The Woman Who Turned Generational Rituals of Fragrance Into a Heritage Brand That Speaks to Culture, Identity, and Wellness

 

 

Dr. Rahima Kashim was born in Sokoto and raised in Lagos, Abuja, and Bauchi. She hails from Bauchi LGA and is the great-granddaughter of Uban Doman Bauchi, as well as the daughter of the former SSG and Muqaddas of Bauchi. To her, Bauchi is home, and it is an honour that her journey has led her here.

She is a wife, a mother of three, and a lifelong gatherer of stories told through scent. Her path has taken her across continents and across disciplines. By training, she is an Optometrist, having earned a Doctor of Optometry from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. She went on to pursue an MSc in Clinical Ophthalmology at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland and later obtained a PhD in Health and Social Care from the University of Greenwich in London, UK.

Today, she works as a senior policy advisor with the Scottish Government, where her focus is on health equity. Alongside this professional role, she is also the founder of Sahilia, a cultural wellness and fragrance brand that embodies her heritage and passion.

The inspiration for Sahilia came from both personal and professional experiences. Growing up, scent was deeply woven into daily life. Her maternal grandmother and father were perfume collectors, while her mother always filled their home with bakhour and the rituals of humrah perfume. At the same time, her academic and professional journey, combined with extensive travel, revealed the profound connection between culture, identity, and wellbeing. Sahilia was born at the intersection of those worlds, a way to preserve heritage through scent while creating mindful rituals that nurture self-care.

The name Sahilia pays homage to the Sahel, a region that stretches across Northern Nigeria and beyond. For Rahima, the Sahel represents resilience, beauty, and history. She wanted a name that honoured her roots yet carried the elegance of a global brand. Sahilia became a way of carrying the secrets of the Sahel into the modern world through fragrance, storytelling, and ritual.

Her professional background bridges optometry, academia, and public policy. As an optometrist, lecturer, and now senior government advisor, she has witnessed firsthand the importance of wellbeing, culture, and prevention in health. These experiences instilled in her resilience, strategic thinking, and the power of storytelling, all of which now shape her brand.

Her educational journey also informs her work. From her PhD, she gained the skill of deep research and the ability to translate knowledge into practical solutions. From her clinical training, she learned the importance of small rituals that sustain both life and health. These lessons are reflected in the way Sahilia is designed, carefully researched, culturally inspired, and created to bring balance into everyday life.

For Rahima, fragrance is not simply about smelling good; it is tied to identity, spirituality, and memory. Her love for scents and perfumes began early, leading her to collect perfumes and later teach herself the art of perfumery. Traditional humrah perfume held particular significance for her, given its cultural role in femininity, marriage, and family heritage. She learned the art directly from women who had preserved it for generations. This inspired her to capture that richness and share it with the world. What motivates her today are her children, she wants to show them that anything is possible with determination, and the response of people whose lives her products touch. When someone tells her that a Sahilia oil reminds them of home or helps create a calming ritual, it reinforces her mission: she is not just selling fragrance, she is preserving culture and inspiring care.

Sahilia is built on three pillars: heritage, mindfulness, and authenticity. The brand honours the history of the Sahel, encourages people to slow down through self-care, and remains true to its roots. These values are reflected in every detail, from Sahel-inspired packaging to alcohol-free and skin-friendly formulations rooted in traditional rituals. Unlike many brands that focus purely on luxury, Sahilia blends heritage with storytelling, creating an experience where each product carries the soul of the Sahel.

The journey has not been without challenges. Balancing a professional career with entrepreneurship has been demanding, and technical aspects such as packaging, shipping, and regulatory compliance have also tested her resilience. But persistence, openness to learning, and a strong vision continue to keep her moving forward.

While Sahilia remains her primary entrepreneurial focus, Rahima is also engaged in academic writing and public health consultancy. To her, all these pursuits are interconnected, each one contributes to wellbeing, though in different ways.

Her long-term vision is for Sahilia to grow into a global heritage brand, rooted in Africa but recognised worldwide. She hopes to expand beyond fragrances into wellness spaces, cultural storytelling platforms, and even books. Already, the brand is engaging communities through storytelling on Instagram and its blog, as well as by encouraging customers to share their personal “scent stories.” One particularly memorable initiative was a workshop in Bauchi where she taught over 40 young women the art of perfume-making. That experience was not just about fragrance, it was about empowerment, creativity, and opening doors to entrepreneurship.

Looking ahead, she is developing a subscription offering that allows customers to explore new scents and rituals each season. Another upcoming project is the Decolonising Fragrance series, which uncovers the untold history of perfumery’s African and Islamic roots.

Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs in self-care and wellness is simple yet powerful: stay true to your authentic story. Do not just follow trends, create something rooted in your culture, your values, and your passion. Innovation happens when tradition meets fresh ideas, but above all, patience is essential. Building something meaningful takes time.