Zach Marcus Magno
My Business Training
Hayatu Mukaila
Quick Facts
Hayatu Mukaila, popularly known as "Hayatu Plumber," is a dedicated craftsman from Bauchi State.
Overcoming a lonely childhood where resources were not as plentiful, Hayatu’s interest in plumbing began from his apprenticeship training, where he learned a variety of skills.
Now a husband and father, Hayatu is deeply committed to being present for his children, prioritizing family meals and reciting the Quran regularly with his two wives.
Inspired by a neighboring engineer and driven to promote a bright future for his three children, Hayatu balances independent repair jobs with working at a plumbing shop under his employer.
Hayatu Mukaila
Business Goals
Hayatu strives to establish a successful plumbing enterprise where clients feel completely confident in his technical expertise.
He aims to provide reliable plumbing installation, repair, and maintenance services, as well as essential plumbing materials such as toilet seats, water heaters, submersible pumps and more.
Prioritizing exceptional craftsmanship and competitive pricing, he hopes to expand his client network across male and female business owners, engineers, and civil servants interested in his work.
Hayatu plans to scale his business by transitioning from a dependent employee to an independent business owner with his own inventory, providing services to his whole community.
Hayatu Mukaila
Business Obstacles
Hayatu maintains a steady workflow, managing up to ten clients weekly during peak seasons, despite relying on basic hand tools.
However, his primary obstacle remains the lack of critical machinery and special equipment needed for seamless completion of advanced projects.
Currently renting power generators to run his PPR piping machine and other machinery, this reliance delays his operations and drains his profits.
Since the market demands quick service, Hayatu struggles with an inconsistent local power supply.
His limited experience with financial tracking and finding trustworthy employees makes growth difficult, but securing proper tools is essential to his improvement.
Hayatu Mukaila
Vulnerabilities
Hayatu seeks support from Leadership Initiatives to create his new plumbing business, requiring a power generator, a drilling machine, and funding.
This partnership will provide the necessary equipment to eliminate high rental costs and effectively stock high-demand plumbing supplies.
With this assistance, Hayatu’s workspace will transform into a professional, white-walled shop with large display windows, wall-mounted shelves, and secure burglary proofing.
This collaboration ensures business success and Hayatu’s independence, enabling him to establish a reliable plumbing shop while delivering exceptional craftsmanship to the Bauchi community.
My Business Proposal
Throughout the program, we worked closely with Hayatu Mukaila 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 Hayatu Mukaila 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 Norway
- Diplomacy Briefing At The Egyptian Embassy
- Professional Mentorship
Our business development journey began with a one-on-one Zoom meeting with our partner, Hayatu Mukaila, 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 Hayatu Mukaila 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 Norway, where I gained firsthand insight into the role of diplomacy in fostering strong relationships between Norway 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 Norway 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 Egyptian 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 Egyptian 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.