Ebun Feludu, founder of Kokari Coconuts & Company, is proving to the world how incredible the coconut fruit can be. Since a personal health crisis in 2015, the businesswoman has found a renewed love and passion for coconut milk, ultimately inspiring a mission to plant over a million coconut trees in Nigeria.
Feludu embodies the Yoruba mantra “Kokari,” meaning “let the good go around.” Her organization focuses on unlocking the health and economic benefits of coconuts while empowering women and fostering economic independence.
Her interest in owning her own business and centering women in her business began after witnessing her mother’s struggle to support six children after her father’s passing.
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Subsequently, after falling sick due to lactose intolerance, Feludu turned to coconut milk as an alternative.
She told Forbes Africa, “I lived in Lagos, so coconut was everywhere. I started playing around with coconut milk, and my kids loved it. I later found out that about 80% of Africans and 68% of the world’s population are also lactose-intolerant, but a lot of us just deal with it because, for the most part, it does not have that much of a negative impact or affect us in an extreme way anyway.”
This revelation led Feludu to India, where she studied the coconut value chain, from farming to processing. Armed with $200,000 in personal funds, she returned to Nigeria to establish Kokari Coconuts as a legacy business.
She recounted, “In the early stages, I was very clear that I wanted this to be a legacy business – coconut is a legacy business because if you plant the coconut, it can stay for about 100 years.”
Today, Kokari has grown beyond coconut milk, offering over 10 products certified by Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The products include snacks, skincare, and oral hygiene items.
The global coconut market was valued at USD 21.7 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to USD 53.4 billion by 2033. This represents a growth rate of 10% each year from 2025 to 2033. This growth presents significant opportunities for local entrepreneurs like Feludu.
Feludu is committed to making coconuts a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agricultural economy. She actively supplies seedlings to farmers and advocates for modern, high-yield varieties.
She declared, “…What we found is that most of the coconuts we get from Nigeria are imported. I am on a mission to plant over one million coconut trees with other farmers,” said Feludu.
Additionally, to empower women and inspire their economic independence, Kokari employs an 80% female workforce who run the company’s recently launched solar-powered Kokari cafés, “so they can also share in the value chain.”
The forward-thinking entrepreneur shared how she rose above high fuel costs and delayed retailer payments. “Last year, we had a major retailer owing us so much money, we almost shut down. Our Kokari outlet helped us with cash flow; to help us deal with retailers not paying us promptly. Also, the cost of electricity and fuel to power the place forced us to move to solar as a source to power our business,” she said.
Since it was established in Nigeria in 2016, the company has also expanded internationally, showcasing its products at PACK EXPO East in the United States.
Feludu’s ultimate goal is to establish a “coconut city,” where farms, factories, schools, and hospitals are sustained by the coconut value chain.
She observed, “When your ‘why’ is bigger than you, it drives you to create something lasting.”
By planting a million trees and empowering women, Feludu is turning coconuts into a legacy of transformation.
