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What’s life like for women who wear niqabs in Lagos?

Sherifah Yunus Olokodana wants to challenge stereotypes and to honour her religion whilst growing a thriving business

The wearing of Niqabs and Burkas– garments worn by some Muslim women- has been a hotly debated topic around the world.

The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear and a burqa, the most concealing of all Islamic veils, is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through.

Niqabs and Burkas have been banned in several countries and the debate around them has centred around religious freedom, women’s rights and even security.

Sherifah Yunus Olokodana, runs her food business SMD Natural Cooking in the biggest city in Nigeria, Lagos and wears her niqab with pride. But she says she’s subject to a lot of abuse in the streets and online.

Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been speaking to her about running her business and how she deals with social media trolls.

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