Move over Oprah, Nigerian oil tycoon Folorunsho Alakija is now the richest black woman in the world with an estimated fortune of $7.3 billion.


Africa boasts 55 billionaires – far more than previously thought – and they’re worth a staggering $143.88 billion in total, according to pan-African magazine Ventures Africa.

Starting her career as a secretary in a bank in the mid 1970s, Alakija, 62, then studied fashion in London and returned to Nigeria to start a label, Supreme Stitches. But her biggest break came in oil.
In 1993, her company, Famfa Oil, was awarded an oil prospecting license, which later became OML 127, one of the country’s most prolific oil blocks, by then-president Ibrahim Babangida.
The company owned a 60 per cent stake in the block until 2000 when the Nigerian government unconstitutionally acquired a 50 per cent interest without duly compensating Alakija or Famda Oil.

In May 2012, Alakija, a married mother-of-four, challenged the acquisition and the Nigerian Supreme Court reinstated the 50 per cent stake to her company.



She also has a charity called the Rose of Sharon foundation that helps widows and orphans by empowering them through scholarships and business grants.
Forbes magazine had estimated Alakija’s fortune at $600 million, as of November 2012, but the magazine’s editor-in-chief Uzodinma Iweala said his researchers were ‘closer to the ground.’

They noted that Brazilian oil company, Petrobas, was looking to sell its 8 per cent stake in OML 127 for $1.5- $2.5 billion, and extrapolated that if they managed to sell it for $1 billion, Alakija’s 60 per cent stake would be worth at least $7.3 billion.
Iweala claims this and other estimates included in the report are actually ‘on the conservative side’ and said the magazine expect to unearth more African billionaires shortly.
The overall richest African is Nigerian manufacturer Aliko Dangote who is worth $20.2 billion. Twenty Nigerians are listed in total.
According to Forbes, Oprah Winfrey is worth $2.9 billion.

Source: http://newsinigeria..com/2013/10/nigerian-female-billionaire-defeats.html

More news at http://www.newsinigeria..com

First time Nigeria is recognized internationally for something positive

yes o! our women ain't lagging behind, am so so proud of our industrious women , ur path has bin a grt commendable.NIGERIA CAN GET BETA TRU GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ABLE WOMEN.MUMMY ALAKIJA HAS BEEN GROWING ON THIS LADDER OF SUCCESS GRADUALLY,ANODA GREAT ENTREPRENEUR IS D WIFE OF ZAMBIA PRESIDENT. GOD BLESS every HARD WORKING WOMEN OUT THERE

what gave her this wealth??fashion??is she the zara we have in nigera??

ifebosco: what gave her this wealth??fashion??is she the zara we have in nigera??

please go back and read again.

Blood money.She is not in the same realm with Oprah who really earned her success. She is one of the usurpers that hijacked nigeria oil wealth.

95 percent of nigeria unaccountably socalled wealthy are thieves,their nefarious connections with the thieving politicians lay bare the nigerian wealth to them.Dem otedola,danjuma and even adenuga are all opporunists.

Tolexander: please go back and read again.

with your block head,can´t see that her money is our money??her money belongs to nigerians

ifebosco: with your block head,can´t see that her money is our money??her money belongs to nigerians

u indeed reasonin wit ur anus, aw does what u asked correlate wit ur response now. Learn nt to alwaz jump into criticising pple's source of wealth.

ifebosco: with your block head,can´t see that her money is our money??her money belongs to nigerians

a block head is better than no head!

We can't be here celebrating our stolen wealth. She has no business being that rich. I don't like Oprah, but she worked for her money, this Alakija woman didn't

I detest this story of calling Alakija the richest black woman. She was a gaddam tailor for IBB's wife and before u say Jack Robinson, she acquired 60% stake in Agbami, the largest deepwater oil field. For crying out loud guys, can't u see the handwriting on the wall?

Besides, there are so many politicians and pastors who make the mark for top billionaires in the world, but many of them cannot come out because their wealth is questionable.

Behind everi successful woman is a frustrated man.......... Wu is ha husband sef

deor03: We can't be here celebrating our stolen wealth. She has no business being that rich. I don't like Oprah, but she worked for her money, this Alakija woman didn't

Oh please... Oprah worked for which money? As a talk show host? Go and apply for the position of talk show host in America and see how far you will go. Like Alakija, Oprah was lucky with a big fat L. Less than 1% of blacks in America can ever smell that position she has no matter how "hard" they work.