My name is Mohammad Zayyan Aliyu. I was born in Taloka village. Unfortunately, my beloved mother passed away from an illness when I was only two years old. Subsequently, my paternal great-grandmother, Khadija, took me under her care.

Years later, my father, residing in the Gwagwalada area of Abuja, remarried with the hope that his new wife would provide a nurturing home and support my education. Regrettably, her kindness was superficial; she was pleasant in my father’s presence but often harsh when he was absent.

Despite these challenges, I was fortunate to begin my education. I attended Agape Standard School for nursery, followed by Pilot Science Primary School in Gwagwalada, where I successfully passed my common entrance examinations. This achievement granted me admission to Government Day Secondary School in Gwagwalada.

During my second year of junior secondary school (JSS2), circumstances required me to leave Gwagwalada and return to my hometown to live with my uncle, where I engaged in farming. After some time, I resolved to resume my education and, in 2005, was privileged to enroll at Ahmad Adamu Mu'azu Model Science Secondary School in Goronyo.

However, in my first year of senior secondary school (SSS1), I encountered another setback that forced me to pause my studies. After a year’s hiatus, I transferred to Sultan Abubakar College in Sokoto, where, by the grace of Allah, I successfully completed my Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

Following my examinations, I returned to my village to farm with my uncle, as instructed. Upon receiving my results, I expressed my desire to continue my education. While my father was supportive, my uncle opposed this, preferring that I remain in farming without pursuing further progress. Fortunately, I secured admission to Sokoto State Polytechnic.

Financial constraints prevented me from completing my studies there. Nevertheless, I remain grateful to Almighty Allah for the modest successes I have achieved. To sustain myself, I reluctantly relocated to Kaduna, where I knew no one except a school friend who graciously welcomed me—a kindness I will always cherish.

I got so worried that success didn’t even matter anymore; my main focus was just figuring out how to pay off my debts. I couldn’t stop thinking about how to get through my financial troubles and often lost sleep over it. I had no money, no assets, nothing tangible to rely on. Then, in the middle of all this predicament, a business colleague came up with an idea saying: if I let him use my empty shop, he will slowly help pay off the debts I owed to others. It was just between the two of us, and once I paid him back, I will get my shop back.