I took my time to watch every single video on the channel. The more I watched, the more I was inspired. I saw a woman who was audacious and persevering.

In case you wonder, “Who is a big lady?”

Here is an explanation, The term “big lady” instead of explicitly stating “fat lady” might be a way some people choose to avoid using a potentially offensive or insensitive term. It could be an attempt to use a more neutral or euphemistic expression to describe someone’s size.
Now, you get it….

She was not always big, she was not born the Queen of Instagram, she did not ways dream of organising the biggest Trade fairs in Nigeria, she bare dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur. Here is the story about Nigeria’s foremost Online Business Coach who is passionate about African businesses leveraging technology to scale and grow.

She was born on 23rd February, 1985. The big and bold Nelly had a stature considered to be slim, she was considered the model of the House. Growing up, she was always on fresh milk and yoghurt as her Dad considered her to be skinny but things were about to take turn.

“Just one bite, it does not mean.” She would think as she paved entrance for food into her body system. At some point in her life, food became her confident, she found serenity with food. It did not take forever to realise that the comfort she derived was an facade.

When she made attempt to pick a bottle from the floor but failed, Nelly Agbogu knew there was a problem. After giving birth to her second son, the doctor warned her against the danger of the weight she had, warning that what might bring her to the hospital next may be way serious than a child birth.

A wife trying to managing her health, a career woman struggling with lack of promotion on job, a child with a mother who is diabetic and a mother to a mildly autistic child. Was there more to her life? More pains to feel or a redemption?

She began the process of preparing gluten free foods for her child, a necessary for her ail child. She needed an alternative to the expensive ones she got. Her kitchen was her workshop, she barely fond a physical spot to learn how to prepare the solutions for her son. Thus, she made the internet her friend, from watching YouTube to surfing the internet for relevant information to guide. Maybe, this was the beginning of her social media royalty, Queen of Instagram.

Well, at that time, she wanted a solution to mitigating her son’s issue, she was just a social media user, trying to find a solution. Sometimes, she got her mixtures right. Sometimes, the dust bin welcomed her strange sacrifices that were too bad to be eaten by human beings. Gradually, she hit the jackpot – Bananna bread and Ugu chips.

As a career woman in the corporate world of Schlumberger, an oil company, she would stay up at night baking her bread to be sold the following day. The Nigerian mother went as far going live on Instagram while she prepared her banana breads, she would dance all through the baking process. Contrary to the belief that she was making her Instagram live for content creation, she used the live sessions as a means to avoid dozing while she baked. At day break, she goes about her business like she had a sound sleep the previous night.

While I researched about this outstanding business’s tycoon, I marveled at how much a story she has behind her glory. The banana bread she turned into a business was a product she strove to make so that her mother could find something to eat.
She excellently combined her work at Schlumberger and her early deliveries at the stores where her bread was sold, she would get to her office early to quickly take a nap before other workers resume for the day’s activity.

One day, she made retrospection on her profits from her business of banana bread and marvelled at how much profit she made. So, she thought to see how profit will bloom in a year, she had a target. Somehow, she out did her target. In six months, she had smashed her target. In March 2016, she opened her store.

Her career had a change. From.the lady who desired the glories of an oil company to an entrepreneur.

Did trouble end?

Well, no….

Those who did not know her story had positioned themselves as her enemies as she had been accused for being self-centered, unwilling to share her bread recipe, more people continue to wonder at how she turns the regular Nigerian pumpkin (Ugu) into chips.

Mrs Nelly Agbogu is someone you may not absolute love but cannot ignore. About loving her, what is it about her you may not love, having digested her story?

Today, she is the convener of the most profitable trade fairs in various cities of Nigeria, she has trained over eighty thousand persons and small businesses in a bid to improve their businesses, she has a successful business at Nellies Nigeria, she is a multiple time brand ambassador.

About her mildly autistic child, her intentional effort in researching for home made gluten free food, as well as other necessary measures taken has turned the her baby boy into one of the brightest students in class.

She is Nigerians number one Queen of Instagram, smashing her numbers in business marketing. Do not forget that she is still a wife and a mother.

Her story really inspires.

First, I learnt the beauty of marrying right. What is all these perseverance without a supportive husband?

Secondly, her story depicts that of an individual who had a mindshift. The moment she took responsibility of her life and that of those around her, she began her break through into a world of entrepreneur. It did not look like it at the beginning but today a blind man can read the handwriting on the wall.

Have your probed your problem? It might be your stepping stone to your biggest of dreams.

Posted by ADEYEMO, JESUTOFUNMI. She  is a creative writer and multiple awards winner.