Maryam Adebola-Salami is the founder and CEO of Mobaby Care Nigeria. Mobaby Care Nigeria was established in 2018 and is an all-natural NAFDAC approved baby/child care solutions company who uses plants, plant extracts and other natural resources to formulate safe and effective body, hair and hygiene products. The Company is a growing a brand with an indigenous culture fueled by the ‘I CAN’ spirit, with the vision to be the leading provider of scientifically proven solutions for African children.
Entering Into Business
Maryam noted that, money was the motivation, saying “growing up I hated when I wanted things and my parents would say no, because they did not have or did not think I needed it. So, when my mum bought me things, I do not need, I would trade it for what I wanted or money and use the money to buy what I needed. This made me realise, people could hardly resist my offer.
“This went on until teenage hood when I schooled in Ilorin, Kwara State and most of the indigene would often ask me to shop for them. I went from personal shopping to designing clothes. I developed a flare for fashion, went to fashion school and diversified into bridal outfits until I find myself back in the lab formulated safe and healthy baby care products due to my personal experience when I had just become a mother in 2016 and six years later, I am constantly refining and redefining toward arching my business degrees and profession.”
Motivation
Maryam believes that change motivates her. According to her, being behind the wheel of change, women liberation and seeing the unquantifiable success it brings to a group simply because a woman made a change.
Challenges
She noted that “contrary to what many beliefs. Most of the challenges I face are from within, tiredness to push, ingratitude due to delays or failures, procrastination and general sense of demur when I am on a routine. But I have found a way to constantly spark my imagination and have a sense of renewal every now and then.”
Admonition
“Growth comes with more problems so, whatever you are facing now, brace up for the next big problem as you grow. It is called the good problem. Entrepreneurship is very hard and you must have a good leadership skill in you to succeed,” Maryam advised.
Biography
Maryam is a multipotentiality with 10 years’ experience in fashion, IT, health, Branding, Marketing and children’s personal care. A born and breed in Lagos but blood line from Kwara State, she is highly passionate about Nigeria and building confident African women. Armed with experiences Maryam is constantly enabling other women to achieve financial independence, as she believes strongly that it is key to women empowerment and eradication of domestic violence which is the leading cause of death of women in her community.
As founder and CEO of Mobaby Care, through her tenacity and leadership, her business has received over $50,000 grants, equity and scholarships from different organisations including The Cherie Blair Foundation, The Orange Corners Incubation Program and most recently the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, a US initiative. Her goal is to build a business that its impact will extend beyond the shores of Africa and of course continue to impact and influence more women hence contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG8) ‘Decent Work & Economic Growth’.
