China importation business turns teacher into millionaire, car owner Importation

By Aisha Gambo

A 35 year-old primary school teacher, Maryam Bako says she became a millionaire, a land and car owner when she started importing goods from China and selling them in Nigeria.

Bako, a resident of Kano state and the founder of M Bako Collection made the disclosure during an interview on Tuesday.

“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.

“Before starting my importation business, I paid for a training programme where I learnt the skills needed to succeed in the business.

“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 she had trained more than 20 women on how to import goods from China using their phones, the right websites, and reliable suppliers or agents.

Apart from training other women, Bako said she imports goods in bulk and supply them at wholesale prices to women who resell or dropship the products to earn income.

According to her, the business had helped her take care of herself, support her family and impact the lives of other women.

The teacher turned entrepreneur said she had faced a challenge that affected her business in 2021 when she lost about N13 million to a fraudster who collected her money and disappeared.

“It started after the COVID 19 lockdown when dollar rates got 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 rate when we buy in bulk “, she said.

According to Bako, after the woman got their money and disappeared, all efforts made to retrieve the money proved abortive, a situation which made her refund her customers from her purse.

She explained that the incident discouraged her and dampened her spirit saying she later realised that she must continue the business in order to be able to clear the debt.

She added that it took her about three years and six months to complete refunding people, adding that she still continued her importation business.

Bako advised women not to look for shortcuts because shortcuts often lead to failure, urging them to verify the identity and credibility of business partners before giving out their money.

“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.