Folorunsho Alakija (born 15 July 1951) is a Nigerian billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist.[1][2] She is involved in the fashion,[3] oil, real estate and printing industries.[4] She is the Group Managing Director of The Rose of Sharon Group which consists of The Rose of Sharon Prints & Promotions Limited, Digital Reality Prints Limited and the executive vice-chairman of Famfa Oil Limited.
Folorunso Alakija | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 July 1951 |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Spouse |
Modupe Alakija (m. 1976) |
| Children | 4 |
| Website | www.folorunsoalakija.com |
Chief Folorunso Alakijaⓘ (born 15 July 1951) is a Nigerian businesswoman and philanthropist.[1][2][3] She is the group managing director of the Rose of Sharon Group and executive vice chairman of Famfa Oil Limited.[4]
Early life
Alakija was born into a middle-class family in Nigeria[5] on 15 July 1951. Her father, Chief L.A. Ogbara, had 8 wives and 52 children,[6] and Folorunso's mother was his first.[7] She is from the Yoruba ethnicity of south-western Nigeria.[8] At the age of ten, Alakija traveled to the United Kingdom for her education.[citation needed] Alakija attended Muslim High School in Shagamu, Nigeria[citation needed]. She then returned to England for her secretarial studies at Pitman Central College, London.[3]
Career
In 1974, Alakija began working as an executive secretary at Sijuade Enterprises in Lagos. She later held positions at the First National Bank of Chicago and the International Merchant Bank of Nigeria.[9][10]
Alakija then studied fashion design at the American College in London and the Central School of Fashion.[11] She started a fashion label called Supreme Stitches, renamed in 1996 as the Rose of Sharon House of Fashion.[12][13] She served as the president of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN) and remains a trustee of the organization.[14][15]
In May 1993, Alakija applied for the allocation of an oil prospecting license (OPL).[16] The license to explore for oil on a 617,000-acre block, about 100 km offshore of Nigeria, in the Agbami Field, was granted to her company, Famfa Limited. In September 1996, Alakija entered into a joint venture agreement with Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, transferring a 40 percent stake to Star Deep.[17][18] After they struck oil, the Nigerian government claimed a 40% stake, followed by an additional 10%.[19] The Nigerian government subsequently sought to acquire a 50% interest in the block; Alakija contested this acquisition in court and the Supreme Court ruled in her favor in 2012.[20]
Recognition
In 2014, Forbes ranked Alakija as the 96th most powerful woman in the world. As of 2021, she was the wealthiest woman in Africa with an estimated net worth of $1 billion.[21][22]
In July 2021, Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, conferred on her an honorary doctorate degree. Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, in November 2022, gave Alakija an honorary doctorate.[23][24]
Philanthropy
Alakija established the Rose of Sharon Foundation, which provides scholarships and business grants to widows and orphans[25]
She donated a skills acquisition center to Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), a higher educational institution located in Lagos.[26][27][28]
In 2025, Alakija funded the construction of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, a project valued at approximately ₦70 billion.[citation needed] The facility includes 20 clinical departments, including MRI suites and radiotherapy units, intended for medical research and doctor training.[29]
Personal life
Alakija married Modupe Alakija in November 1976.[30] They reside in Lagos, Nigeria, with their four sons.[31] In June 2017, their son, Folarin Alakija, married Iranian model Nazanin Jafarian Ghaissarifar.[32]
References
- ^ "Collectively, we can build a thriving economy - Folorunsho Alakija". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. October 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ Iyengar, Rishi (30 December 2014). "Here's She is the World's Richest Black woman in the world". Time. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Folorunso Alakija". africa.harvard.edu. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "Folorunso Alakija". Folorunsho Alakija. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ "Folorunsho Alakija: From a Middle Class Home to becoming Nigeria's richest woman". Nairametrics.com. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ "FOLORUNSHO ALAKIJA - A Pathway For Very Female Entrepreneur". Alamin Abdulhadi. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Covenant I made with God at age 40 — Folorunso's Alakija". The Punch. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ Sadiq, Mobola (18 July 2021). "Covenant I made with God at age 40 — Folorunsho Alakija". The Punch. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Business – Alakija". Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ "Folorunsho Alakija Biography - Biopreneur Nigeria". Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ Folorunsho, Alakija. "Success in the Fashion World". folorunshoalakija. Folorunsho Alakija. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ Falode, Kehinde (17 September 2011). "Fashion icon, Folorunso Alakija at 62". The Nation. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 20 June 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Folorunsho Alakija". Forbes. November 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ^ Wilson, Julee (5 December 2012). "Richest Black Woman in the World, Folorunso Alakija, Was A Major Fashion Designer in Africa". The Huffington Post.
- ^ Gabriel, Gift (24 June 2012). "I moved out of the crowd to get it right – Mrs Alakija". Vanguard. Nigeria.
- ^ "The Richest Black Woman in the World, Folorunsho Alakija". Ventures Africa. Lagos. 29 November 2012. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
- ^ "Folorunso Alakija richest black woman on earth". P.M. News. Lagos, Nigeria. 25 December 2012.
- ^ "Agbami Oilfield, Nigeria". offshore technology.com. Nigeria.
- ^ "How Africa's second richest woman gained her fortune - CNBC Africa". CNBC Africa. 17 September 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
- ^ "5 Lessons Folorunsho Alakija Could Teach Christian Entrepreneurs - Tithehacker.org". Tithehacker.org. 29 July 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
- ^ "Folorunsho Alakija: Nigerian businesswoman, oil baroness Folorunsho Alakija Profile". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Folorunsho Alakija". Forbes. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "BIU Confers Jedy-Agba With Doctorate Degree In Public Admin". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Nigeria, Guardian (15 November 2022). "Varsity awards Alakija honorary doctorate degree". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Folorunsho, Alakija. "Folorunsho Alakija Foundation". folorunshoalakija. Folorunsho Alakija. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ Ellis, Jessica (16 February 2012). "Nigerian billionaire takes on cause of 'mistreated widows'". CNN.
- ^ Amos, Adaeze (26 May 2013). "My passion for widows and orphans –Folorunso Alakija". National Mirror. Nigeria.
- ^ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "Nigeria's Richest Woman Folorunsho Alakija Donates Skills Acquisition Center To School". Forbes. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ "Adeleke Inaugurates First Integrated Medical Research Hospital – THISDAYLIVE". Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ^ Allen Lee (9 October 2019). "Meet Folorunso Alakija: The Richest Woman in Africa". Money Inc. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ Sessou, Ebun (9 September 2011). "My life is full of blissful moments – Folorunso Alakija". Vanguard. Nigeria.
- ^ "Folarin Alakija marries Nazanin Jafarian Ghaissarifar in a luxurious $8 million wedding".