Folorunsho Alakija

Biographical record

Title

Mrs

Surname

Alakija

First Name

Folorunsho

Gender

N/A

Source of Publication

NIBC Who's Who (3rd Edition)

Date of Birth

15 July 1951

Status

Alive

Place of Birth

Ikorodu, Lagos State

Father's Name

Chief L. A. Ogbara of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Father's Status

Deceased

Mother's Status

N/A

Marital Status

Married

Name of Spouse

Modupe Alakija

Education Level

Secondary

Schools Attended with Dates

Alakija had her nursery education at Our Ladies of Apostles, Lagos, from 1955 to 1958. At age seven, she travelled to the United Kingdom to continue her primary education at Dinorben School for Girls in Hafodunos Hall in Llangernyw, Wales. After completing her primary education, Alakija attended Muslim High School in Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. She then returned to England for her secretarial studies at Pitman’s Central College, London.

Academic Honours

After completing her primary education, Alakija attended Muslim High School in Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. She then returned to England for her secretarial studies at Pitman’s Central College, London.

Membership of Professional Bodies/Professional Qualifications

• Chief Executive Matron - "African Young Entrepreneurs" (AYE)
• Ambassador- "Junior Chambers International" (JCI)
• Member-Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council Advisory Board
• Member - Harvard University, Center of African Studies Advisory Board
• Member - Harvard University Global Advisory Council.

Previous Appointments

• 1976-1984: Alakija starts her career as an executive secretary at Sijuade Enterprises, Lagos, Nigeria.
• 1984-1991: She ventures into the fashion industry and founds Supreme Stitches, a highly successful fashion label catering to Nigeria's elite.
• 1991-Present: Alakija secures an Oil Prospecting License (OPL) which later becomes OML 127, a lucrative oil block in Nigeria. She founds Famfa Limited, the oil exploration company.
• 1993: Famfa Oil Limited discovers oil in commercial quantities in its Agbami field, one of the largest deepwater discoveries in Nigeria.
• 2000s: Alakija becomes one of the wealthiest women in Africa due to her investments in oil.
• 2014: She is appointed Vice-Chairman of the National Heritage Council and Endowment for the Arts by the Nigerian government.
• 2015: Alakija launches the Rose of Sharon Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on alleviating poverty and empowering widows and orphans in Nigeria.
• 2016: She is appointed as Chancellor of Osun State University, Nigeria.

Have you ever been a member of any political party?

N/A

Awards and Honours

• 2012: Forbes names Alakija the richest black woman in the world, surpassing Oprah Winfrey.
• 2020: Alakija receives the Forbes Africa Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
• 2021: She was recognized as one of Africa's most influential women by Forbes Africa.

Creative Work/Major Exhibitions

Fashion: The African Connection 2001
Alone with God 2023
Folorunsho Alakija Speaks 1,2
Growing with the hand that gives rose
His name is
Scriptures for husbands
Scriptures for parents
Scriptures for wives
The cry of widows and orphans

Other Relevant Information

Alakija's first company was a fashion label whose customers included the wife of former Nigerian president Ibrahim Babangida.
The Nigerian government awarded Alakija's company an oil prospecting license in 1993, which was later converted to an oil mining lease.

Source

https://www.forbes.com/profile/folorunsho-alakija/?sh=63ac13dd2ad9https://www.theafricaceoforum.com/en/portraits/folorunso-alakija/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folorunso_Alakijahttps://www.folorunsoalakija.com/

Source

https://www.forbes.com/profile/folorunsho-alakija/?sh=63ac13dd2ad9https://www.theafricaceoforum.com/en/portraits/folorunso-alakija/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folorunso_Alakijahttps://www.folorunsoalakija.com/