There is a factory in Kuje, Abuja. Inside that factory, lipsticks, foundations, and cosmetics are being carefully formulated, tested, and manufactured. Not imported. Not white-labeled. Made in Nigeria, by Nigerians, for the world.

That factory belongs to Pearl Ubani, founder of Myria Gee LTD, and her story is one of vision, patience, and an unshakeable belief that Nigeria can compete on the global beauty stage.

Pearl grew up in an entrepreneurial household where building businesses was simply a normal part of life. Her mother was her earliest and biggest influence, a woman she watched create, refine, and grow businesses with quiet consistency and determination. That environment shaped Pearl in ways she may not have fully understood at the time, but the evidence was always there. As a child, she sold zobo, made beaded accessories, and charged her classmates to help them with assignments. Whenever her siblings played tuck-shop, Pearl always insisted on being the shop owner. Looking back, it is hard to say she was ever headed anywhere other than entrepreneurship.

Her love for beauty developed alongside her business instincts. For years, Pearl created content on YouTube, reviewing products, sharing her passion for makeup, and building an audience. But the more she learned about the industry, the more one question stayed with her. Why were Nigerians so dependent on imported cosmetics when we had the capacity to make them ourselves? Why couldn’t high-quality makeup be developed and manufactured right here at home?

That question became a mission. In 2020, she launched Myria Gee as a direct-to-consumer beauty brand. By 2022, she had made the bold transition into full cosmetics manufacturing, setting her sights on something much bigger than selling products. She wanted to build something that would change the industry.

The journey from beauty content creator to cosmetics manufacturer was not a straight line. It required serious investment in knowledge, skill, and the right support systems. Pearl was deliberate about seeking out resources and opportunities that could strengthen her business. She has received funding from both SMEDAN and the Abuja Enterprise Agency, and has participated in numerous training sessions with SMEDAN, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service. She has also had direct engagements with NAFDAC, SON, and NITDA as they relate to her manufacturing operations. For Pearl, these were not just programmes to attend. They were building blocks, each one adding another layer of knowledge, compliance, and credibility to what she was creating.

In 2023, she went further and earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Cosmetics Formulation, committing to understanding her craft at the deepest level. In 2024, Myria Gee secured NAFDAC certification, a milestone that validated the quality and safety of everything coming out of her factory. Each step was deliberate, each achievement earned.

Then in 2025 came the moment that put Myria Gee on a national stage. Pearl competed on The Next Titan, one of Nigeria’s most demanding entrepreneurship competitions, and she won.

The road to that victory was not without its tests. At one point during the competition, Pearl and her team had just 48 hours to organise an entire community development project in Ajegunle from scratch, covering sponsors, logistics, food, and a full skills training programme. It was chaotic and exhausting, but they delivered. That experience captured something essential about who Pearl is as an entrepreneur: someone who gets things done regardless of the circumstances.

“The victory gave Myria Gee national visibility and validated years of hard work, planning, and sacrifice,” she reflects. “It was a turning point.”

But not every part of the journey has been easy. Building a manufacturing business in Nigeria comes with real challenges, from navigating regulatory compliance and scaling production while maintaining quality, to something perhaps harder to overcome, the perception that locally made cosmetics cannot match imported ones. Pearl encountered that bias and chose to confront it the only way that truly works.

“We prioritized quality, consistency, transparency, and regulatory compliance, and that is how we built trust,” she says.

The product speaks for itself. And increasingly, people are listening.

Through all of it, Pearl has learned that resilience matters more than talent. Entrepreneurship is unpredictable, and the ability to keep moving when things do not go to plan is often the difference between those who build lasting businesses and those who don’t. She has learned to trust her instincts, stay open to feedback, and keep going regardless.

Her advice to anyone starting out in the beauty industry is refreshingly direct: “Start before you feel completely ready. Perfection is often the enemy of progress. The most important thing is to take action, learn from your mistakes, and keep improving.”

As for what is next, Pearl is not slowing down. New products including blushes, mascaras, and matte liquid lipsticks are in development. Production capacity is expanding, new staff are joining the team, and research and development is ongoing. But her bigger goal stretches beyond Myria Gee itself.

“I want Myria Gee to play a major role in building a stronger beauty manufacturing ecosystem in Africa,” she says.

Not just a successful brand. An entire ecosystem.

Pearl Ubani is a reminder that with the right combination of passion, preparation, and the willingness to seek out and use every resource available, it is possible to build something that goes far beyond what anyone imagined at the start.

Shop Myria Gee at www.myriagee.com/shop and follow their journey on all platforms @myriagee.