• Hausa Edition
  • Podcast
  • Conferences
  • LeVogue Magazine
  • Business News
  • Print Advert Rates
  • Online Advert Rates
  • Contact Us
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Leadership Newspapers
Read in Hausa
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Leadership Newspapers
No Result
View All Result

Benue Civil Servant Who Roasts Corn To Make Ends Meet

Faced with dire financial straits, Godwin Chaga, a 63-year-old employee of the College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, dared the odds by going into corn roasting after work hours to expand his income stream. Now, he smiles to his home with daily earnings, enough to take care of his immediate family needs, HEMBADOON ORSAR writes.

by Leadership News
11 months ago
in Cover Stories
benue
Share on WhatsAppShare on FacebookShare on XTelegram

What others ignored and declared a dirty and menial job -corn roasting – adjacent to the gate of a tertiary institution of learning in Makurdi, Benue State, has turned Mr Godwin Chaga, a 63-year-old civil servant, into a happy and responsible father.

Instead of relying on his monthly salary, which hardly meets the needs of his household, Chaga now makes bisk sales daily by selling roasted fresh corn to his ever-growing customers in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend, a proud and fulfilled Chaga, said, “Now, I can easily put food on my family’s table.”

Advertisement

Chaga narrated how he entered the corn business four years ago, following the country’s persistent economic hardship.

He said, “It is thinking outside the box that brought me into the business of corn roasting since my salary could no longer cater for my family’s needs.

“Depending on salary only at this time will ridicule you in the face of your family members because before you collect it, you have already spent almost all the money, but with this business, we are moving on salary or no salary,” he said.

Chaga said he was no longer ashamed of going into the business after being in it for four years, and “it is putting food on the family’s table.”

RELATED

Leaders Must Unite For North’s Development  – Sule Lamido

2027: I’ll Be In PDP, Work For Coalition – Lamido

13 minutes ago
JUST-IN: Despite Gov Yusuf’s Arrest Order, Deposed Emir Bayero Moves Into Mini Palace

KANO EMIRATE TUSSLE…My Supporters Acted In Self-Defence – Emir Bayero

1 day ago

He expressed gratitude to his customers, colleagues, and university students for encouraging him to continue despite the initial derogatory remarks from those who felt it was not the best thing for him.
A father of four and grandfather of six, who hails from the Konshisha local government area of Benue State, continued, “I am happily married with four children and six grandchildren, and I have been working in the college for the past 12 years as a driver.
“I woke up one day and asked God to direct me on how to complement my salary to enable me to feed my family in this difficult time, and what came to my mind was the roasting of corn. I don’t know whether it was because I like eating roasted corn

“I came to the office, and when I was free, I went round the vicinity to see whether there were people roasting corn, and I found none. That was when I put the necessary things in order and commenced the business,” he said.
Elder Chaga, as he is popularly called, dresses well whenever he turns up to carry out the business of the day.

He, however, expressed sadness over the discouragement from a few people who always tell him that he is too old for the business and that he is a disgrace to his friends and family.
He added that many others also encourage him to continue, especially his colleagues at work, adding that they patronise him as a demonstration of their approval of what he does.

“I am ready and willing to do any business that will fetch me money to cater for my family as long as it is not stealing or fraud,” Chaga said.

When our correspondent visited his sales point, only her daughter, Nguveren Chaga, was on duty. When asked about her father’s whereabouts, she said that because it was office hours, he could not leave his work until after 4 p.m., when he closed from work.

Thirty minutes later, Chaga came to join her to continue the day’s business.
In the ensuing interaction, Chaga said, “I work with the College of Health Sciences, Benue State University. So, during office hours, my daughter comes around to help me, and when office hours are over, I join her in the business. We close here by 9 p.m.

Asked whether he gets the corn from his farm, Chaga replied, “No. We buy it from the farmers and one bag costs N17,000. When you add the cost of charcoal and transport fare, it goes up to either N18,000 or N19,000 depending on the distance of the market.”
On how much profit he makes daily from sales, Chaga explained that for every bag he buys, he sells up to N25,000 and above. After that, he subtracts the cost of buying corn the next day, and the balance will be used to service the home.

Speaking on why he settled for roasting corn, Chaga said, “I like roasted corn, and when I discovered that no one was selling it around and within the college and many people loved it, I took the bold step to start the business. Because of the economic realities, I am happy to say that I can put food on the table for my family.

“I hate stressing my children with my needs, my eldest son is in the village farming, but I cannot depend on him because he has a family to cater for, he is married with four children, so I am roasting corn to complement my salary and I am good to go, irrespective of my age.”

