Akhigbe: A Man And His Love For Food As

Mr. Abel Izirien Akhigbe is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Tokyo Boeki (Trading), a Lagos-based company. He is an entrepreneur and a computer expert. He is, however, also passionate about “food”, curry especially. Tokyo Boeki, (Boeki means trading in Japanese), Akhigbe explains, is a company that imports of Samurai Curry, a brand of that spice which is associated with the Middle East.

He says that curry is a nutritious health food because it contains which if eaten daily assure a long and healthy life. He says that these spices are used in Ayurveda or Life Sciences, the traditional system of Indian medicine. He adds that people from India commonly use more than twenty different spices in their everyday cooking as they follow a holistic principle of Ayurvedic medicine, noting that a healthy diet will promote wellness and balance for the body, mind and spirit.

“Curry may taste light, but it is full bodied because of the variety of the spices used I the diet.”
He says that the word ‘spice’ originates from the Latin word ‘species’ which means certain quality, adding that spices with their aroma, colour, pungency and taste are used to bring out the flavor of other ingredients. Samurai curry which is produced in Japan, he says are made of over twenty spices, he said
“There is Cardamom; it improves appetite, relieves flatulence and induces sweating. Turmeric increases liver function, heals fatigue and it is anti-cancer.

“There is cumin which digestion and improves the appetite. Black pepper stimulates appetite, helps digestion and circulation while red pepper improves the condition of the heart and aids circulation.”
Others are Cinnamon which he says is a detoxifier; nutmeg is analgesic ands aids sleep while fenugreek relieves fever and Bay Leaf which he says is good for the appetite.
According to him, Samurai Curry is the first of the food and beverages the company plans to bring into the country from Japan. “It is the springboard of the health products we will import as time goes on. Samurai Curry is the first of its kind in Africa as a whole; you may find other brands in some countries in Europe and America; but this brand is made especially for the Nigerian market. It is sold only in Japan where it is precooked and packaged, he said.

“We had to convince our partners that the Nigerian market is vibrant. They came to the Lagos Trade Fair and saw how it was received by the people. Now, it is already in many big shops and supermarkets in Lagos and Abuja.”

He says that healthy diet contributes to the lifestyles of the Japanese who are known for longevity. “A Japanese man lives up to 80 years on the average and the women live up to 100 years. The Japanese are also known for making good quality products.

His company’s philosophy is that food is the wherewithal on which human beings depend for sustenance, he stresses; “Humanity lives in era where food is not only expected to give delicious taste is regarded as a means of maintaining good as well as give us a sense of security. To enjoy good food with a sense of security and a feeling of well being is a desire that is shared among people around the world. We at Boeki are resolved to serve as an important link between Nigerians and foreign food cultures.

He defines these cultures as delicious tastes; high quality and dependable services. “Delicious Tastes entice to the pleasure of eating; High Quality leads to security in food; Dependable Services earn a company the confidence of the customers.”
When reminded however that the name samurai still conjures the image of a sword-wielding warrior who can decapitate a man at the slightest provocation; or the one who feels an injured and slit his stomach in protest, Akhigbe says those warrior class lived in the past. A man dressed like them may be seen at festivals. Also, a man who goes around carrying a sword would be seen as carrying a weapon, which is an offence. But the people have some unique cultures, he explains, adding that because of the samurai, that many things are named after them. The country’s football club for example, is called Samurai Blue and they do well and were champions for years.

Akhigbe was born in Benin City, Nigeria but he grew up in Japan, he says, adding that it shows that he knows the good and the bad there; “But I have decided to bring only the good to Nigeria.
He went to Japan when many young people his age were dreaming about Europe and America; It was instinct, he explained, but the fact that the family owned Japanese products was a major influence;”My father also had a vehicle that was made in Japan. I told myself that I would go there to learn how-to manufacture these products.”
The first impression was the culture shock, he exclaims; “It was difficult to communicate because it was difficult to meet people who spoke English. I learned the language and earned a diploma in Japanese Language. After that, he did computer studies at Electronics College, Tokyo. I was the only African there, but I made many friends because the Japanese were curious; he described them as honest, truthful and trustworthy in the majority.
H e built many businesses in that country and also worked as a Marketing Director.

On Japanese technology, which appears to be on the decline here, he observes that they are expensive because of the cost of labour. “They do not compromise on quality and to make it cheaper they have factories in China. But there are standards so that quality cannot be low. They sell their names, not products.

Tokyo Boeki (Trading) has plans to manufacture in this country, he reveals, adding that the agreement with the partners is that they can get some of the materials locally; “Some of the spices grow here”, he says, adding that the ones that are not as a result of the climate would be imported from Asia.
He has been resident in Japan for 27 years. He is married to Japanese, Makiko and they have two children. He is happy about the peaceful outcome of the 2015 elections; “The peaceful elections will encourage other people to invest in this country”, was his opinion.