A 35-year-old primary school teacher and entrepreneur, Maryam Bako, says venturing into the importation of goods from China transformed her life, making her a millionaire, a landowner and a car owner.
Bako, a resident of Kano State and founder of M Bako Collection, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday.
According to her, she launched her importation business in 2019 with an initial capital of ₦100,000 and doubled her investment after selling her first shipment.
“I started importing goods from China in 2019 with a capital of ₦100,000. After importing my first batch of goods and selling them, I made ₦200,000,” she said.
Bako explained that before venturing into the business, she enrolled in a training programme that equipped her with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.
“The training exposed me to how to use the right websites to source products, calculate Chinese currency, and identify credible suppliers and agents,” she said.
She said the knowledge she acquired enabled her to build a sustainable business and has since empowered more than 20 women with the skills to import goods from China using their mobile phones.
According to her, she trains women on how to identify reliable suppliers, use trusted online platforms and navigate the importation process successfully.
Beyond training, Bako said she imports goods in large quantities and supplies them at wholesale prices to women who either resell the products or operate through dropshipping to generate income.
She noted that the business has enabled her to become financially independent while supporting her family and helping other women build their own businesses.
However, Bako recalled suffering a major setback in 2021 after losing about ₦13 million to an alleged fraudster.
She explained that the incident occurred after the COVID-19 pandemic when rising exchange rates and shipping challenges made it difficult for small-scale importers to process individual orders.
It started after the COVID-19 lockdown when dollar rates became high and it was hard to get personal orders shipped and cleared.
“That was when a woman named Halima, popularly known as Lima, introduced a joint order for mini importers like me, promising to get goods at cheaper rates when we bought in bulk,” she said.
According to Bako, the woman disappeared after collecting money from participants, and all efforts to recover the funds proved unsuccessful.
She said she refunded her customers from her personal funds despite the financial loss.
The entrepreneur admitted that the incident nearly forced her to abandon the business, but she eventually decided to continue so she could repay her debts.
“It took me about three years and six months to refund everyone, but I never stopped the business,” she said.
Bako advised women interested in entrepreneurship to avoid shortcuts and always verify the identity and credibility of business partners before making payments.
Do not send money to people you cannot trace or whose details you cannot confirm.
“With proper knowledge, patience and commitment, importation can become a profitable business,” she said.
source: NAN
