DFAC Drives Agribusiness Growth With Strategic Tools & Grassroots Innovation

The story of Doctor Fish Agricultural Consulting (DFAC) began not with a business plan, but with a heartbreaking question. At just seven years old, Israel witnessed a child suffering from kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition. “Why should a child go to bed hungry?” he asked. His mother, a nurse, explained what the disease was. That moment changed the course of his life. “I wanted to become an aeronautical engineer,” Israel recalls. “But after seeing that child, I knew I had to do something about solving the hunger problem. That’s how this journey started.”

Years later, that promise grew into DFAC, an agricultural consulting firm offering business development and access to funding for agribusinesses across Nigeria. But even as the brand grew in reputation, the business hit a ceiling. “People across Nigeria knew the name ‘Dr. Fish’, but we weren’t growing. We couldn’t retain talent, and the impact just wasn’t there,” Israel admits.

Everything changed when Israel joined AMI’s Aspire Business Growth Programme. Tools like OKRs, SWOT analysis, and Revenue-Cost planning became part of DFAC’s DNA. “We started applying these tools not just in our own business, but for our clients,” Israel explains. One major breakthrough came when DFAC helped a client in the palm oil sector secure a $400,000 grant, empowering over 1,500 smallholder farmers and upgrading outdated mills into high-capacity modern operations.

“We started applying the Aspire tools not just in our own business, but for our clients. One major breakthrough came when we helped a client in the palm oil sector secure a $400,000 grant, empowering over 1,500 smallholder farmers and upgrading outdated mills into high-capacity modern operations.”

The numbers speak volumes: DFAC’s revenue surged from $70,201 in 2023 to $254,800 in 2024. Through their work, they’ve raised over $2 million in funding for clients. Their own team grew from 4 to 9 employees, including a new social media and IT unit, and partnerships with legal and accounting firms to strengthen compliance and strategy.

The impact goes beyond numbers. A quiet revolution is growing in Israel’s neighborhood. When neighbors asked for help growing food in tight urban spaces, DFAC responded with a creative solution: home gardens using recycled plastic containers. “There’s not much land in our compounds,” Israel explains, “but that shouldn’t stop people from growing their own food.” 

Their goal is bold: to raise 100,000 home gardens. And it’s working. Families are planting vibrant beds in old plastic bottles, even cultivating crops like strawberries, once considered impossible in their local climate. “You walk down our street now and see people collecting plastic bottles, not to throw away, but to plant in. That’s the change we’re creating,” he says.

What began as a childhood dream to end hunger has grown into a movement of hope, innovation, and impact. With every garden planted and every farmer empowered, DFAC is not just feeding communities, they’re planting the seeds of a more just and nourished future.