By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Naira Rice, Comrade Dr. Arinze Omenwa, has revealed how sheer determination, creativity, and unconventional marketing tactics helped him conquer two of Anambra’s biggest rice markets, Afọr Nnobi and Eke Ekwulọbịa, and turn Naira Rice into one of the fastest-growing food brands in the South East and beyond.
The young CEO, in a series of engaging posts on his verified social media pages, shared the inspiring story of how he broke market barriers, defeated customer resistance, and built a trusted reputation for Naira Rice, popularly known as Rice Mmadu Ncha (Everybody’s Rice). The company, headquartered in Nise, Awka South Local Government Area, has grown into a household name with numerous agents and distributors across the country.
According to Omenwa, his rise to prominence in the rice business was not without struggles. He recalled that when he first launched his product into the market, dealers resisted it because it was new and untested.
“My energy and motivation felt like a cow trying to swim better than a fish,” he said, reflecting on those early days filled with rejection and frustration.
Determined to win, he decided to employ what he described as extraordinary tactics, a set of smart and creative strategies that would later change everything.
At Afọr Nnobi, one of the region’s largest food markets, he faced stiff resistance from major distributors who were already loyal to established brands. To overcome this, he introduced what he called “artificial customers.”
He narrated how he supplied rice on credit to a few reluctant dealers, then secretly paid women to buy the rice from those same dealers. The dealers, thinking real buyers were demanding Naira Rice, gained confidence and began introducing the product to their own customers. “By the time we sent the fourth batch, we had totally withdrawn our artificial customers, and the dealers had gained full confidence in our brand,” he recounted.
“We captured the entire market and smiled to the bank,” he added.
Omenwa described the experience as a lesson in tactical thinking, explaining that business success often depends not only on strategies but also on bold, imaginative actions that create demand where none exists.
Sharing how he also penetrated the Eke Ekwulọbịa market (which now ranks as Naira Rice’s biggest and most loyal distribution hub), Omenwa said he used similar ingenuity to turn rejection into record-breaking sales. After distributors repeatedly refused to buy his product, claiming it was not yet popular, he decided to “make them crave it.”
“I sent five women to Eke Ekwulọbịa market every day to ask different traders, ‘Do you have Naira Rice?’ After four days, my phone started ringing nonstop with calls from those same dealers begging for supply,” he said.
“That first order was 750 bags, and they all paid instantly!” he testified.
Today, Eke Ekwulọbịa and Afọr Nnobi stand as proof of Omenwa’s unique marketing philosophy, that when strategy fails, creative tactics can transform obscurity into opportunity.
“Business is not just about selling. It’s about creating irresistible curiosity. Don’t wait for demand; create it, own it, dominate it,” he advised fellow entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, in what he described as part of his brand’s culture of appreciation and empowerment, the Naira Rice Boss announced a new ₦1 million reward package for lucky customers and dealers of Naira Rice.
Comrade Omenwa, who is widely known for rewarding hardworking agents and distributors across Nigeria, personally stormed the popular Eke Market with his team, recently to unveil the promotion, drawing massive excitement from traders, marketers, and loyal consumers of the brand, with many packages dolled out to luck beneficiaries at the market.
The market atmosphere was electrifying as residents trooped out to witness the announcement and participate in the giveaway exercise, which Omenwa said is aimed at appreciating the growing community of Naira Rice customers and strengthening their loyalty.
Concluding, Comrade Omenwa further assured that Naira Rice would continue to uphold its core values of affordability, quality, and reliability, while also expanding to new frontiers in Nigeria’s agribusiness and food distribution sector.
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