Friday, March 08, 2019 8.00AM / Bukola Akinyele and Nifemi Taiyese for Proshare WebTV

As women across the globe mark WorldInternational Women’s day with the theme “Balance for Better”, we acknowledgesome remarkable Nigerian women who play sterling leadership roles in business,economy, politics and governance.

Business 

Mrs Folorunso Alakija

Mrs Folorunso Alakija ,67 years, is ranked by Forbesas Nigeria’s Richest Woman.

She is the Executive Vice Chairman , Famfa Oil Limitedand Group Managing Director, The Rose of Sharon Group which consists of TheRose of Sharon Prints & Promotions Limited and Digital Reality PrintsLimited.

Mosunmola (“Mo”) Abudu

Mosunmola Abudu, 54 years, better known as Mo Abudu is a Nigerian Media Mogul who founded Ebony LifeTelevision and Inspire Africa Foundation. She is a TV Producer, MediaPersonality, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Former Human Resources ManagementConsultant.

She has been described by Forbes as Africa’s MostSuccessful Woman.

Tara FelaDurotoye

Tara, 42 years, is a beauty and makeup entrepreneur,she founded the House Of Tara Cosmetics, and is owner of Nigeria’s leadingbeauty academy. She established the first makeup school in the country.

She is a role model that inspires several aspiringbeauty business owners across Africa.

In 2013, she was nominated Young Global Leader byWorld Economic Forum. She is listed as one of the 20 Young Power Women inAfrica by Forbes.

Funke Opeke

Funke Opeke is a Nigerian electrical engineer, founderof Main Street Technologies and Chief Executive Officer of Main  OneCable, a communications services company based in Lagos State, South-WestNigeria.

MainOne is West Africa's leading services and networksolutions provider.

Banking

Bola Adesola, CEOof Standard Chartered Bank

Mrs Bola Adesola is  CEO of Standard CharteredBank, she was previously Executive Director ,Corporate Banking, First Bank ofNigeria.  Adesola is an honorary fellow of the Chartered Institute ofBankers Nigeria and is also a member of Board of the Financial Markets DealersAssociation. She has over 25 years of banking experience. She is an alumna ofthe Harvard Business school.

Sola Borha ChiefExecutive, African Region, Standard Bank Group, South Africa

Mrs Olusola Adejoke David-Borha is the ChiefExecutive, African Region for Standard Chartered Bank.  She previouslyserved as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Corporate &Investment Banking of Stanbic IBTC in Nigeria.

She is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Instituteof Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). David-Borha was named Business Woman of the Yearfor the West Africa Region in 2016 at the All Africa Business Leaders Awards.She is a member of the governing council of Reedemer’s University of Nigeria.

Ibukun Awosika Chairman, First Bank Nigeria Limited 

Mrs Ibukun Awosika, 56 years, is a Nigerian businesswoman, author and motivational speaker. She is the first woman to be appointedto Chair the Board of First Bank of Nigeria.

She is also founder and Chief Executive Officer of TheChair Centre Group. The companies within the group include: The Chair CentreLimited, Sokoa Chair Centre Limited, Furniture Manufacturers Mart, TCC SecuritySystems and Cubes and Boxes Limited. These companies are involved inmanufacturing, retail and bank-way security systems services.

Osaretin Afusat Demuren Chairman,Guaranty Trust Bank

Osaretin Demuren is a Nigerian banker, and the firstfemale Chairman of Guaranty Trust Bank.

She sits on the board of Trust Fund Pensions Plc andof LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited.

She is a member of the following associations, Societyfor Human Resource Management of America, Nigerian Statistical Association,Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria and the CharteredInstitute of Bankers of Nigeria.

Mosun Belo-Olusoga

Mrs Mosun Belo-Olusoga is the Chairman Board ofDirectors, of Access Bank.

The 62 year old boardroom guru is a fellow of both theInstitute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the CharteredInstitute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

She is an alumna of Harvard Business School,KelloggSchool of Management and Columbia Business School in the USA, as well as IMD inSwitzerland and INSEAD in France.

She is passionate about personal and professionalgrooming of women in order to transform them into productive members of thesociety. 

Financial Market

Toyin Sanni, CEO ofEmerging Africa Capital

Mrs ToyinSanni is the Chief Executive Officer of Emerging African Capital and has overtwo decades of experience in investment banking.

