THE WOMAN WHO MADE FRUITS SPEAK

The Girl from Calabar

Calabar wakes to mist and the slow whisper of water. That’s where Affiong Williams was born on March 9, 1986 — a child of curiosity raised in a family that believed in freedom and hard work.

Her grandfather’s farm on the edge of town taught her patience; her parents taught her independence. “I grew up with a lot of freedom,” she says. “I learned how to buy things, sell things, figure things out.”

Those early experiments would later bloom into a bold business idea that changed the face of Nigerian agribusiness.

From Johannesburg to Entrepreneurship

After secondary school, Affiong left for South Africa. At the University of the Witwatersrand, she studied Physiology and Psychology, and earned a postgraduate diploma in Business Management.

Working with Endeavor South Africa, she met entrepreneurs who built companies from raw ideas. It was there she realized she wanted to do the same — not somewhere else, but at home.

Building ReelFruit: Lagos Beginnings

“I started with $8,000, a few borrowed ovens, and a stubborn belief that Nigeria could make something beautiful from its waste.”

In 2012, she returned to Lagos and launched ReelFruit from a small Surulere apartment. She dried mangoes by hand, sealed them herself, and convinced store owners to give her a chance.

What began as one woman’s experiment is now one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing agribusiness brands, exporting dried fruit across Africa and beyond.

Abeokuta: Where the Machines Sing

Today, ReelFruit’s $2.5 million processing plant in Abeokuta hums with energy. Hundreds of workers — mostly women — dry, pack, and label fruit that once went to waste.

Each pouch of mango or pineapple carries the story of farmers paid fairly and of Nigeria reimagining what it can produce.

Love, Purpose, and Legacy

“We’re building things that last — businesses, families, impact. It’s all one work.”

Affiong is married to Tayo Oviosu, founder of fintech giant Paga. Together, they navigate two demanding worlds — technology and agriculture — united by shared conviction and grace.

She runs marathons, mentors young entrepreneurs, and through the ReelSkills Initiative, trains women in food processing and digital entrepreneurship.

Her accolades — Forbes Africa 30 Under 30, Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman, and others — remind her that impact is contagious.

The Fruit That Rose

When asked what drives her, she smiles:

“I came home because I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nigeria was waiting for me to do something with what I had. The fruit was always there. I just found a way to make it speak.”

In her hands, a mango is more than a fruit. It’s resilience. It’s renewal. It’s Nigeria — speaking, finally, in her own voice.

Quick Facts
• Name: Affiong Williams
• Born: March 9, 1986 — Cross River State, Nigeria
• Founder: ReelFruit (est. 2012)
• Education: University of the Witwatersrand
• Headquarters: Lagos / Abeokuta, Nigeria
• Notable Awards: Forbes Africa 30 Under 30, Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman, AWIEF Entrepreneur of the Year

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