Nigerian women are hustlers. If you go to the market, you will see how hard we work. If you don’t hustle in this world, you can’t make it. You can’t sit down and wait for your husband to give you money for everything. You must hustle for your children to grow and to be educated.

When my husband was transferred, we moved from Lagos to Abuja, so I looked around to see what I could do in this area. I decided to start selling plastic containers, disposable bowls and plates. I started my business with N100,000. In 2025, I joined St Jude Empowering Center so that I could add money to my capital. Some people say that microfinance isn’t good, but I tell them that it is good. Just make sure you think about it well and have some of your money before you borrow. You shouldn’t use a loan as the only capital for your business. I felt I didn’t need the money, but I’ve realized that the loan is actually helpful.

I started with the N50,000 loan, then I went on to N70,000 and then N100,000. I used the N100,000 to buy disposable bowls and plates and I put that in my second store. I don’t sell to anyone on credit, not even my husband. I think selling on credit is where people run into trouble. I usually go to Onitsha and Lagos to buy products. Actually,wherever I can find them at the best price, that’s where I go. I thank God that I haven’t had any accidents; God has been keeping me.

The only challenge I’d say I’ve faced in this business is when I draw up a waybill and the goods don’t come on time. It has not been hard for me to pay the loans back. As long as you have your initial capital and you have a plan for the money you will borrow, it won’t be hard to pay back. I’m grateful that from this business, I’ve been able to sponsor my children to school. My first child is a lawyer, the second is working, and the last is in University. St Jude Empowering Center has really helped me and my business. I plan to continue running my shop and managing it well. My second store is just a space where I keep my goods, because there’s no space here anymore. You don’t have to have a shop everywhere, though if you’re capable and strong enough to do that, then it’s fine. But, for me, I don’t have that strength or desire.