Triple Stock, New Hope: How Nestle Turned 50 Zaria Women Into Bigger Business Owner
By Akinleye-Babs Oluwatoyin Grace, Streetwise Media
Zaria, Kaduna State – For many women who sell provisions in small shops and market stalls in Zaria, business has always been a daily struggle. Capital is small, profit is smaller, and one bad week can wipe out everything.
That story began to change when Nestle Nigeria marked the fifth anniversary and 10th edition of its Empowering Rural Women Initiative in Zaria.
Fifty women retailers were selected for the programme. They did not just receive products. They received training, and then a grant in the form of Nestle products valued at three times their existing stock.
For a woman who had goods worth N30,000, it meant walking away with additional goods that tripled what she had before. For a woman who had N50,000 worth of stock, it meant a new opportunity to expand, attract more customers, and dream bigger.
Before the grant, the women were taken through practical business training. They were taught how to manage money, keep simple records, plan for growth, and serve customers better. One of the biggest lessons was learning to separate business money from family money – a challenge many small traders face daily.
Many of the beneficiaries sell food items and household goods to their neighbours. With little capital and little formal training, they have kept their families going, but growth has been slow.
Nestle Nigeria says the initiative is not about charity. It is about giving rural women the skills and confidence to sustain their businesses long after the programme ends.
For the 50 women in Zaria, the support is more than products on a shelf. It is a chance to grow their shops, increase their income, pay school fees, and support their families with dignity.
As the programme celebrates five years and 10 editions, it continues to show that when you empower a woman, you empower a family and a whole community.
