In this piece, ENE OSHABA highlights how Nigerian women are embracing entrepreneurship for financial stability, rising as key drivers of economic growth, and moving beyond traditional employment expectations.
Entrepreneurship landscape
Nigeria’s vibrant entrepreneurial landscape is undergoing a significant transformation with women increasingly at the forefront, forging paths to financial stability and contributing immensely to national growth. The traditional notion that the government alone cannot provide employment has never been more evident, as a new generation, particularly graduates, embraces entrepreneurship, creating jobs and driving innovation. This shift is profoundly visible in sectors like the fashion industry where both young men and women are skillfully building successful ventures.
Women redefining entrepreneurship
While the entrepreneurial spirit has permeated various regions of Nigeria, young Northern women have often been perceived as less visible in the economic sphere. However, trailblazers like Zainab Salihijo, the visionary behind Pink Fleur and its recently launched “Noor Collection,” are challenging this narrative. Her journey exemplifies a new dimension of entrepreneurship, showcasing not just creative excellence but also innovative strategies for brand development and societal impact.
Zainab’s personal experiences with money management fueled her desire to build a business that not only provided for herself but also gave back to the community. A conventional 9-to-5 job never appealed to her; her aspiration was always to own a business that could positively impact numerous lives. The “Noor Collection” stands as a testament to this dream, seamlessly blending purpose-driven fashion with social responsibility.
Fashion industry
The exclusive private viewing of the “Noor Collection” by Pink Fleur was more than just a fashion showcase; it was a powerful statement on women’s entrepreneurship and the vital role of small and medium businesses in Nigeria’s development. Inspired by the ethereal glow of sunrise, the collection’s designs radiated elegance and meaning.
Zainab, the creative force behind Pink Fleur and the Pink Fleur Foundation, passionately shared the dual inspiration for her brand. According to her, “Pink Fleur is a clothing brand. We’ve been in business since 2013 and this particular event is to showcase our new collection, called The Noor Collection, inspired by the light that comes from the sunrise. So, everything here is inspired by that.”
Beyond the aesthetic appeal, she unveiled a heartwarming social initiative integrated into the collection: “We also have an initiative with the collection that’s coming with it. So, we have these IDP women that we’re supporting that we met in the park while I was taking walks. So, I decided to offer them jobs to clean up the parks because the parks are getting really dirty. So, we want to grow this initiative and empower these women because after getting the jobs, we realised that they said they were so happy and they felt dignified and we just wanted to keep doing that for them.”
This initiative underscores Pink Fleur’s evolving philosophy: “Pink Flair, we started as a clothing brand that was selling clothes and things. But now we feel we want to embody it more in terms of that we want to have fashion with meaning. So, if you buy pieces from us, we want it to be that you wear it for years to come. Because it’s going to be so powerful.”
Reflecting on her entrepreneurial journey, Zainab emphasised the profound fulfillment of creating opportunities for others: “I was working before starting Pink Fleur but I realised that having your own job and empowering other people is more fulfilling for me anyway, than the 9 to 5. So, I enjoy being an entrepreneur because you’re able to share your knowledge with other people. You’re able to grow other people and you’re able to empower others as well. Think about it, the people that you hire are using those jobs that you provide for them to actually provide for their own families. So, I would encourage young women to get into entrepreneurship. I’ll tell you that it’s not easy, but I mean life is really not easy. And so, just keep pushing and keep going. You’re going to see, you’re going to reap the benefits,” she said.
She also confidently asserted the growing appeal of Nigerian-made fashion: “Yes, Nigerians do wear fashion made in Nigeria. Also, right now, there’s a big demand for Nigerian brands abroad as well. They’ve seen the craftsmanship that goes into it. There’s so much that goes into it.”
Salihijo’s appeal to the government was direct: “For the government, I would like to appeal to the government to start taking entrepreneurs seriously. And not just think of us as just tailors. I mean, we’re doing a lot. We’re empowering a lot of artisans in Nigeria. And we’re providing jobs for them. So, if we’re given the opportunity, and if people invest in us, we will do more. The fashion business is a $1billion industry. There’s a lot of market for it. So, if we’re being invested in, we’re going to go bigger than this and go global, because this is what we’re aspiring to become,” she said.
Support and enabling environment
Princess Atika Ajanah, a Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, lauded Zainab’s entrepreneurial spirit and reiterated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to fostering a conducive environment for entrepreneurial growth, especially among youth and women. She highlighted ongoing government initiatives aimed at bolstering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“Honestly, I was blown away when I came in here and saw so many collections and so many designs. Zainab has been someone who has been very entrepreneurial. From scarves, from these vintage scarves to some Facebook talks, and today we’re here. So, I’m really, really happy for her for two reasons. One, she’s a youth and she’s a woman,” Princess Ajanah stated, acknowledging the unique challenges faced by these demographics in establishing and sustaining businesses.
