Sahad Stores is a household name, especially in northern Nigeria. For many, the name is synonymous with a huge supermarket chain in the north. Yet, few know the story behind its origin or the man behind the successful mega-business. Alhaji Ibrahim Mijinyawa, the businessman behind Sahad, was born in the Mandawari area of Kano.
In an interview with Kaftan TV’s Sirrin Nasarar Kasuwa, he shared how he started his business and how the name Sahad came to be. Reflecting on his life, he described it as a remarkable story — too many to recount in a single sitting. He explained that he was born after years of his parents’ childlessness, and shortly after his birth, his father separated from his mother, who was the only child of his grandmother.
Following this, his grandmother, Mari Mai Koko, took over his upbringing. Raised solely by her, Mijinyawa did not attend an Islamic or Western school in his early years but as he matured, he recognised the value of education and enrolled himself in a boarding school, studying alongside younger students. Later, he joined a formal evening school known as Festival School, run by Igbo teachers. Throughout this journey, his only support came from his grandmother, a respected figure in Mandawari.
Can you take us back to when it all began, when did you start your business?
I began my journey as a messenger in a company, earning between £7 and £10 a month. I worked there for nine months, carefully saving a few pounds in an Antikurya, a hidden pocket used in those days to keep money safe. It was so discreet that retrieving money from it was nearly impossible without the owner’s knowledge. Once I had saved enough, I decided to leave the job and start selling clothes.