Episode 22: Chibu Akukwe on Building a Premium Luxury Brand in Africa

Welcome to Episode 22 of Afro-Catalyst, a podcast by Botho Emerging Markets Group.

Ògógóró, also known as kai kai, akpuru-achia or Sapele water, is an indigenous spirit made from distilled palm wine once banned during British colonial times. But after decades of suppression, the once-taboo drink is back in fashion, consumed by tastemakers and business leaders across Africa and the diaspora. But how did a drink once seen as provincial become the darling of the continent’s trendsetters? Micro-distilled in small batches and handcrafted in Nigeria, Pedro’s began in the tropics of Delta State and was meticulously refined and perfected in Lagos by a renowned master distiller. Pedro’s fuses natural distillation techniques with a new African narrative to reinvent the original spirit of the continent. In this episode of Afro-Catalyst, we speak to entrepreneur Chibu Akukwe, co-founder of Pedro’s, about how he and co-founder Lola Pedro are building a proudly Nigerian brand using indigenous ingredients. Since launching in 2017, the brand is now stocked from London to Lagos, Nairobi, and soon New York.

Where to find Pedro’s:

Lagos: Temple Muse, ITAN Test Kitchen, Godaif Village, Aga Culture, Sliquors, Luxeria, Alara, FlowerShop, SLOW, RSVP, The House, Miliki, Capital Club, The George, Legend Hotel, Nordic Hotel, EbonyLife Place, The Orchid Bistro, Catherine Villa, Boliva, Native Tray, Thai Thai, SEE Lagos

Abuja: Dunes Center, Atelier Hotel (Gift Shop)

Nairobi: Re\Volver

Accra: Front/Back, The Lotte

London: Value Africa, Ikoyi London

New York: Coming soon!

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Host: Akinyi Ochieng

Guest: Chibu Akukwe, Co-Founder of Pedro’s

Listen:
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