Meet an African entrepreneur who had plans for her business before she even arrived in N.B.
Bolaji Akintola loves delivering joy and great food at Fredericton's only African store
Nestled in the heart of the uptown area of Fredericton sits Divine African Market, which in a few years has become a go-to grocery for immigrants, as well as local folks looking to add more flavours and ingredients to their cooking.
Store owner Bolaji Akintola says the Fredericton community has welcomed her business — a concept she developed before she even arrived in New Brunswick just five years ago.
"Opportunities come to only those that prepared. So when you prepare for opportunities, you will keep soaring higher," Akintola said in an interview with CBC News.
"I don't allow my Black skin to determine from where I'm going to get to in life. And so I'm intentional about my future."
Akintola worked as a banker in Nigeria for 14 years before immigrating to Canada. She left Lagos — with a population of 21 million, it's one of the largest cities in West Africa — for a much smaller home in Fredericton, which has a population of about 63,000, or just a third of one per cent the size of her former city.
Even before immigrating in April 2018, Akintola had learned that Africans who had settled in Fredericton were missing traditional foods.
Having developed plans for Divine African Market in Nigeria, she launched the business from her home after she arrived.
Her mother — Florence Akintokun, an entrepreneur who she says could sell "anything and everything" — inspired her to launch a business aimed primarily at other newcomers.
Growing her business from her small apartment, she opened a walk-in store in December 2019.
"I didn't know the business would be this big," she said.
In addition to the Fredericton store, she has been selling goods through retail outlets in Woodstock, Moncton and Dieppe.
'African food for me is the smile'
The store offers a wide range of African products not readily available in mainstream stores, such as West Africa's favourite jollof rice spices, African soup spices and fufu. The store stocks meats, produce, dried goods and other items.
The store caters to customers from a variety of cultures, including people from across Africa, the Caribbean and Brazil, as well as hungry folks from Fredericton who come to shop — and to ask questions.
"Some are just adventurous," she said. "They just want to try new things."
She imports food and other goods from various African countries. A strong believer in the power of community, she works to support other local businesses and organizations, and often collaborates with other African entrepreneurs to promote their products and services.
The market has become a hub for sharing the African experience for many in Fredericton.
"African food for me is the smile … the laughter and the joy I see in the faces of people when they try new things." she said.
For those not yet accustomed to African cuisine, Akintola shares an electronic cookbook to customers wanting to know more about African culture through its rich food.
"I love the joy. I love the way people are so excited and happy about it," she said.
The cookbook contains various Nigerian recipes and menus, and provides step-by-step guidelines on how to make Nigerian meals.
Akintola works full-time with the New Brunswick government as an internal audit manager, and works weekends at the store and manages it in her off hours. On weekdays, the market is run by staff.
She says running a business is no easy feat, on top of work and family demands.
But she says being the only African store in Fredericton has been exhilarating, due to the demand from customers.
"I don't get myself overwhelmed," she said.
Indeed, she's looking ahead. She plans to open more brick-and-mortar stores in New Brunswick.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
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