Luis Rosado
My Business Training
Abubakar Dahiru
Quick Facts
Abubakar Dahiru, known affectionately as "Ustaz," is a hardworking 37-year-old mobile hardware technician operating in Bauchi's GSM Village.
Raised in a large family of seventeen siblings, Abubakar faced severe financial limitations that cut his childhood dream of becoming a diplomat short after secondary school.
Despite these systemic obstacles, his powerful work ethic never faltered. Today, he is a dedicated father of five and the sole financial provider for his household, managing rent, healthcare, and educational expenses.
Driven by a deep commitment to his family, Abubakar runs his repair business to build a more stable, prosperous future.
Abubakar Dahiru
Business Goals
Abubakar aims to scale up his current workstation into a fully equipped, professional commercial storefront named Janbil Cell Phone Repair. Operating daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in a high-traffic commercial hub, he plans to offer specialized services including screen replacements, battery installations, and advanced integrated circuit repairs.
He targets up to forty corporate professionals, local business owners, and rural farmers weekly, providing reliable, transparent craftsmanship on negotiable, budget-friendly terms.
Ultimately, Abubakar intends to establish a trusted neighborhood brand modeled after BUA, utilizing simple, highly trusted marketing materials to build long-term community confidence.
Abubakar Dahiru
Business Obstacles
Abubakar is successfully serving a steady customer base despite currently working out of a highly restrictive market cubicle with just a basic blower, soldering iron, and screwdrivers.
His primary operational roadblock is the lack of money to rent a permanent, independent shop to do his selling.
Additionally, operating without advanced quality machinery limits his technical capacity, preventing him from working on high-tech smartphones.
Lastly, Abubakar faces major managerial challenges, specifically in learning to supervise apprentices and managing his business finances effectively, since he has no formal training or prior experience keeping organized small-business financial records.
Abubakar Dahiru
Vulnerabilities
Abubakar is collaborating with Leadership Initiatives to transition out of his market cubicle and establish his own phone repair shop within the community.
This partnership will equip his new business with cutting-edge technical tools, including an RF4 microscope, separating machines, and a universal PCB holder, alongside an independent power generator to ensure reliable daily operations.
By providing the essential startup capital and equipment required to launch this independent storefront, this collaboration directly helps him attract more clients and expand his repair capabilities.
This support provides the foundation necessary to grow his venture, allowing him to afford his children's education.
My Business Proposal
Throughout the program, we worked closely with Abubakar Dahiru to develop a clear understanding of their business goals. Though they have leveraged their skills and years of experience to create their business, they face obstacles hindering the expansion of their work.
Guided by their vision, we created a proposal detailing the marketing materials necessary to support the growth of their business. We devised a plan that would allow Abubakar Dahiru to optimize their business through a new brand identity
Investments in a logo and marketing materials, such as signs and flyers, are vital for establishing a strong brand identity and expanding the customer base. These visual assets create a consistent and memorable image that builds trust and recognition among potential clients.
My Business Proposal Presentation
As part of the International Leadership and Business Internship, I collaborated with top development experts to strengthen my business partner’s brand.
At the conclusion of the program, my team presented our final proposal to a panel of judges from the Leadership Initiatives Grant Committee. This formal pitch allowed us to demonstrate our entrepreneurial skills, showcase our strategic plan, and advocate for meaningful change in our partner’s business.
Our team was awarded grant funding to support the implementation of our business partner’s plan, providing life-changing support that will expand operations, strengthen financial stability, and create new growth opportunities. Over the next year, this grant will help transform the future of their business and improve the quality of life for both the entrepreneur and their community.
Internship Highlights
- Business Partner Meeting
- Visit To The Embassy Of Zimbabwe
- Diplomacy Briefing At The Ethiopian Embassy
- Professional Mentorship
Our business development journey began with a one-on-one Zoom meeting with our partner, Abubakar Dahiru, and our Nigerian project coordinator. This initial conversation laid the foundation for strong collaboration. It allowed us to better understand our partner's background, family, goals for the business, and the specific challenges they were facing.
Hearing directly from Abubakar Dahiru provided the insight we needed to begin brainstorming practical, personalized solutions. Each morning, our team held focused discussions to refine our ideas, reflect on expert advice from the day before, and adjust our timeline to move our plans forward efficiently.
Throughout the process, on-staff project coordinators and business development experts offered guidance, helping us ask the right questions and turn our ideas into meaningful, actionable strategies.
I had the unique opportunity to visit the Embassy of Zimbabwe, where I gained firsthand insight into the role of diplomacy in fostering strong relationships between Zimbabwe and the United States.
The embassy serves as a center for international collaboration, partnering with countries and global organizations to address pressing issues such as poverty, gender inequality, and climate change. Through this visit, I learned how diplomats engage in meaningful dialogue and policy development to create sustainable, people-focused solutions.
Officials from the Embassy of Zimbabwe shared how they collaborate with local communities to identify needs and implement programs that empower individuals and strengthen long-term development. This commitment to community-driven impact inspired my team and me as we worked to develop our own business proposal focused on creating lasting change.
During my visit to the Ethiopian Embassy, I gained insight into how diplomacy shapes international cooperation and development. The experience deepened my understanding of the embassy’s role in promoting peace, fostering economic partnerships, and addressing shared global challenges.
Embassy representatives discussed how their work supports cross-cultural exchange, advances policy priorities, and strengthens relationships between the Ethiopian people and the United States. I learned how embassies serve as bridges, connecting governments, communities, and organizations to create innovative solutions for global issues.
This visit broadened my perspective on international leadership and inspired me to think critically about how collaboration, cultural awareness, and strategic planning can drive meaningful progress- principles that our team applied while developing our business proposal.
Throughout the internship, our team had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with leading experts in business and economic development from Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
One of the highlights was a session with Carla Brooks, Business and Development Officer at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.
My team also worked directly with a personal mentor. Our mentor provided us with career insights, project support, and feedback for our business ideas. The meetings we had throughout the week with our mentor provided critical insights from the initial business ideation phase through our project presentation.
With support from Ms. Brooks and other global leaders, including Eric Rosenstein, we refined our ideas, strengthened our strategy, and developed a powerful and polished pitch deck to present at the end of the week. Their guidance helped us take our business proposal to the next level, creating a plan designed not only to launch a venture, but to transform our business partner’s future.