Inspired by women, made for women, and perfected in gold, celebrating strength, beauty, and timeless style.

 

Zainab Ibrahim Kawule, the founder of Zik Gold Glint, is an inspiring entrepreneur from Bauchi State whose passion for creativity, elegance, and empowerment shaped the brand she leads today.

Her educational journey began at Gamji Memorial Private School, Jos, followed by Al-Iman Secondary School, where she completed JSS 1 and 2. She later moved to Government Girls College (Special School), Kafin Madaki, where she finished her secondary education. Afterward, she proceeded to the Remedial Programme at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), eventually graduating with a degree in Computer Science Education. She is currently pursuing an online program in Cybersecurity Analysis in Canada.

Much of Zainab’s entrepreneurial spirit was inspired by her mother, who ran several small ventures, including gold trading. Watching her mother’s dedication lit a fire in her, a deep admiration for business and an appreciation for the beauty and value that gold represents.

Her first brand, M AND M Enterprise, was named after the initials of her children. It began with clothing and home essentials, but as her passion for fashion and accessories grew, she established what would become her signature brand: Zik Gold Glint, a celebration of style, authenticity, and confidence.

To Zainab, Zik Gold Glint is more than a jewelry brand. It represents boldness, beauty, and self-expression, a reminder that every woman deserves to shine in her own unique way. The name itself carries personal meaning. “Zik” comes from her initials, symbolizing her connection to the brand. “Gold Glint” reflects the brilliance and luxury she wants every product to convey, the way a glint of gold catches the eye and leaves a lasting impression.

Her educational background plays a major role in how she approaches design, branding, and business management. Early schooling taught her discipline and consistency. Her time at GGC Special School Kafin Madaki built resilience and adaptability. Studying Computer Science Education strengthened her logical thinking, problem-solving, and technical skills, tools she now uses to manage digital systems, create product presentations, and engage her online audience effectively. Her ongoing training in cybersecurity reinforces the values of trust, integrity, and security, principles she applies in every decision at Zik Gold Glint.

Her motivation to start the brand came from a deep love for gold and elegant designs, supported strongly by her mother, husband, family, and friends. Their encouragement strengthened her confidence, and the joy of seeing customers appreciate and trust her products keeps her inspired to grow the brand daily.

Zik Gold Glint stands firmly on quality, authenticity, and elegance. Every piece is personally inspected to ensure craftsmanship, and transparency with customers is a top priority. The brand avoids exaggerated marketing, choosing instead to build trust through honesty, consistency, and genuine engagement.

What makes Zik Gold Glint truly unique is its blend of authenticity, personal touch, and timeless elegance. Each piece is carefully selected to reflect class, confidence, and individuality, not just trends. Zainab also makes luxury accessible by offering gold pieces in smaller grams, giving customers with lower budgets an opportunity to own real, quality gold. Through originality, honesty, and personalized service, the brand has created an experience that feels memorable and trustworthy.

Building the brand came with challenges, especially earning customer trust in a market where authenticity is often questioned. Managing supply, pricing, and logistics, especially when starting small, also posed difficulties. But Zainab overcame these obstacles with patience, transparency, and consistency. By educating customers, keeping promises, and staying committed to her values, she strengthened the brand and gained loyal clients.

Beyond Zik Gold Glint, she continues to run M AND M Enterprise, which deals in clothing, fashion items, home gadgets, and beauty accessories imported from Egypt and China. She also supplies premium air fresheners to hotels, offices, homes, and restaurants, ensuring long-lasting fragrance and top-tier quality.

In addition, Zainab serves as the President of Arewa Women in Import and Export, an organization certified by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). Through this platform, she helps women gain confidence and opportunities in global trade.

Her long-term vision is to make Zik Gold Glint a trusted luxury brand both locally and internationally. She hopes to establish a physical showroom in Bauchi soon, in shaa Allah, giving customers a space to experience her products firsthand. She dreams of taking the brand beyond Nigeria, representing African excellence and empowering women worldwide.

