Step into the extraordinary world of Chef Tina Totin Akpan, a culinary virtuoso and entrepreneur whose journey radiates resilience, passion, and unwavering determination. From overcoming heartbreaking loss to blazing her own trail in the culinary arts, Chef Tina’s story is a testament to the transformative power of embracing opportunities. With her infectious love for cooking, dogged commitment to healthy living, and unwavering dedication to empowering others, she has not only carved a path of success but has become a beacon of inspiration for all who aspire to follow their dreams. Losing her parents at a young age, she rode out her personal challenges, entering a life of survival, and weathering the storm through grace and entrepreneurial spirit.
When asked about her diverse range of ventures, Chef Tina explained, “I’m a chef and I figure out a lot of other things that I know I am able to do… I’m into cottage productions; I make like kulikuli, and I make drinks – varieties of drinks, healthy drinks, weight management drinks, and so on.” Besides her passion for culinary arts, her love for high-quality cosmetic products led her to explore skincare and beauty care produce manufacture. She elaborated, “When you buy some products out there, you notice that (maybe) you want to replace them; you find out that what you get is not what you really want. So, at the close of the day, that made me delve into beauty care manufacture.”
Chef Tina’s dedication to creating fine things is evident as she shared, “For me, these are the main reasons why I went into all the production that I said I do. I went into the production of many things, food items and all that because when I get some things in the market…let me use spice as an instance: you get a spice in the market and if you try to get a feel of it, before you know it, it’s off, you won’t get the same thing; so I’m now like okay, I make use of all these things, why not let me do them in a special way; so for me, these are the main reasons why I went into all the production that I said I do. I am a chef, I love cooking, anything food, name it – when you want to say local, continental, call it, I love it, and I love baking, I bake special cakes and healthy cakes.” Her commitment to promoting healthy living stems from her own personal transformation, as she revealed, “I focus on healthy things. I weighed 140kg before and I had to work on my weight; this healthy lifestyle made me drop to 75kg.”
Early Struggles and Discovering Passion
Chef Tina experienced the loss of both her parents during her teenage years. Reflecting on this difficult time, she shared, “I lost my parents when I was young – my dad when I was 15, my mum, when I was 17, and to me, it was like how would life be? How am I going to make it without these two people?” This profound loss disrupted her aspirations to become a doctor. She recalled, “So that dream of becoming a doctor just drifted away, and I decided to do something that is light which I went into business administration.”
With her dreams of becoming a doctor put on hold, Chef Tina embarked on a different path and pursued a degree in business administration. She found solace and a new sense of purpose by exploring her passion for food. Tutored by a renowned European chef, Robert Tito, Chef Tina began her culinary journey by working in various food production companies, refining her skills, and gaining valuable experience. She expressed her love for cooking, stating, “I love cooking, anything food, name it – whether it’s local or continental.”
Driven by her own personal journey towards a healthier lifestyle, Chef Tina focused on creating healthy food options. She explained, “I focus on healthy things because I weighed 140kg before and I had to work on my weight; this healthy lifestyle made me drop to 75kg.” Her own transformation inspired her to help others achieve healthier lifestyles as well.
Chef Tina’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to start her own business. She began by supplying food to companies, eventually expanding her offerings to include cakes and other culinary delights. Her business flourished, and she employed over 15 staff members. Through her success, she also extended a helping hand to those in need, supporting individuals with school fees and rent payments.
As Chef Tina’s culinary career progressed, she discovered her passion for teaching and mentoring others. She established her own school called ‘Tina’s Culinary Arts’ and started offering skill acquisition programmes for the Lagos State government. Her industriousness has also led her into broadcasting, where she shows off her craft on Television Continental (TVC).
Chef Tina finds joy in empowering women, helping them to create their own paths. She shared, “I tell them, as a woman, you can create. So, some of them would come and I would teach them. I don’t really charge them because of the pity I have for females like me. I would say come, let me brush you up so that you can go and start your own.”
Chef Tina expanded her repertoire from cooking to venturing into cottage production – from culinary to beauty care products. She said about her culinary products, “Everything is ‘Chef Tina’, all my brand carries my name – there’s Chef Tina Peppersoup Spice, Chef Tina Kulikuli, Chef Tina Hot Chili Sauce, and Chef Tina Sweet & Sour Sauce, I have Chef Tina Turmeric; because you know when we make fried rice, people use curry a lot. If you want your fried rice to come out very lovely, turmeric is the best.”
In addition to her culinary products, Tina founded ‘Edidiong’s Beauty Home’, where she developed a range of beauty care products, including shower gels and body butter, which she makes from shea butter. Her commitment to quality and her customers’ needs led her to increase her product range, to include such productions as dishwashing liquid and barbecue sauce.
Empowering Others and Giving Back
Chef Tina’s passion for teaching and mentoring motivated her to establish her own culinary school, where she offers skill acquisition programs and empowers women to pursue their dreams.
Driven by her love for teaching and her desire to share her culinary expertise, Chef Tina founded ‘Tina’s Culinary Arts’, a school dedicated to equipping individuals with the necessary skills to excel in the culinary field. Through her programmes, aspiring chefs and culinary enthusiasts can learn from her wealth of knowledge and experience.
Chef Tina expressed her dedication to empowering women and helping them realise their potential. She shared, “One of the things I love most is to give to people, I like giving to people… I have a special trick. If you teach one woman, you have taught about ten women already.” Recognising the struggles faced by women, particularly widows, Chef Tina extends her support by providing free training and mentorship to help them become self-reliant. As a widow herself, having lost her husband just recently, Chef Tina understands the challenges these women encounter and aims to offer them the tools and skills needed to thrive independently.
She plans to establish a foundation focused on supporting widows. She envisions creating a platform where these women can receive free skill acquisition training and other forms of assistance to rebuild their lives. In her own words, she stated, “One thing I want us to understand is that all of us are born by God and we have specialities within us. If you keep that in your box, you cannot dwell at all. So, it is not good for us to be in our comfort zones.” With her foundation, Chef Tina aims to uplift and empower widows, helping them regain their confidence and pursue their own entrepreneurial endeavours.
Looking ahead to the future, Chef Tina has ambitious aspirations. But not more than the fact that she wants to see her daughter, Edidiong, who intends to study medicine, become a doctor, and Edikan, her Mr-fix-it son, become an engineer.
Over the next five years, she envisions expanding her businesses, deepening her knowledge through international experiences, and nurturing her children’s entrepreneurial dreams. She plans to acquire further culinary expertise by exploring opportunities abroad and learning from experts in different regions. Additionally, Chef Tina envisions establishing multiple companies in Nigeria, ensuring her culinary and beauty care products reach a wider audience while maintaining the highest standards of quality.
As Chef Tina continues to leave her mark on the culinary world and uplift those in need, her legacy of empowerment and entrepreneurship will endure. She serves as a shining example of how following one’s dreams and sharing knowledge can create a ripple effect of positive change, transforming lives and inspiring others to pursue their own aspirations. Chef Tina’s story reminds us that the true measure of success lies not only in personal achievements but also in the ability to uplift and empower others on their own paths to success.
