Michael Olakunle is the Warehouse Manager at AFEX in Pambegua, Zaria. Here, he gives us an insight into his fieldwork and his passion for helping farmers in reaching their maximum productivity.
When I first joined AFEX in 2016, I was relatively new in the agricultural/ commodities space, but the support from day one was incredible. I had my job interview in a warehouse, which I found strange at the time, but later became an eye-opener for me personally of what we as Nigerians, and AFEX as an organization, can achieve when everyone truly gets involved in working for the best outcomes.
In my 5 years at AFEX, I have had the incredible opportunity to work on different initiatives and schemes across different regions to economically empower the agricultural sector — transform farmers’ livelihoods, introduce them to modern technologies like the WorkBench, and encourage the best farming practices. My first deployment was to the Kaduna South, Kabucha warehouse before I was moved to Niger, then Katsina. Although it’s challenging to be deployed around the states because you are all alone, the company equips you with everything you need on the job. And having a positive mindset that every hurdle you face is a stepping stone to build your confidence and helping you do your job better changes everything.
I came in from an administrative background but working as a Warehouse Manager allowed me to see agriculture from a new perspective and approach projects from different angles. Not many job roles can give you the broad exposure AFEX gives you in a very short space of time. I have met incredible people along the way, who have also fueled my passion to help smallholder farmers succeed.
An organization like AFEX knows that introducing innovative approaches to farming and enabling farmers have access to the necessary inputs is key to unlocking wealth in the sector and fostering a more secure future for rural households. This mission is what drives me to put my job as a warehouse manager at heart. There is always something new here, the company is growing to more places and it is such an honor to be a part of the change.