One of her most memorable milestones was supplying two major necklace sets, a 40-gram and a 35-gram piece, to delighted customers. Their excitement confirmed that the brand was making a real impact and solidified Zik Gold Glint’s identity as reliable, elegant, and customer-centered.

The future holds exciting prospects, with upcoming collections designed for different budgets and styles, as well as new partnerships to expand the brand’s reach. Zainab promises fresh, inspiring designs that reflect individuality and timeless beauty.

To aspiring entrepreneurs, her message is clear: stay true to your vision and values. Authenticity, creativity, and consistency are the pillars of a lasting brand. With patience, hard work, and resilience, anyone can build something meaningful, respected, and successful.

From Silent Dreams to Bold Realities: The Transformative Journey of Maria Mark Mshelia

 

Maria Mark Mshelia is an indigene of Borno State, but she has lived most of her life in Bauchi State. She began her educational journey at Herwa Academy, Maiduguri, where she completed her primary school education. Later, she moved to Bauchi to begin her secondary school at the International Secondary School, ATBU, Bauchi.

From there, she went on to study Leisure and Tourism Management at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, where she obtained both her National and Higher National Diplomas. During her time at the Polytechnic, Maria was an active member of the Student Union Government, serving as the Director of Food and Sales.

After completing her studies, she moved to Abuja in 2019, where she also completed her National Youth Service that same year.

Maria’s professional journey is quite an interesting one. While in school, she was actively volunteering with NGOs such as Follow the Money and Sustyvibes, and she also served as the State Lead for both organizations during her HND days. During her service year, she worked with Connected Development, the parent organization of Follow the Money. She was an active part of the development space until the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maria has always been a business-minded person, even from her school days. She owned a fashion and upcycle business in Bauchi while still a student. During the COVID period, after completing her service year, she found herself drawn back into business — this time, real estate. She discovered Jiji, a free platform where she had access to houses for rent and items for sale. People began asking her to sell their properties, and she did that successfully for a few months.

She later tried returning to the NGO space but lost interest, deciding instead to focus fully on real estate. Over time, she moved from handling rentals to property sales. She freelanced for about two years before deciding to work with a real estate firm as a Sales Executive for about a year. By 2024, she resigned to freelance again, having built a strong network in the industry.

In 2025, Maria ventured back into the fashion business — this time with a women’s hair salon alongside it. Today, she owns Kwasheni Realty, a real estate marketing firm, and Sheni by Marie, a fashion and salon business.

Maria also brought the YALI Network physical meetup to Bauchi, where she served as the Deputy Coordinator.

The names of her brands hold special meaning. “Kwasheni” is her clan name. Maria has always loved culture and wished her parents had given her a traditional name. She decided to use her clan name for Kwasheni Realty and shortened it to Sheni for her fashion brand. To her, Kwasheni represents strength and power — qualities her clan’s women are known for.

Being in the real estate space for five years gave Maria the edge to start her own firm. Having experienced both freelancing and working with a company, she understands the dynamics of the business. Her fashion brand, on the other hand, has always been her long-time dream — one that actually came before real estate. She hopes to make Sheni by Marie bigger and better.

The fashion business also helps support her day-to-day living, as real estate doesn’t pay daily. Maria describes herself as someone with many interests, so it’s no surprise when she ventures into something new and distinct. She believes her experience in both fields gives her the confidence to manage two different brands successfully.

Although her course of study — Leisure and Tourism Management — didn’t shape her journey directly, she believes subjects like Account Management contributed to her entrepreneurial growth. As a management-based course, Tourism exposed her to business principles and how to run enterprises efficiently.

Collaboration and delegation have also helped Maria a lot. Thanks to technology and social media, people can easily order from Sheni by Marie without visiting physically, and delivery services make the process seamless. In real estate too, she relies on trusted partners and colleagues, allowing her to manage both ventures efficiently. Time management, she says, is key — if one can manage time well, it’s possible to handle multiple responsibilities without stress.

Maria believes that when you give people the best and maintain a certain standard, you’ll always stand out. In real estate, she keeps strong, healthy relationships with her clients even after deals are closed. Many of her clients have become friends. Integrity and truthfulness, she says, are core values.

