Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed Falalu in front of the rice at his rice mill in Nigeria. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed Falalu, a Nigerian alumnus of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), has recently been named on this year's Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 List, for his contributions to the employment of his motherland.

The Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 List is announced every year to honor the 30 most promising entrepreneurs under the age of 30 across various sectors from around the continent. 

Falalu, aged 27, obtained a master's degree in entrepreneurship and innovation management from the Business School of UNNC in 2014, after which he went back to Nigeria with rice milling machines made in China and launched operations in a rice mill company named FaLGates in 2016, providing over 180 new jobs for local citizens. 

With these machines, the company was able to mill 15 metric tons of rice every day, generating revenue of over 450,000 dollars in 2017.

"I've always been interested in farming and I wanted to be a farmer since I was in high school, that's why I started the rice business," said Falalu.  

Nigeria relies heavily on rice imports, spending over two billion dollars every year on them, as the annual domestic demand for rice hits seven million tons while the national output is only 2.7 million tons. 

Encouraged by the policy of the Nigerian government to boost domestic agricultural development, Falalu established FaLGates in 2012 but didn't officially launch operations in the company until 2016.

"I wanted to gain some professional knowledge about entrepreneurship and management first, and I learnt that the Business School of UNNC was among the world's best in this regard," said Falalu, adding that what he learnt at the school had laid a solid foundation for his establishing of his start-up after he graduated. 

The teachers and classmates from various countries at the university also inspired him a lot and enriched his experiences, according to Falalu.

"I feel honored that what we are doing is known by so many people in the world, and we've received messages from many for cooperation since the Forbes Africa list was announced. I hope that FaLGates will be better in the future and bring job opportunities to more people."

Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed Falalu stands at his rice mill in Nigeria. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]