Hibiscus tea, popularly known as Sobolo is a refreshing beverage native to Ghana and other West African States. The sobolo drink has become popular in most Ghanaian households as it is used for snacks at official events. The health benefits of the sobolo drink cannot be underestimated yet, it has come under serious attack from health experts and food scientists. The concerns raised by the experts, has to do mainly with the unhygienic environments in which it is mostly produced coupled with the fact that it is often sold in open markets, posing health risks to consumers. The usage of discarded plastic bottles by some producers, lack of traceability and many others are among concerns raised by experts against the Sobolo drink. 

One of the revelations of the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Business Award competition, is a young student of the University for Development Studies, Miss. Niamatu Alhassan, who seeks to change the narrative by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by University’s Business Innovation and Incubation Center (BIIC) to produce quality, nutritious and affordable sobolo teabags under a healthy environment.

Thanks to her budding company, Anban Life, the sobolo drink, one of the most popular Ghanaian beverages is about to experience some rebranding under strict hygienic conditions. Miss. Niamatu Alhassan, the brain behind Anban Life is keen to produce healthy organic sobolo tea bags under the brands name “Nimah Sobolo Tea”. The tea bags will target both the open market as well as the corporate world. The sobolo teabag has moved from the ideational stage and is currently at an incubation stage where value addition, marketing strategies and packaging are being added to the tea brand. She envisages to penetrate the West African market where sobolo is heavily consumed as a household beverage.

In an interview with the UDS media team, the first runner-up of the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Business Innovation and Incubation Award, organized yearly to support and train students who have entrepreneurial and innovative ideas expressed the hope that her brand would soon triumph in the market that is already saturated with products that are not only untraceable but produced under unhealthy conditions.

Miss. Niamatu Alhassan is currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education at the University for Development Studies. She is also a Professional Teacher after acquiring a Diploma in Early Childhood Education from UDS after which she proceeded to write the Teachers Licensure Exams. 

Besides her entrepreneurial prowess, she is also a student politician who has occupied several portfolios such as the Deputy Women’s Commissioner for the Early Childhood Students Association as well as the Deputy General Assembly Speaker for the same association. She is the current Women’s Commissioner for UDS-Tamale Campus and brings into office colossal experience from several leadership engagements and other extra-curricular activities.
As an aspiring entrepreneur, student’s leader and social activists, Miss. Niamatu has learnt proper time management and effectively blending all without reneging on her primary duties as a student.       

About the Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (BIIC)

The Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (BIIC) of the University for Development Studies Business Directorate (UDS-BD) seeks to develop the business acumen of students, alongside academic training, to enable them take advantage of business opportunities available to them under the supportive environment provided by the University. The Vice-Chancellor’s Business Innovation Award Scheme is part of efforts by the BIIC to identify and support potential entrepreneurs among students of the UDS. The award emphasizes the need to give students an early start to participate in opportunities provided by domestic and global markets. The specific aim of this award scheme is to nurture potential business leaders among students. This year’s call departs from previous calls by broadening the scope to ensure more diversified entries to reflect the character of the University. In that case, the award will recognize any business innovation that our judges deem worthy of support. Nominations will be individually scored by a panel of experts selected by an advisory committee. Thus, entries will be based on business ideas that are innovative, workable and entrepreneurial. Entries are therefore, encouraged from all faculties, schools and disciplines in the University.

Story by; Sumaila Mohammed (University Relations)