Isiak Fauziyyah is the founder of Fauziyyah Honey Limited, a company that capitalises on the country’s apiculture potential to produce high-grade honey for local and international markets.
For Fauziyyah, a couple of factors inspired her journey into beekeeping and harvesting honey. Initially, she had ventured into poultry farming but left the trade due to its high mortality rate and the significant expense of maintaining it, particularly with feeding requirements.
When it comes to the honey business, she realised that, raw, unprocessed honey was scarce in the market. “I wanted to provide raw and unprocessed honey to people because honey can be dangerous if it’s fake and diluted with chemicals. I have experienced that firsthand, so I was determined to offer a safer, raw alternative to consumers,” she said.
Success Story
For Fauziyyah, the decision to enter the beekeeping business has proven rewarding. By focusing on selling raw, unadulterated honey, her brand has earned a reputation for quality that has attracted loyal customers. To her, “this is what makes our brand stand out. We have a lot of returning customers who only buy Fauziyyah Honey. They don’t use any other honey, and that loyalty is something we deeply appreciate. For us, that’s a success story.”
Additionally, Fauziyyah noted that, her honey is frequently used as a thoughtful gift, which further drives repeat purchases, adding that, “People buy our honey to give to others because many don’t have access to raw honey. Through this, we gain more loyal customers.”
Lucrativity
As Fauziyyah pointed out, honey is a lucrative business despite its challenges. “Somebody can even become a billionaire from selling unadulterated honey,” she stated, highlighting countries such as Morocco, Kenya, and Turkey. These nations generate significant revenue from honey exports due to strong governmental support for their beekeeping industries.
“They’ve curbed insecurity and invested in facilities to test and ensure grade-A standards for their honey, which enables them to export globally at good prices. They’re generating billions of dollars,” she said. Fauziyyah expressed gratitude for her decision to venture into beekeeping, noting that, ‘It opened my eyes to a lot. There’s so much I didn’t know about honey until I became a beekeeper.’
However, the demand for raw honey often exceeds what Fauziyyah can supply. Sometimes I don’t meet the demand of my customers, she admitted. She believes the Nigerian government should invest in beekeeping to unlock the industry’s full potential.
Challenges
Fauziyyah acknowledged that many people who entered the industry after her have since exited, not because beekeeping is inherently bad, but due to the inevitable risks every business faces. Even selling pure water comes with its challenges, she noted.
“A significant hurdle in beekeeping is insecurity. Honey is like gold, and people steal it. When thieves come, you even pray they don’t find you on the farm because sometimes they come with guns,” she said.
She explained that untrained individuals often destroy beehives by setting them on fire, leading to financial and ecological losses. “You lose the beehives you’ve invested time and money in. The land becomes compromised, and you’re forced to relocate.”
Another challenge is the lack of modern equipment. “Beekeeping isn’t like tailoring, where materials are readily available. Most equipment for beekeepers needs to be imported, often at high costs,” she said.
Advice
For those interested in entering the industry, Fauziyyah emphasised the importance of proper practical training. “Most people make the mistake of relying on YouTube videos and think the knowledge they get there is enough. For example, there are over 20,000 bee species, and the bees abroad are different from ours. You can’t assume their behaviour is the same as ours,” she explained.
Hands-on experience is key, she said, adding that, “With practical knowledge, you’ll observe mistakes made by your instructor and learn how to avoid them when you start your own business.”
Passion, too, is crucial. “Whatever you choose to do, make sure you’re passionate about it. Every trade comes with challenges, but when you truly love what you do, you’ll find the motivation to face them head-on. Loving what you do is very important,” she concluded.
Biography
Born and raised in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Isiak Fauziyyah is the founder of Fauziyyah Honey Limited, a company dedicated to producing raw, unprocessed honey. With a strong passion for agriculture, Fauziyyah refined her skills through hands-on experience gained as an apprentice, coupled with online classes that deepened her knowledge.
Her hard work, commitment, and innovative approach to agribusiness have not gone unnoticed. Fauziyyah earned recognition as one of the 26 agripreneurs selected for the prestigious Lagos State Agrinnovation Grant, the maiden edition, which supports promising entrepreneurs in agriculture.
A devout Muslim, Fauziyyah’s values and determination drive her mission to provide high-quality honey products while contributing to the growth of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
