Oghogho Lawrence, Known As Parisia, Wants To Turn Inherited Akara Recipe Into Big Business, Train Women For Free the

Oghogho Lawrence, Known As Parisia, Wants To Turn Inherited Akara Recipe Into Big Business, Train Women For Free

Falmata Ibrahim 

In the midst of the colorful celebrations marking the 10th coronation anniversary of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, at the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre, one woman stood out, not just for her product, but for her story and vision.

She is Oghogho Lawrence, a Benin City-based akara entrepreneur popularly known as Parisia, who is appealing passionately to the Edo State Government, the Oba of Benin, and well-meaning individuals and organisations to help her grow her family business into a formidable brand and empower other women in the process.

Speaking with journalists who visited her stand where she displayed her famous Parisia Akara, Lawrence said her dream is to take a business that started in her great-great-grandmother's kitchen and transform it into a modern, sustainable enterprise that can compete anywhere in Nigeria and beyond.

For her, the business is much more than a daily hustle to put food on the table. It is a treasured family inheritance, a cultural identity, and a recipe that has been jealously guarded and preserved through several generations without alteration.

"This is an inherited business. I inherited it from my great-great-grandmother. If I am not mistaken, my generation would be the third to inherit the business in my lineage.

"The way we spice our akara and prepare it remains the recipe of my mother and great-grandmother. We have not changed anything," Lawrence said, her voice filled with pride.

The single mother explained that she is driven by a strong passion for the trade, and she is not content with remaining a roadside seller. Her goal is to build Parisia Akara into a recognised, trusted, and celebrated brand that Edo people and Nigerians can be proud of.

But her ambition does not end with herself. Lawrence says she wants to use the growth of her business as a vehicle to lift other women out of poverty and dependency.

"I would like to be empowered in many ways, and I would also like to empower ladies who have a genuine passion for this business. I want to do that for free," she said.

According to her, if she gets the necessary financial support, equipment, and exposure, she will be able to train women at no cost, helping them to start their own akara businesses and become financially independent.

Lawrence stressed that she is determined to make her name through hard work and dignity, not through illegal or immoral means.

"I want to go far and near. I want to be well known, not for prostitution, stealing, cheating or scamming, but for my akara business," she declared.

She therefore reiterated her humble appeal to Governor Monday Okpebholo, the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, corporate bodies, and other potential sponsors to come to her aid.

For Lawrence, supporting Parisia Akara is not just supporting one woman. It is supporting the preservation of a family heritage, the promotion of Edo culture, and the creation of a pathway for many women seeking to become self-reliant through small-scale enterprise.