History was made in Abuja as a female lecturer in the Accounting Department of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Mrs. Fatimah Zarah Uthman won the national Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) award, being the only recipient from Northern Nigeria among other nine winners to clinch the covetted prize of a IVM 20 Smart car and the sum of One Million naira.

The award which was presented by two Government Agencies, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control
(NAFDAC) and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria
(SMEDAN) at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja had the Vice President, Professor Yomi Osinbajo in attendance was of excellence in beauty, wellness and cosmetics.

Receiving the awardee at at Senate Chamber of the University, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Major General Idris Garba(Rtd) who was represented by one of the Senior members of the University Council, Professor Muhammad Bashir Nuhu, commended Mrs. Fatimah Zarah for making the entire Northern Nigeria proud for her hardwork and doggedness in the entrepreneurial world.

He noted that Niger State was indeed very grateful to have her like among others, adding that IBB University would remain indebted to the organisers who were able to identify good and enterprising entrepreneurs.

The Pro-Chancellor equally appreciated the support and understanding of the University Management in the promotion of staff and their welfare.

Earlier, Mrs. Fatimah Zarah Uthman explained to the University Management how she won the award, saying she saw an advertisement for the Fifth Micro Small and Medium Enterprise award(MSME) which she applied and was invited as one of the thirty entrepreneurs nominated out of One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Four that put in for the award.

She stressed that her category was the seventh and three contestants were called, of which she emerged winner.

Mrs. Uthman announced that she has been invited by Nigeria Export Promotion Council(NEPC) as one of the entrepreneurs to represent Nigeria in an International Trade Fair in Cairo, Egypt.

The awardee expressed gratitude to the Almighty for the skills acquired, and the University Management for the support and encouragements.

She thanked Technology Incubation Centre for the opportunity and exposure, and the
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) for entrenching the start up loop programme which gave her the business strategies to come this far.

Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abu Kasim Adamu congratulated Mrs. Uthman for doing the University proud and for being a good ambassador to the female gender as a whole.

He commended the organisers of the award ceremony for instituting the talent hunt which has brought the best in the entrepreneurial world, especially in the cosmetology category.

Also speaking, the Head of Accounting Department, Professor Hassan Ibrahim commended Mrs. Fatimah Zarah for her efforts in entrepreneurial activities.

Professor Ibrahim who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration thanked the Vice Chancellor for his support in entrepreneurial skills acquisition.

He said the Department would continue to promote independent minded staff and students to excel.

Mrs. Fatimah Zarah Uthman has so far spent four years in cosmetology, with expertise in natural hair care.