Sanni wasformer GCEO of United Capital Group one of the biggest investment bankinggroups in Africa.

She is aninternational speaker, author, and founding Chairman, Women In Finance Nigeriaand President of the Chartered Institute of Investment Advisers in Nigeria.

Toyin Sanni was once recognized in 2017 as the AllAfrican Business Woman of the Year at the AABLA Awards, Johannesburg, SouthAfrica and in Nigeria as the Most Outstanding CEO of the yearby the PearlAwards Board, becoming the first female CEO to win that award in its 22 yearshistory.

HajaraAdeola, CEO of Lotus Capital

Mrs Hajara Adeola is the CEO of Lotus Capital withover 20 years experience in top tier global investment banks in the UnitedKigdom and Nigeria, where she has focused on research and analysis, investmentmanagement, Islamic finance and corporate finance.

Hajara is the first President of the Fund Manager'sAssociation of Nigeria and is a West African Fellow of the Aspen LeadershipInitiative.  She is a Director of the Aliko Dangote Foundation.

Lotus Capital is the first Shari'ah Compliantinvestment company in Nigeria, registered with the Securities & ExchangeCommission, specialising in Islamic Finance, Investment & FinancialAdvisory Services.

Economic Management

Zainab Ahmed , Minister of Finance 

Mrs Zainab Ahmed is the current Minister of Finance ofthe Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Prior to her appointment she was the Minister ofState, Budget and National Planning.

She was also Executive Secretary of the NationalExtractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI and also worked with theglobal EITI board.

Ahmed was appointed Finance Minister, after herpredecessor Mrs Kemi Adeosun resigned her position in September, 2018.

Ms.Mary Uduk , Ag DG Securities& Exchange Commission, Nigeria 

Ms Mary Uduk  is currently Acting DirectorGeneral of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria.

Her career as a regulator in the capital market datesback to October 1986 and has spanned many functions from corporate finance,administration, to providing regulatory structure and due diligence for capitalmarket transactions.

Prior to this, she was at various times the Head ofInternal Control, Financial Standards & Corporate Governance, andSecurities & Investment Services Departments, amongst others in theCommission.

Since her appointment as Acting DG of SEC Nigeria MsUduk has been driving critical regulatory reforms for the capital like the“Fintech Roadmap”.

Patience Oniha, Director General,Debt Management Office

Patience Oniha joined the Debt Management Office (DMO) in 2008 as theDirector, Market Development Department after a fulfilling career in the bankingsector spanning over 22 years.

In this capacity, Oniha actively engaged with public and private sectorstakeholders in respect of the development of the domestic debt market. Shemanaged the successful issuance of Nigeria’s debut Eurobond in 2011 and thedual-tranche Eurobonds of 2013.

Oniha was appointed Head of the Efficiency Unit at the Federal Ministryof Finance in November 2015, where she introduced a number of initiatives,resulting in savings estimated at N17 billion.

On July 1, 2017 she was appointed Director-General of  the DebtManagement Office and under her watch she has facilitated several importantFederal Government bonds like the “Diaspora” and “Sukuk” Issues.

Aisha Ahmad, Deputy Governor,Central Bank of Nigeria

Aisha Ahmad, CFA is the Deputy Governor of CentralBank of Nigeria and started out inthe private sector as a Group Accountant at "Manstructs Group NigeriaLimited".

She then worked at Z.O. Ososanya & Company, and transferred to First Interstate Bank(Nigeria) Plc. as Executive Assistant, Treasury Group.

Aisha is an accountant, financialmanager and analyst by profession.

Ahmad replaced Dr Sarah Alade  who retired as Deputy Governor of CBN in March2017.

Yewande SadikuExecutive Secretary/CEO of NIPC

Yewande Sadiku is the currentExecutive Secretary/CEO of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, NIPC.

Prior to her appointment she was the ExecutiveDirector of Corporate and Transactional Banking at Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc.

She has also served as Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTCCapital Limited, Head of Finance Department of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc. (formerlyIBTC Chartered Bank Plc.).

She was responsible for the execution of debt andequity issues, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and financial advisoryassignments handled by IBTC Chartered Bank Plc. and was also responsible forthe packaging, analysis and execution of a variety of capital market Issues.

