Ten years ago, Ovio Keturah, returned to Nigeria with a vision—to build a business from the ground that would redefine how small enterprises operate across Africa. Today, as the founder and CEO of Dukka, a leading technology company, she reflects on a decade of resilience, reinvention, and hard-earned lessons in entrepreneurship.
Keturah’s goal with Dukka is ambitious: to digitise millions of African small businesses, integrating them into the formal economy and unlocking access to growth, credit, and generational wealth. But for her, the mission extends beyond business. She is equally committed to enabling the next generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs—through mentorship, investments, and the creation of ecosystems designed to ease their journey.
When asked why she chose Lagos over the United States to pursue her ambitions, Keturah’s response was direct; “Lagos chose me as much as I chose it. I came back on a gut feeling—a sense that opportunity in Nigeria was raw, vast, and underdeveloped. I gave myself two years to figure it out. But within those two years, I realised the chaos was a catalyst. Lagos had the energy, the hunger, the gaps. If I could survive here, I could thrive anywhere.”
Keturah’s entrepreneurial path was not without hurdles. Reflecting on her first two failed ventures, she emphasised a critical lesson—timing.
“Timing matters more than brilliance. Infrastructure, or the lack of it, can make or break even the best ideas. Customer realities on the ground are different from what theory or foreign markets suggest. Distribution beats product—perfect tech doesn’t matter if it doesn’t match how people actually transact, and in Nigeria, hybrid offline-online realities dominate. Cash flow is oxygen, and you must assume nothing works—then innovate around it, she said.
For Keturah, Lagos shaped her entrepreneurial mindset in ways no textbook could, adding that, “Lagos doesn’t care about your plans—it demands agility. Decisions move fast here; waiting for perfection means death. Deals fall apart overnight. Policies change without warning. People promise what they cannot deliver. Lagos taught me that resilience isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s currency.”
She added that, limitations in Lagos are not excuses but triggers for innovation. In a business landscape where trust is a valuable currency, entrepreneurs must build networks before they need them.
Dukka was founded to address the often-overlooked pain points of African small businesses—smart recordkeeping, cash flow management, and access to digital payments—without requiring full online integration.
According to Keturah, the company’s success lies in focus. “We build for reality, not for hype. We co-create with our customers and design tools that serve the real economy, not just headlines.”
Keturah is firm in her belief that building a tech business in Nigeria cannot be replicated from models abroad. “You can’t copy and paste this. In Nigeria, you’re fighting structural battles Silicon Valley or Asia often take for granted—stable power, reliable internet, regulatory predictability, digital literacy. So, distribution works differently here. Partnerships and physical touchpoints matter more than pure digital acquisition. If done right, physical channels might even cost less,” she stressed.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, Keturah warns against some common myths. “Passion alone is not enough; it must be paired with strategy, resilience, and a clear understanding of market realities. Nigeria’s large population doesn’t automatically translate into customers—purchasing power matters. Tech is a powerful tool, but it won’t instantly solve all challenges. Execution and adaptation take time,” she noted.
She also cautioned against seeking foreign validation, adding that, “The most impactful innovations stem from a deep understanding of local needs. Success is not about glamour but endurance—the ability to navigate obstacles, seize opportunities, and persist through setbacks to create lasting impact.”
Advice For Entrepreneurs
Keturah emphasised two key misconceptions about Nigerian entrepreneurship. “Dukka’s four-year journey has been anything but easy. We’ve faced six near-death moments—from banking partner collapses to regulatory bottlenecks and rebuilding an engineering team. In Africa, failure is often systemic rather than personal, and separating the two is crucial for survival,” she charged.
Secondly , she highlighted misconceptions around venture capital, noting that, “Many believe securing investment is the ultimate goal, but building a real business with paying customers matters far more. Revenue is the best investor—it provides stability and independence that funding alone cannot guarantee.”
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