How 21-yr-old BUK student turned growing plants’ hobby to business

For many students, combining studies and business is a tough task but Alisa Mato Nayaro, a 21-year-old female student of Bayero University Kano, has turned her hobby of growing plants into a booming business enterprise, Kano/JIgawa Chronicle reports.

Alisa, a level 300 student of Applied Biology, is the chief executive officer of A&A Flower Farm in Kano.

For her, horticulture is everything but the kitchen sink as she considers it as something very easy to do.

The business has not only provided Alisa a stream of income but also made her to be an employer of labour as she employed two workers who assist her in running the enterprise.

The Kano-born horticulturist told Kano/Jigawa Chronicle that two months into the business, she had recorded successes as she received contracts from leading construction firms like Brains & Hammers to supply flowers for their projects.

“I love agribusiness and that has made a pathway for me to venture into horticulture. Growing plants is a hobby for me and turning it into a business was not difficult at all.

“I now live the life of a boss. I take care of my school expenses without depending much on my parents. Everyday expenditure for me is not really a problem anymore,” she said.

But with the successes recorded, Alisa said battling with gender stereotypes remains a major challenge.

“I’m being looked down upon most times. When I go to construction sites to make a proposal, most people doubt my ability to carry out whatever I propose,” she said, adding that people should learn to overlook gender when thinking of capacity.

Adama Ayuba & Oyelakin Saheed