-By sdnonline-

British-Nigerian, Shalom Lloyd is recognized and celebrated as United Kingdom (UK) kicks off ‘Black Pound Day’ for consumers to discover and support Black-owned businesses.

With natural ingredients sourced from Nigeria, Pharmacist and entrepreneur, Shalom Lloyd, combines her professional knowledge and African heritage to create a natural skincare line that has developed into a global premium skincare business- Naturally Tribal Skincare. The company was founded in 2016, when a need to improve her baby’s severe eczema led the mother-of-five to invent a formula using natural ingredients. The primary ingredient, which is ‘shea butter’, is ethically sourced from the Essan Kingdom in Niger State, Nigeria, where the company has a factory, and provides jobs and childcare for local women.

“After going through four cycles of IVF and giving birth to twins at 40, I was so desperate to find a natural remedy for my son’s eczema, which made his skin bleed. With no natural effective remedies available, I created one myself.

“I never intended to start a skincare business, but I am extremely proud that people of
all ethnicities love our products which infuse my British and Nigerian heritage; I hope
events like Black Pound Day give black-owned businesses the visibility they deserve.

“During the lockdown, we realised how vital e-commerce is for us and our international trade adviser at the Department for International Trade has been invaluable in helping us enter key markets,” Lloyd said.

Naturally Tribal is currently collaborating with the University of Bedfordshire on a project using new technologies to reduce waste production in their Shea processing facility in Essan, Nigeria, and recently launched a Nigerian e-commerce store, making plans to collaborate with retail stores and create more jobs in Nigeria.

Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith OBE said:
“Naturally Tribal Skincare’s success is a fabulous example of the positive power of
cultural heritage and the ability of the UK’s diversity to entrepreneurs to export.

“DIT’s support for the company in the UK and Africa, demonstrates how the partnership between government and business can help UK companies of all sizes
to identify new export markets and draw on DIT’s in-country expertise to expand  their businesses.
“Such activity has never been more important as our economies recover from the
impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is great to see recognition for the leadership
that Black and Black-British businesses are showing in driving enterprise and exports.”

The UK’s Department of International Trade (DIT) has provided support for sales across
Africa, Europe and the US. In 2018, UK DIT supported its Nigerian launch at the British High commission in Lagos, and its participation at the Beauty West Africa fair in 2019 and is now supporting further expansion across the continent into Kenya and Ghana.

Shalom Lloyd is a DIT export champion and has won the ‘Female Entrepreneur’
First-Enterprise 2019 award. Though Naturally Tribal Skincare is based in Milton Keynes, UK, the the company in March 2019 provided health and safety training to over 350 Essan women in Nigeria and is looking to create over 70 jobs there.