She emphasised the government’s proactive role saying, “The enabling environment is actually a first of all. Let me put that straight. Under this administration, because I work with the presidency, and I can assure you that the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Human Affairs, and Ministry of Youth Development have been doing a lot to encourage young entrepreneurs. We have a lot of programmes out there.”
She further noted the broader scope of governmental support beyond humanitarian aid sayin6g, “Even other than humanitarian aid, we also have some programs that have been tailored towards empowering and boosting small, medium businesses. But you can’t even call this a small-scale business anymore. This is more on the larger scale, you know. It’s so beautiful. This pink flare is so beautiful. And her designs are so unique. So, we also believe that she’s going to inspire other young people by this initiative”.
More investment, financial independence
The Executive Director of HEIR Women, a girls and young women development hub, Anuli Aniebo, commended Pink Fleur’s distinctive contributions to the market. “I’m always overjoyed when I see women entrepreneurs create pieces and just add value to the market. Pink flair has distinctive pieces, fantastically designed, well-crafted for everyday women.”
Aniebo echoed the call for greater government investment in women entrepreneurs, emphasising the untapped potential: “The government has a lot more to do. There are so many young women who have skills. All they want is for somebody to be confident in them and invest in them. We really need a lot of our government to open up more of these kinds of opportunities for girls and young women. Talent can never be enough. We don’t have enough talent that is being showcased, but we have a lot more talent that is still yet to be showcased. So the government needs to really ensure that they put their money where their mouth is. Invest in women,” she stated.
The CEO of Iyaoni Pant & Bra, a prominent retail underwear business in Abuja, Nkiru, expressed her long-standing admiration for Zainab and her brand, highlighting the importance of women’s financial independence. “I’m encouraging more women around me to do this. Dare to run a business. Dare to make something out of your life. Dare to be financially independent,” she stressed.
Money reset workshop
The Pink Fleur Foundation’s “Money Reset Workshop,” themed “Build Wealth with Strategy, Ease, and Baraka,” delved into the crucial aspects of financial literacy and entrepreneurial mindset for women.
Sheikh Mohammad Nurudeen Lemu, Director of Research & Training at the Da’wah Institute (DIN), delivered a keynote address on developing an entrepreneurial mindset, especially for women. He emphasised the importance of perspective, urging participants to view complaints as opportunities for solutions and financial gain.
“They say if you give a person a fish, you feed him for a day but if you teach them how to fish, you feed them for a lifetime. But what we find is that it’s not enough to know how to fish. It’s also necessary to think like a fisherman.”
Sheikh Lemu outlined five key principles for entrepreneurship: earning. He tasked women to build their capacity to earn more, stressing that “you cannot get more if you don’t be more.” Second, saving. “It’s like building a dam. If you don’t have a dam big enough, you can’t generate electricity. So the need to find ways of saving. Next is investing. It means “Multiple streams of investment, but also look at investments and look at the climate, look at what you can do to help investments grow. Do not put your eggs in one basket while you focus on your main basket.” The last is spending. She said “Do not spend more than you have and in your spending, to make sure you spend on yourself and your own capacity building because you are like asset number one. Without you, the business doesn’t exist.”
Addressing the societal expectations placed on married women, Sheikh Lemu acknowledged the evolving landscape: “Most women, especially when they are married, their husbands are expecting them to reserve, stay at home, take care of the family, and just basic things like that. The economy is making it very difficult for a family to be sustained on just one person’s income.” He said.
On the perennial challenge of accessing loans and grants, Sheikh Lemu advised that, “As much as possible, I would say try to avoid consumer loans. Investment loans, fine. As much as possible, see whether you can get that money for interest free from your family, from friends. Just make sure you don’t 419 them, because they are your social insurance.”
Start small, think big
Zainab, the convener of Money Reset 2025, shared the personal journey that led her to organise the workshop: “I’ve been quite bad with money for the longest time, and last year I decided to start looking into money, and I was reading a book that said, if you want to learn about something, you should teach it. So, I started on my Instagram page and started a series called My Money Series to teach about money, and I realised that a lot of women were struggling with this. So, I realised there was a need for it, so we set it up.”
She challenged the notion that a lack of finance should hinder entrepreneurial aspirations: “I don’t think money should ever be the reason why you shouldn’t start a business. I mean, I started with my NYSE allowance, so you just need to start, no matter how small it is. Just start. N10,000, N5,000, just start,” she said.
Her message to Nigerian women is that, “I want Nigerian women to start thinking. We can be the Dangote’s. We can also be billionaires as well. So, I want our mindset to change when it comes to money,” she stated.