Barakat Adesina, the founder of Glizt Paints, is making waves in a field traditionally dominated by men. Her journey from a young NYSC graduate to a successful entrepreneur is a story of determination, resilience, and an unyielding passion for her craft. Today, she stands as a beacon of inspiration, breaking barriers and proving that the paint industry is not just for men.

Barakat’s journey began after she completed her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, where she participated in a Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training on paint making. With the little money she had saved from her NYSC allowance, she registered her company and started producing paint from a single room in her father’s house. “I started with just a hand mixer and a lot of determination,” Barakat recalls. “My mother was my biggest supporter; she would stay up late with me, helping to mix and package the paint.”
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Despite her passion and hard work, Barakat faced significant challenges in the early days of her business. “Funding was a major issue,” she says. “Paint making is a capital-intensive business, and it wasn’t easy to secure the resources I needed to grow. Logistics were also a headache—getting the raw materials and delivering the products was often difficult and costly.”

But these challenges didn’t deter Barakat. She remained focused on her goal of building a successful business, and her persistence paid off. Today, Glizt Paints has two stores in Ibadan and Lagos, with distributors across Nigeria. “Every obstacle I faced only made me stronger,” Barakat reflects. “I learned to adapt, to find solutions, and to keep moving forward, no matter what.”

In addition to the financial and logistical challenges, Barakat also had to overcome the biases and stereotypes that often come with being a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry. “There were times when people didn’t take me seriously because I was a woman,” she shares. “But I didn’t let that stop me. I knew that I was just as capable, if not more so, than anyone else in this industry.”

Her success is a testament to her strength and determination, but she is quick to point out that she didn’t do it alone. “I had the support of my family, especially my mother, and that made all the difference,” she says. “It’s important for women in this industry to know that they can succeed, but they don’t have to do it alone. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your vision.”

Barakat remains committed to inspiring and empowering other women to follow in her footsteps as she continues to grow her business and break new ground in the paint industry. “There are no limits to what women can achieve in this industry,” she says. “We just have to be willing to push past the barriers and keep going, no matter what.”
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