George Prayers

  Balkissa Chaibou dreamed of becoming a doctor, but when she was 12 she was shocked to learn she had been promised as a bride to her cousin. She decided to fight for her rights - even if that meant taking her own family to court. "I came from school at around 18:00, and Mum called me," Balkissa Chaibou recalls. "She pointed to a group of visitors and said of one of them, 'He is the one who will marry you.' "I thought she was joking. And she told me, 'Go unbraid, and wash your hair.' That is when I realised she was serious." The young girl from Niger had always been ambitious. "When I was little, I was dreaming of becoming a doctor. Take care of people, wear the white coat. Help people," she says. Marriage to her cousin, who had arrived with his father from neighbouring Nigeria, would make this impossible. "They said if you marry him you won't be able to study any more. For me my passion...

          Looking good is big business in Africa; reports show that the amount of money being spent on haircare across the continent is rising. The biggest growth in 2014 was in Nigeria where people spent more than $440 million , the sales of conditioners and relaxers rose 11% since 2013. Similarly, in South Africa the amount of money spent on haircare increased 7% from 2013 to 2014 , and in Kenya consumers spent more than $100 million on haircare , and salon sales were up 8%. Nigeria leads the way As the younger population grows in Nigeria, sales of hair care products increase, and are considered to be more essential than many other grooming products. Read More The rise in usage of the internet and cable TV has influenced many consumers' thorough the use international celebrities in advertising. There has also been a rise in demand for men's products from men in urban areas. L'Oréal Nigeria lead the market in 2014, the compa...