Building More Than a Business: One Woman's Success. Many Women's Opportunity

Through the German funded Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development for Decent Employment in Nigeria (SEDIN) programme, GIZ is equipping entrepreneurs across Nigeria with the skills, systems and opportunities to build resilient businesses. For Fatimah Zarah Usman, Founder and CEO of Nature’s Sleek Ltd., that support helped transform a personal challenge into an award-winning enterprise creating jobs, empowering women and strengthening local value chains.

When Fatimah Zarah Usman set out to solve a problem, she wasn’t trying to build a successful business. She was simply a mother looking for a solution.

In 2016, after the birth of her daughter, Fatimah noticed that her daughter’s hair had not begun growing back after the family’s traditional shaving ceremony. As months passed, concern grew, prompting her to search for an effective remedy. She spent countless hours watching online videos and researching hair growth solutions, but nothing seemed to provide the answers she was looking for.

Then, during a visit to her father’s home, a chance encounter changed everything.

She met a woman with long, healthy hair and asked about her secret. The woman introduced her to a local producer of natural hair care products. 

“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Fatimah recalls. “She simply told me, ‘You have to trust me.’”

Within three weeks of using the products, she began seeing remarkable results.“I started asking myself why I couldn’t create products that would help other people achieve similar outcomes.”

That simple question laid the foundation for what would become Nature’s Sleek Ltd., a Nigerian company producing affordable hair care products made from locally sourced natural ingredients.

Fatimah began by reselling hair care products while gradually learning how to formulate her own. As demand increased, customers requested shampoos, conditioners, hair oils and other products, motivating her to expand her knowledge and begin production herself.

She initially operated from home using the limited space available. Then life presented another challenge: her family relocated to Minna, Niger State.

It meant starting over in an unfamiliar city without business contacts, customers or an established support network. “I had no friends, no relatives and no business connections,” she says. “But I knew I had already started something meaningful, and I was determined to continue.”

Encouraged by her father to seek support, Fatimah visited the Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) in Minna. When the Centre’s Director asked whether she owned any production equipment, her answer was straightforward.“No.”

Despite having limited resources, she was admitted into the incubation programme on a six-month probationary basis. That opportunity marked the beginning of a new chapter. Within six months, she had purchased her first industrial mixer and other essential production equipment, taking an important step towards formalising her business.

Yet Fatimah soon realised that equipment alone would not build a sustainable enterprise. Like many entrepreneurs, Fatimah understood her product but had never received formal training in how to build and grow a sustainable business. Although she was an accountant by profession, she quickly realised that accounting and entrepreneurship required different skills.

“I needed guidance on how to build a sustainable enterprise.”

Through the Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development for Decent Employment in Nigeria (SEDIN) programme funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented byGIZ, Fatimah was supported through a structured series of entrepreneurship and business development interventions designed to strengthen the competitiveness of Nigerian MSMEs.

Her journey began with Start-up Loop and continued through business planning, digital marketing, social media marketing, e-commerce, access-to-finance, leadership development and access-to-market programmes.

What made the support particularly valuable was that each intervention built on the previous one, helping entrepreneurs strengthen different aspects of their businesses as they grew.

Rather than offering isolated training sessions, SEDIN equipped entrepreneurs with practical tools to build resilient enterprises capable of creating long-term economic value. Each intervention addressed a different challenge within Fatimah’s business, helping transform not only how she worked but how she thought about entrepreneurship.

One of the biggest mindset shifts came through business planning.

Before participating in the programme, Fatimah believed a business plan was simply a document required to obtain financing. The training completely changed that perspective.

“Through the training, I discovered that a business plan is a practical roadmap that guides every aspect of a business, from understanding the market and planning production to managing operations and setting long-term goals.”

Today, she still refers to that business plan whenever she needs direction, using it as a guide for strategic decisions and sustainable growth. Another important lesson came through SEDIN’s access-to-finance interventions. Rather than focusing solely on obtaining loans or external funding, the training emphasised financial discipline and sustainable growth.

Fatimah learned how to allocate profits strategically, determine what to reinvest, what to save and how to build a financially sustainable enterprise. Those lessons continue to shape every major financial decision within the business today. Digital marketing and e-commerce training opened entirely new opportunities.

“I realised social media is much more than posting products online,” she explains. “It’s about building relationships, telling your brand story and retaining customers.”

The knowledge gained encouraged Nature’s Sleek to establish its business website and begin positioning its products for online sales, preparing the business for future expansion into wider markets.

Perhaps the greatest operational transformation came through learning how to build systems rather than relying solely on the business owner. Through training on operations, organisational structures and standard operating procedures, Fatimah developed systems that enabled her staff to independently manage production, packaging, quality assurance and daily operations.

“Today, I don’t have to be at the factory every day.”

Instead, employees follow clearly documented processes that ensure consistency and quality, allowing the business to continue operating efficiently even in her absence. The leadership development interventions had an equally profound impact. “They helped me understand that leadership begins with self-awareness, emotional intelligence and the ability to inspire others.”

Inspired by these lessons, Fatimah established the Cosmetics Family Cooperative Society, bringing together women involved in skincare and cosmetic production to collaborate, learn from one another and grow stronger businesses together.

SEDIN also provided opportunities beyond the classroom.

Through participation in Beauty West Africa, SME conferences, business networking events and market access initiatives, Fatimah connected with industry leaders, potential customers and fellow entrepreneurs.

These experiences expanded her professional network, increased the visibility of Nature’s Sleek and exposed the business to best practices that continue to shape its growth today.

The results of these interventions have been transformational.

Nature’s Sleek Ltd. has grown from generating less than ₦300,000 annually in its early years to processing more than ₦150 million in transactions through one of its business accounts alone.

Today, the company operates with structured systems, employs staff, serves a growing customer base and continues to expand its market presence.

Reflecting on the journey, Fatimah believes the programme changed much more than her business.

“GIZ did more than provide training. It equipped me with the mindset, practical tools and opportunities to transform my business into a more resilient and competitive enterprise.”

Throughout Nature’s Sleek’s growth, one principle has remained unchanged. Quality. 

Every product undergoes quality assurance processes before reaching customers, with careful attention paid to formulation, regulatory compliance and safety standards.

That commitment was recognised nationally when Fatimah received a prestigious National MSME Award presented by the Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

She still remembers the phone call informing her of the nomination.“I honestly thought it was a joke.”

Receiving the award and a brand-new vehicle was more than a personal milestone. It affirmed years of consistency, resilience and dedication to producing products customers could trust.

“It wasn’t just about me,” she reflects. “It represented every hour spent improving our formulations and ensuring we produced safe, effective products.”

Today, Nature’s Sleek Ltd. represents far more than a successful hair care company. It is creating jobs, strengthening local manufacturing, promoting products made from locally sourced Nigerian ingredients and empowering other women entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses of their own.

Fatimah’s journey demonstrates that when entrepreneurs are equipped with the right knowledge, systems, networks and opportunities, the impact extends well beyond individual business growth.

Through the Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development for Decent Employment in Nigeria (SEDIN) programme, Germany continues to support MSMEs across Nigeria to strengthen their competitiveness, improve access to markets, create decent jobs and contribute to inclusive economic development.

For Fatimah, the results speak for themselves.

What began as a mother’s search for a solution has grown into an award-winning enterprise and a powerful example of how investing in entrepreneurs creates opportunities that ripple through families, communities and the wider economy.