For Sheni by Marie, her focus is on delivering high-quality, unique products. She prefers to work independently rather than with people who don’t share her vision. When she realizes her goals don’t align with others’, she respectfully cuts ties.

Patience, according to Maria, is her number one lesson. In business, she has encountered different people and situations — from disappointments to rude clients — but she’s learned to stay calm and handle each situation wisely. She has also learned to stand her ground for the good of her business and cut off what won’t work from the start.

For Kwasheni Realty, her goal is to venture into real estate development in the near future. For Sheni by Marie, her vision is to deliver satisfaction to both local and international clients while expanding to become a globally recognized brand. Overall, her goal is to excel in all she does and serve as an example for young women to look up to.

Her most memorable moment with Kwasheni Realty was being part of a project that helped women secure land as a form of empowerment — many of those women are now grateful for the opportunity. For Sheni by Marie, though only three months old, her proudest moments have been receiving international requests and seeing people abroad wear her designs. This, she says, made her realize that the world is always watching — even when it seems quiet.

As for her upcoming plans, Maria says nothing major for now since the year is ending, but she’s optimistic that something good will come next year.

Her message to others is simple yet powerful: Do not despise little beginnings. Even if only one person notices your work, don’t feel discouraged — keep going, and you won’t remain hidden forever. Always give your best, and whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.

She also emphasizes the importance of prayer. Whether one is Muslim or Christian, prayer is essential because only God knows our path. “If He is with you,” she says, “then you’ll succeed.”

Maria also believes it’s okay to fail — sometimes, failure simply means something isn’t meant for you, or that something needs to be done differently. She advises others to seek God’s guidance, not to rush, and to learn from those ahead.

Finally, she adds that learning to delegate is key when running multiple businesses. Getting trusted people to help you achieve your goals makes all the difference.

The Story of Zainab Abdullahi Raji — The Spirit Behind Matarsoja Citadel

Zainab Abdullahi Raji is a graduate of Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi (2016). She grew up under the loving care of her grandmother — may Allah grant her soul eternal rest.

Living with her grandmother shaped who she is today. There’s no way one can live with elderly people and not learn something traditional — from treating typhoid with herbs to keeping the first rainwater of the year. Her grandmother introduced her to the power of nature and the healing secrets of Mother Earth. That curiosity made Zainab eager to learn more, and over time, she became friends with many traditional healers who helped deepen her knowledge.

She never planned to go into the business of herbs. It all started during her service year when a friend was struggling with a vaginal infection. Zainab gave her a herbal remedy, and it worked. That friend told another, and she also got healed. At that time, Zainab wasn’t selling — she was simply helping.

After NYSC, a friend gifted her ₦20,000. Her plan was to start an earring business, but another friend encouraged her to go into herbal production instead, reminding her how her remedies had helped people. That advice changed everything — it was the beginning of Matarsoja Citadel.

Even though she now sells herbal products, she still gives out remedies freely because she believes healing shouldn’t only be for those who can afford it. Alongside her herbal journey, she also trained in cosmetology and paint making through the NYSC SAED (EED) program in 2017.

Today, Matarsoja Citadel is more than a herbs brand — it’s a holistic enterprise that combines nature, beauty, and wellness. They produce herbal remedies, skincare products, perfumes, and aphrodisiacs, serving both local and international clients.

The name Matarsoja Citadel carries a story deeply personal to her. Back in her ND days, she was nicknamed “Matarsoja”, a name she earned because of her love for the military and her active, energetic personality. The name became a part of her, symbolizing strength and determination. When the time came to start her business, she wanted a name that represented strength, courage, and resilience — values that reflect both her personality and her passion. That’s how the word Matarsoja naturally came to mind.

To give it deeper meaning, she added Citadel, which means a fortress or a stronghold — a place of safety, protection, and power. Together, Matarsoja Citadel stands for “a place of strength, healing, and protection led by Matarsoja.”

In 2018, the same year she started selling herbs, she even attempted to join the military, but Allah did not make it happen. Still, the nickname remained, and after more than ten years, it continues to define the spirit and identity behind her brand.

