In ‘One Way Ticket: My uninterrupted life journey from pot to factory’, Kuteyi shares entrepreneurship secrets

For the author of ‘One Way Ticket: My Uninterrupted Life Journey From Pot to Factory’, Duro Kuteyi, entrepreneurship is important in creation of sustainable wealth, addressing poverty and improving the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In the words of Williams Shakespeare, “some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” For Kuteyi, who is also the Managing Director, Spectra Industries Limited, success is not a bed of roses but that of discipline, hard work, resilience and unwavering commitment to one’s pursuit.

From a young corps member to his short stint with paid employment and later entrepreneurship, his story is that of constant self-evaluation and reflection of his life and what he wanted to achieve.

The self-examination and constant reflection helped him shun the luscious temptation of money for more worthy aspiration — entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the launch of his memoirs, ‘One Way Ticket: My Uninterrupted Life Journey from Pot to Factory,’ and commemoration of his 70th birthday in Lagos recently, Kuteyi said his journey is that of a mixed grill of the good, the bad and the ugly.

According to him, “from the time I started frying plantain chips with a pot and burner to the present day where we have a world class factory churning out quality products that are globally competitive,…from this mixed grill, we have been able to create a success story that has altered the competitive landscape of food processing and manufacturing in Nigeria.

“We have not only stamped our name in the food processing and manufacturing industry in Nigeria, we are gradually building globally competitive brands that are attracting international recognition.”

The business guru disclosed that the funds realised from the book launch would be channeled into building an SME industrial centre, which he believed, would revolutionalised the food industry in the country.

Kuteyi advised the Federal Government to come up with realistic and sustainable policy that would help SMEs overcome challenges confronting them.

In her review, former Director General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Prof. Gloria Elemo, described the book as a deliverance tool.

Published in 2022 and divided into five chapters, she revealed that the book is light for those struggling between life in SME, paid employment and those who grinding against the harsh current of the Nigerian reality.

For the average person, Elemo said the book promises a tale of how to be extraordinary in ordinary average life through sheer determination, resilience and doggedness.

She noted that the book also gives a matter-of-fact perspective on what it took the author and Spectra foods to survive in the Nigerian SME space and the nuggets of wisdom resonate not just with budding or established SMEs but the average Nigerian who wants to succeed.

Elemo highlighted some important values and skills as resilience, doggedness, continuous learning, and strategic thinking.

Specifically, she observed that one of the things that resonate is family support. She said this was important in the success story of Kuteyi and Spectra foods.

According to her, the author enjoyed the support of family such as his late brother, his wife as well as his father-in-law, noting that this underscores the benefits of having the backing of those closest to one in whatever one is doing.

She said, “I wish Duro Kuteyi a wonderful 70th birthday and I pray that God spares him to be continually impactful in the society and world at large. I pray that you will write more books that would be road maps for those who seek light in their tunnels and as an inspiration to the world. Congratulations to the latest author in town.”

Similarly, Acting Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Wale Fasanya, described Kuteyi as a dogged entrepreneur who has been consequential in the entrepreneurial landscape of Nigeria stressing that his contribution in terms of knowledge on food processing and manufacturing, as well as food security in Nigeria has been commendable.