Queen Amina and Ibu Atelier: Hausa embroidered tunics and cushions. Photos: Provided by Ibu Atelier and Queen Amina Embroidery By Egungwu Chukwuka Benjamin ‎ I n the city of Zaria, northern Nigeria, 40 women sit side by side. Spread before them is plain cloth. In their hands are needles and thread. Slowly, patterns begin to appear. This is not fast work. It is careful work. It is the same kind of work that has been done here for hundreds of years. ‎This is Queen Amina Embroidery, a women’s cooperative named after Queen Amina, the Hausa ruler remembered for her strength. Today, the women in the workshop are showing that same strength by turning tradition into a business that feeds families. ‎As the cooperative has grown, so has the responsibility of its manager, Hassana Yusuf. A mother of four, she took over when the group had 25 women. Today there are 40, and more women are asking to join.  ‎Her role goes beyond the workshop. She speaks to buyers overseas, handles orders, and makes...