About the feelings of friends and family members on his choice of business, Chaga said, “My family is in support of it, that is why you see my daughter who would have ordinarily felt ashamed of coming close here as other children may do, is always around me to help. Although a few friends are against it, some say at my age, roasting corn is a shame and that I shouldn’t have engaged in this kind of business, but I usually tell them that as long as I am doing something that will not land me in jail and my family is in support, I am contented.

“I want to tell you and the whole world that I am not ashamed of roasting corn as a business. I feel good and great because of the patronage I receive from my work and others. Age does not matter in business as long as God gives you strength and direction, so no regrets at all.

“I am calling on the Benue State government to help me with farm inputs so that by next season, all the corn I will be roasting will come from my farm. With that, I will make more profit and even have enough food to eat as well,” he said.

Chaga said he sells the corn for between N150 and N200 each depending on the size.
For her part, Chaga’s daughter, Nguveren, said she was proud to help her father in the business and does not care what her friends say. She added that as long as they are making a profit, she would continue to be at her duty post.
According to her, she graduated from the College of Education in Akwanga, Nasarawa State in August last year, and since then, she has chosen to join her father in the business instead of roaming the streets and looking for men to meet her needs

She said, “I am not ashamed of what I am doing. My father is a very focused and determined man who does not play with whatever he does and that is what he taught us, I like it, although most of my friends are not coming around again because they are ashamed to see me roasting corn with my father, what they don’t know is that I am also using what my father gave to me from the profit to meet my needs and I also adhere to his advice that I should not go out to look for men.
“My intention is to further my education. This August 2024 marks exactly one year since my graduation as a National Certificate of Education (NCE) holder, but I have not gotten any work, and I cannot sit at home to watch my father struggling to feed us.

“I also believe that the savings from the corn business will one day take me back to school for my degree programme.

“My advice to young ladies is to engage in a trade to earn money and turn their back on unserious men,” she said.


We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →

Join Our WhatsApp Channel



Tags: BenueGodwin Chaga
SendShareTweetShare
Previous Post

29 Days After S/Court Verdict, Governors Still Operate State/LG Joint Accounts

Next Post

Proposed N80,000 Electricity Fee…Trouble Brews In Varsities As ASUU, Students Kick

Leadership News

Leadership News

You May Like

Leaders Must Unite For North’s Development  – Sule Lamido
Cover Stories

2027: I’ll Be In PDP, Work For Coalition – Lamido

2025/07/10
JUST-IN: Despite Gov Yusuf’s Arrest Order, Deposed Emir Bayero Moves Into Mini Palace
Cover Stories

KANO EMIRATE TUSSLE…My Supporters Acted In Self-Defence – Emir Bayero

2025/07/09
Mark Hails Ukoha’s Commitment, Integrity In Public Service
Cover Stories

ADC Has No Preferred Presidential Aspirant – Mark

2025/07/09
FUEL CRISIS…Hold Marketers Responsible For Long Queues – Dangote
Cover Stories

Dangote Refinery To End Crude Importation By Year-end – Report

2025/07/09
Kano Emirate Tussle: My Palace Gate Breached By Bayero’s Supporters – Emir Sanusi
Cover Stories

Kano Emirate Tussle: My Palace Gate Breached By Bayero’s Supporters – Emir Sanusi

2025/07/08
New Tax Policy To Exempt 95% of Informal Sector — Oyedele
Cover Stories

New Laws: Experts Raise Fresh Concerns Over High Corporate Taxes

2025/07/08
Leadership Conference advertisement

LATEST

NIN Disruption Exposes Gaps In Telecom Infrastructure – Experts

Why Supporters Want Jonathan’s Return To Active Politics – Don

INEC Opens Window For New Registration In Anambra

Recycled Politicians Can’t Derail Tinubu’s Momentum – Adelakun

Ex-PDP Senatorial Aspirant Says ADC Offers New Dawn In Benue

FCTA Launches ‘Operation Sweep Abuja’ To Rid City Of Miscreants, Beggars

2027: I’ll Be In PDP, Work For Coalition – Lamido

Dominant PSG Thrash Real Madrid 4-0 To Reach FIFA Club World Cup Final

Police Roll Out Massive Security Measures For July 12 Local Gov’t Elections In Lagos

We’ll Build On Buhari’s Legacy, Reform Agenda — Tinubu

© 2025 Leadership Media Group - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Leadership Media Group - All Rights Reserved.