Womenin Government

Oyo-Ita WinifredEkanem 

Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita is the Head ofService of the Federation and participates in all critical Federal ExecutiveCouncil and Presidential meetings in the Federal Capital.

She coordinates the entire federalcivil service structure and operations, and is responsible for ensuring theimplementation of key reforms.

Prior to her appointment she was thePermanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in April2014, Oyo-Ita  and was the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry ofSpecial Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Oyo-Ita is a fellow of the Instituteof Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

On October 21, 2015, PresidentMuhammadu Buhari announced the appointment of Oyo-Ita as the Head of the CivilService of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Dr Jumoke Oduwole,SSA to President on Industry, Trade & Investment

Dr Jumoke Oduwole is a lawyer, academician and currently the Secretaryof the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, driving the Ease ofDoing Business reforms of the Buhari administration.

In 2000, Jumoke had a stint with FCMB Capital Markets as an investmentbanker until 2003. In 2004, she got employed as a lecturer in the Faculty ofLaw at the University of Lagos where she served as a member of the Senatecommittee and Researcher.

In 2012, Oduwole was nominated to attend the BMW FoundationEurope-Africa Young Leaders Forum. Her interest in youth development-relatedissues led her to the co-founding of an NGO called"No Limit" with the view of inspiring and imparting leadership valuesin Nigerian youths.

She was also selected as an associate fellow of the African LeadershipInstitute for the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellowship in 2013.

In January 2016, Jumoke was appointed Senior Special Assistant to thePresident on Industry, Trade and Investment.

Women in Politics 

H.E Dr Idiat Adebule, Deputy Governor, Lagos State

Dr Idiat Adebule is the 15^thsubstantive  Deputy Governor of Lagos State serving with GovernorAkinwunmi Ambode since  May 29, 2015.

Adebule began her career as a juniorlecturer at Micheal Otedola College Of Primary Education, Epe in the departmentof Religious Studies.

She later transferred her service to theLagos State University department of curricular activities.

From the academia she was appointed theSecretary to the State Government by the then Governor of Lagos state, MrBabatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) in July, 2011.

She was later nominated running mate toGovernor Akinwunmi Ambode who emerged the winner of the Lagos 2015gubernatorial elections.

H.E Dr Ipalibo BanigoDeputy Governor, Rivers State

Dr IpaliboBanigo is a Nigerian medical doctor, politician and the first female DeputyGovernor of Rivers State.

Amember of the People'sDemocratic Party, shehas held various important offices at the Rivers StateMinistry of Health.

Duringher service, she assumed the positions of Director of Public Health Services,Acting Commissioner, Director-General and Permanent Secretary.

Sheachieved prominence first in 1995, as Secretary to the Government of Rivers State before serving as Head of Service of thestate.

InDecember 2014, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike selected her as his running mate inthe 2015 election. She was elected Deputy Governor and assumedoffice on 29 May 2015.

H.E YetundeOnanuga Deputy Governor, Ogun State

Mrs Yetunde Onanuga isthe current Deputy Governor of Ogun State, serving with Governor IbikunleAmosun.

She worked  in theLagos State Ministry of Environment, from where  she was nominated asrunning mate of Senator Amosun in the 2015 gubernatorial polls.

As Deputy GovernorOnanuga has worked with the Governor to drive the objective of an economicallyviable and transformed Ogun State.

Related News

1.      828,502Employees Employed By 1,110 Registered Private Guard Companies in 2018 - NBS

2.     15 Million BritsSuffer In Silence As They Lack Confidence To Complain

3.     Time For ARevolution says FT Editor; Publishes Ahmed Sule’s Letter On 'Lack Of Diversity'

4.     It's Time forthe Financial Times to Discover the Rest of the World

5.     Nigerian PressCouncil Bill 2018: 5 Things to Note

6.     Carl Ikeme: Howthe World Rallied Around Nigeria’s Retired Goalkeeper

7.     #Russia2018:France Win Second World Cup, with $38m FIFA Prize Money

8.    #Russia2018WorldCup:Facts from the First Round of Matches

9.      2018 LagosTanker Explosion: Nine Bodies Recovered, Fifty-four Burnt Vehicles Evacuated-LASEMA