Zaria Fatima Baba Mai Zaria

A Hausa businesswoman who transformed northern Nigeria's economy through innovative trade networks

Zaria Fatima Baba Mai Zaria (1902-1975) was a legendary Nigerian entrepreneur who built one of West Africa's largest textile empires. Starting as a porter in Zaria's markets at age 14, she mastered the Saharan trade routes, importing fabrics from Europe and exporting leather goods across the Sahara. By 1940, her company employed over 500 artisans and controlled 30% of northern Nigeria's textile trade.

She pioneered modern business practices like credit systems and inventory management, documented in her 1957 memoir 《The Weaver's Fortune》. During the 1953 drought, she distributed food supplies to 20,000 families through her trade networks, earning the title Baba Mai Zaria (Mother of Zaria). Her leather armor collection is now in the British Museum, showcasing her innovative craftsmanship.

Despite operating in a male-dominated society, she became the first woman to sit on the Northern Nigeria Chamber of Commerce. Her business model inspired modern cooperatives like the Nigerian Women's Chamber of Commerce. The NPR highlighted her as a precursor to today's African female entrepreneurs. Her legacy lives on through the Zaria Fatima Scholarship Fund supporting female traders.