Why I set up Zamani TV – Fatima Aminu
Hajiya Fatima Aminu is the CEO of Zamani TV and a scientist whose passion for the entertainment industry led her to establish one of the first private TV stations in Kano. In this interview, Hajiya Fatima talked about her dream for the entertainment industry and the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, among others. Excerpts: […]
Hajiya Fatima Aminu is the CEO of Zamani TV and a scientist whose passion for the entertainment industry led her to establish one of the first private TV stations in Kano. In this interview, Hajiya Fatima talked about her dream for the entertainment industry and the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, among others. Excerpts:
Tell us briefly about yourself
My name is Fatima Aminu and I am the CEO/founder of Zamani Television, a satellite television based here in Kano.
I am a graduate of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, where I studied Biochemistry in 1992. I did my masters in Biology at Bayero University Kano. I was a lecturer with Kano State Polytechnic for 12 years. I resigned from public service to pursue my dream, and part of the strategies of achieving my dream is to train as a media person particularly on television production and fashion design.
Tell us more about Zamani TV?
Presently, the station will be in its 7th or 8th month of transmission. Zamani is a television with a vision of public enlightenment and reorienting our society. We intend to do this through different enlightenment programmes for children, youth, women, religious enlightenment and other meaningful things. Zamani TV is widely accepted going by the comments and calls we have been receiving
What are the challenges you face in a male dominated sector?
The challenges are like every challenge; you face it, you take risks and you strive to tackle it. Zamani TV is my pet project. For years, I have conceived this idea of having my own television and to use the medium to set so many things right in my society, and also to showcase our art, and entertainment to the world.
Nurturing this idea for a very long time was what led me to do what is right in terms of finding the knowledge; and I always say whatever you want to do, find the knowledge for it no matter how long it takes you as an entrepreneur. The course took me through two retirements; to retire from work as a civil servant, and as a senior lecturer. I retired and went to learn this field of television.
I came back and set up the training centre because when I first came in 2011 to set up this TV centre nobody was taking me serious, nobody knew the dream I have, nobody understood what I had in mind then.
I set up a television vocational centre for our young people to learn all arts and performances of TV when nobody was taking me serious. They felt it needs a lot of money, to finance a lot of things. I faced so many challenges but, what did I do? I remained rooted to what I believed because I have a dream; a very big dream and that dream kept on disturbing me every day.
I realised that I need to have people with the needed capacity and that was what led to the establishment of Dabo TV Centre. At Dabo TV centre I was able to train able young people. It will interest you to note that looking at the composition of Zamani TV crew, anybody that works in Zamani whether as a camera man or an editor or a light man or a sound man, I am the one that has personally trained them and I did that with a passion.
My dream was to attain my target in 10 years and I did it in 7 years – from 2011 to 2018. So I cheated 3 years because we were working 17 hours a day. It was serious, hard work; a series of learning different ways to do set, design and all that. The way we set up Zamani studio you could only say wow! We have done something even though we not where we want to be, but at least we have a very good start.
The interesting part of Zamani TV is that, almost 50% of the workers are female. I love to train women because I want them to be able to have a voice and to be able to bring out their own contributions to societal development.
What is the staff strength of Zamani TV?
I think I have 30 people on my channel, that is the direct workers, the indirect are so many they come and do their production and leave. You have to have a balance. I always say it if you do not have something to die for you done have something to live for.
How do you mix motherhood and running a TV station?
My own idea on this is, if you are set out to do something and God wants you to do it. He will give you the wherewithal to strike a balance. As an entrepreneur, nobody expects you to sit at home and do the normal hours; entrepreneurs don’t have the normal working hours. If you are married, you have to make your husband understand. Understand what is important in your relationship and above all you need your husband’s support.
Sometimes, my children stay with me as I do my work so it helps me to be with them and still do my work. At home when I want to do certain things we sit together and they ask questions. I catch fun doing that with them. I try to create a balance, it is not 100% of what you want but at least there is a balance.
What is the secret of successful entrepreneur?
You know fear is mostly the problem that kills our desires. The first thing you take as an entrepreneur into any business venture is remove the fear once you start looking at how do you succeed, the real issue is that you might be discouraged. Sometimes I sit and watch what I have created (Zamani) and say am I really the one that created this? It is so huge but I know God has made it possible for me.
Do you think you can sustain the tempo?
We have to maintain and sustain this project. It is a company, not something that will cease to be when I die; it is something we want to sustain for generations. When you are watching Aljazeera, CNN or any other station you will see them celebrating their 40 years, 30 years, that is the concept we have in mind.
What is it that always makes your day?
I am glad because I am able to give a lot of people something they can use for life.