Zainab’s background in Mass Communication also helped her greatly in building Matarsoja Citadel. During her studies, she took Advertising as a course for more than five semesters, where she learned both the theory and practical techniques of communication. That helped her understand how to promote, connect, and engage effectively with people.

When she started her business with just ₦20,000, she couldn’t afford paid adverts on media stations, so she used social media as her main marketing tool. As a Mass Communication graduate, she understood the power of online visibility. She built her brand slowly and steadily, applying what she learned in school to grow naturally.

During her NYSC, she also took a Customer Service and Consulting course, which helped her develop strong communication skills — knowledge she now uses to train her staff on how to attend to clients respectfully, clearly, and truthfully.

Zainab is also very comfortable in front of the camera. Having been part of the Hausa movie industry, she learned to speak confidently and create content naturally, even without a script. That skill has helped her promote her brand and connect genuinely with her audience.

Right from the start, she packaged her herbs in paper, but what kept her going was her honesty and consistency. Even without fancy packaging, people kept coming back because they trusted her. Over time, she improved her packaging, but it’s still her honesty and consistency that keep clients loyal.

When she began, she was single, and some people condemned her online for selling Kayanmata. But she didn’t let that stop her — instead, she used the criticism as fuel to keep going. Being called Matarsoja wasn’t just a nickname; it reflected her determined personality. Those criticisms challenged her to say, “Zainab, you must make it. Don’t stop. Prove to the world that this is a real business.”

Today, many of those who once criticized her now say they’re proud of how far she’s come. What matters most to her is that her parents support what she does, because she knows it’s something valuable and honest.

Zainab’s greatest motivation is prayer. She believes deeply in it and knows that as long as God is by her side, there’s no limit to what she can achieve. Her parents pray for her, and though her grandmother has passed — may her soul rest in peace — her prayers still follow her. She was groomed never to give up, to keep praying and pushing no matter what.

Responsibility also drives her. She now has staff who depend on her for their livelihood. One of her staff started with ₦12,000 and now earns ₦60,000. Her goal is to grow the brand enough to pay ₦200,000 salaries and more.

She also draws motivation from watching how even the children of the rich hustle. It reminds her that if they can work hard, then she must keep pushing too.

Through the Kayanmata and skincare business, many opportunities have opened for her. Criticism, too, continues to motivate her — whenever someone looks down on her, she uses it as fuel to prove herself.

At Matarsoja Citadel, the brand stands for honesty, responsibility, faith, care, empowerment, and above all, truthfulness. Because Kayanmata is one of their products, people often have misconceptions about it. But Zainab ensures clients understand that success requires effort — not shortcuts or manipulation.

Her team also maintains strict professionalism. Every client conversation is recorded, staff sign NDAs, and company devices remain property of Matarsoja Citadel to ensure privacy and accountability. These values have set her brand apart.

Matarsoja Citadel is unique because they don’t just sell — they create. Every product is made from scratch, tested, and trusted. They don’t follow trends or compromise quality. Authenticity, safety, and discipline define their work.

From facing criticism to managing staff and fighting misconceptions about herbs, Zainab’s journey has been filled with lessons. But faith, consistency, and truth have always kept her strong.

Aside from Matarsoja Citadel, she runs Matarsoja Event and Decoration, engages in real estate, sells fabrics and lingerie, and owns a spa. Her love for fashion began long before the herbal business. Yet, she has remained intentional — ensuring Matarsoja Citadel stands strong before expanding further.

Now, Alhamdulillah, with a structured team and organized system, she’s gradually building Matarsoja into a brand that represents empowerment, beauty, wellness, and class across different sectors.

Her advice to women is simple: Don’t wait until everything is perfect. Start anyhow. When she began, she wrapped herbs in paper, yet people still bought them. What matters is not how you start, but your consistency, honesty, and faith in God.

She now coaches women, teaching them how to start small, grow steadily, and build strong values in business. To her, every woman has the potential to rise — no matter how little she starts with. Be prayerful, be patient, and keep pushing. When God is by your side, you have no limit.