Recipes for survival: The story of FULAFIA’s ‘Madam Flourish’

By Lois Danjuma

For Mrs. Agnes Onoja, popular on campus as “Madam Flourish,” selling food at the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA) is far more than a routine commercial trade—it is the lifeline that has sustained her family and funded her children’s education.

Operating from the community market within FULAFIA’s permanent site for over six years, Onoja serves a wide array of local delicacies, ranging from jollof and fried rice to popular Nigerian swallows such as semo, akpu, and garri.

Yet, her journey into the culinary trade was born out of stark necessity following the sudden passing of her husband.

“Not really. It’s condition,” Onoja admitted when asked if cooking had always been a lifelong passion.

Before moving to the university campus, Onoja ran a small food stand in front of her home near a local polytechnic.

Low customer patronage made it nearly impossible to keep the venture afloat or generate enough income to care for her family.

However, her turning point came through a neighbor—a staff member at FULAFIA—who noticed her daily struggles to provide for her five children.

Recognizing her potential, the neighbor helped Onoja secure a commercial space on the university campus and provided the initial financial boost needed to relaunch her food vendor business.

“Since then, God has been doing wonders,” she reflected.

Through the proceeds of her food stand, Onoja has successfully put all five of her children through school.

Her eldest daughter is already a university graduate, while two of her children currently work alongside her to run the daily operations at the campus market.

Despite her success, running a campus-based business comes with seasonal setbacks.

Onoja noted that academic vacations pose her biggest operational challenge, as customer volume drops drastically when students leave campus.

Nevertheless, the assurance of steady daily patronage during academic sessions keeps her motivated.

Looking to the future, Madam Flourish is far from done. She plans to expand her operational scale by opening her own full-fledged eatery, having already acquired a plot of land for the venture.

Drawing from her personal experience, Onoja offered encouragement to women facing similar life hurdles, advising single mothers and widows to consider the food service industry as a practical path to economic independence.

“Cooking is the best business a single mother or widow can do,” she said, “because through it, your family can never go hungry.”